Study Abroad

Financial Aid for Study Abroad

Loans and Grants

Stafford Federal loans, PLUS loans, alternative loans, and the Pell grant can be awarded for SIUE study abroad programs. The MAP grant does not apply toward study abroad.

Budget Form

Students with a FAFSA on file for the current academic year may submit a Study Abroad Student Request for Assistance form completed with detailed information on study abroad costs associated with program to which the student is applying. This form is available in the Financial Aid Office and in the Study Abroad Office.

The figures listed on this form include:

The form must be signed by the Study Abroad Advisor for semester long programs or by the faculty leader for SIUE faculty-led programs.

Financial Need and Eligibility

The same criteria used to determine financial need for students studying on campus are applied to those studying abroad. Regardless of the actual study abroad costs, the expected family contribution (EFC) will not differ from what it would be if the student were remaining on campus. Therefore, if the study abroad program costs are greater than the cost of studying on campus at SIUE, the student’s financial aid can be greater.

The Process and Timeline

1. Register for study abroad courses at SIUE for the semester abroad once accepted to your program. This process is described within your online study abroad application
2. Study Abroad Programs with a total budget that is greater than the cost of attendance at SIUE will have loan eligibility increased (this is often in the form of alternative loans) to meet the new budget for the semester abroad.
3. Financial Aid award will post on CougarNet. View and accept your financial aid award on CougarNet.
4. First time loan borrowers will need to complete the online promissory note and entrance counseling within two weeks of receipt.
5. Receive SIUE financial aid refund minus any current or outstanding charges on your SIUE account. The disbursement date of financial aid refunds are tied to the semester abroad and the SIUE financial aid disbursement date for that semester (Friday before SIUE classes begin):
   
   
   • Fall semester: disbursed in late August
   • Spring semester: disbursed in early January
   • Summer semester: disbursed in late May

Short-Term Loans

Students departing prior to the SIUE financial aid disbursement date may apply for a short-term loan through the Office of Financial Aid. The Financial Aid Office will consider short-term loan requests only when the departure date/program start date is verified by the Study Abroad Office to be before the SIUE financial aid disbursement date. The short-term loan allows students to receive a loan from SIUE in the amount of the approved financial aid award (minus any outstanding SIUE bill) before they depart for their study abroad. When the student’s financial aid pays in, those funds repay the loan.

Registration Minimums

For Summer: Students must be enrolled in minimum of 6 credit hours to be eligible for summer financial aid (loans and grants). This can be a total of 6 credit hours for study abroad or a combination of on-campus and study abroad hours.

For semester-long study abroad, students must be enrolled in a minimum of 12 credits.