Financial Aid Process for Study Abroad

The Study Abroad Office mantains a variety of special financial aid information for Study Abroad students. Additionally, the Financial Aid department has developed a study abroad guidebook of important information for Study Abroad students interested in Financial Aid.

Study Abroad during the Academic Year - Fall/Spring Semester

• Complete the Free Application for Federal Student aid (FAFSA) or the Renewal FAFSA between January 1 and no later than March 1 of the year you plan to begin your program. File the FAFSA by March 1 for full aid consideration. For years where March 1 falls on a Saturday or Sunday the priority date will be extended to Monday.
• The FAFSA can be completed after March 1 but you will be limited to the types of financial aid for which you will be considered.
• The cost of the Study Abroad program and the list of participants is provided to the Division of Financial Aid by the Study Abroad Office.
• You should receive your financial aid eligibility notice in the month of July. This notice will list the aid you are eligible for.
• To apply for a Stafford Loan you will need to complete a Stafford Loan application. This application can be obtained from the lender you will be borrowing the money from. This application is sent to the Financial Aid Office for processing. This should be done at least one month before your program starts.
• If you are not eligible for need based financial aid grants and loans, you may be eligible for the unsubsidized Stafford Loan program or alternative loan options. You should complete the FAFSA so that your eligibility can be determined.
• Financial aid funds that are in excess of the fees/tuition will be refunded to you no earlier than one week before the program starts. Therefore financial aid funds may NOT be available to pay some pre-departure costs, such as the program deposit, plane ticket, visa and/or passport application fees, etc.
• It is important to understand that financial aid on a co-sponsored program may differ from aid received on an exchange program. There are many different fee structures and billing arrangements among the Purdue Study Abroad programs; each student has different financial aid eligibility and options; each student is responsible for learning whether the aid that s/he has while on campus can be used for their selected study abroad program.
• EXCHANGE PROGRAMS – Exchange programs are exactly what they sound like: a Purdue student goes to a partner university for one semester and in exchange, a student from the university is able to study at Purdue for one semester. Purdue students pay their regular tuition (in-state students pay in-state fees and non-residents pay out of state tuition and fees). The only additional cost would be a monthly charge for the required emergency medical coverage. Most scholarships or fee remissions will cover the education costs of exchange programs; State Student Assistance Commission of Indiana Scholarships (Higher Education, Core 40, Honors, 21st Century), Staff-dependent remissions, or CDV benefits can be used to cover tuition and fees for the exchange programs.
• CO-SPONSORED PROGRAMS – Co-sponsored programs are designed and administered by outside organizations, usually non-profit agencies. Examples include Arcadia CEA, CIEE, IES, IFSA, DIS. Student participating in con-sponsored programs pay program fees directly to the organization plus a study abroad administrative fee (not tuition) to Purdue. Program fees do not depend on residency status. For Indiana residents, co-sponsored programs are usually more expensive than tuition and fees while at Purdue. Indiana residents who are recipients of the SSACI (State Student Assistance Commission of Indiana Scholarships), staff dependent remissions, or CDV benefits CANNOT use this aid to cover the program fees of
  co-sponsored programs. Recipients of Purdue merit Scholarships can use their aid for these programs. Availability of aid must be determined by the Division of Financial Aid.

Study Abroad during the Summer Semester

• Summer financial aid is processed separately from the academic year. You may be eligible for aid for a Summer Study Abroad program even if you were not eligible during the academic year.
• Complete the Summer Aid Application online. This application will be available in March and can be found here at the Financial Aid website. Check back in March for updates!
• A Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or Renewal FAFSA is also required. The FAFSA for the academic year prior to your Summer Study Abroad program will be used to calculate summer financial aid eligibility. If you already have the FAFSA on file with the Financial Aid Office, you do not need to complete it again.
• Summer financial aid eligibility requires you to be enrolled for at least 6 hours as an undergraduate student (5 hours for graduate students).
• The cost of the Study Abroad program and the list of participants is provided to the Division of Financial Aid by the Study Abroad Office.
• You should receive your financial aid eligibility notice in the month of April. This notice will list the aid for which you are eligible.
• To apply for a Stafford Loan you will need to complete a Stafford Loan application. This should be done at least one month before your program starts.
• If you are not eligible for need based financial aid grants and loans, you may be eligible for the unsubsidized Stafford Loan program or alternative loan options. You should complete the FAFSA and Summer Aid Application so that your eligibility can be determined.
• Financial aid funds that are in excess of the fees/tuition will be refunded to you no earlier than one week before the program starts. Therefore financial aid funds may NOT be available to pay some pre-departure costs, such as the program deposit, plane ticket, visa and/or passport application fees, etc.
• For more information regarding the summer study abroad program, visit the Purdue Study Abroad website.