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Are you wondering how to pay for study abroad? You’re not alone! Cost concerns are extremely common for students considering a global education experience—but for many, there’s an often-overlooked, economical option: financial aid. Every year, thousands of students on financial aid study abroad. By following some study abroad funding strategies like applying for scholarships and potentially using your FAFSA package, you can go overseas for an unforgettable international learning experience. Below, we’ll go into more detail about funding your program and explain how to use financial aid to study abroad.
Discover how you can use FAFSA and other financial strategies to turn your study abroad dreams into an affordable reality!
What is FAFSA?
The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is a form that current and future college students must complete in order to receive federal student aid, including grants, work-study funds, and student loans. Once approved, federal student aid can be used to pay for college or career school.
Can You Use Financial Aid for Study Abroad?
Yes, you can use financial aid from FAFSA to study abroad if you meet the aid eligibility criteria, your home university allows it, and your program provider accepts it. Other factors that affect your eligibility include the type of program you choose and whether you are an undergraduate or graduate student.
How to Use Financial Aid to Study Abroad: Who to Talk to
If you want to use FAFSA funds to study abroad, the first thing you should do is fill out a FAFSA application form. Once you’re approved, you want to make sure that you’re eligible to use your financial aid for study abroad.
To confirm you can use financial aid as a study abroad student, you should reach out to your study abroad and financial aid offices at your home university. They’ll be able to provide you with more details about whether your school will allow your financial aid package to be applied to your study abroad program and how to go about it.
Additionally, you should reach out to your study abroad program provider to confirm that they will accept financial aid.
Does AIFS Abroad Accept FAFSA Funds?
Yes! AIFS Abroad does accept financial aid. As long as your home university approves that your financial aid package can be used for studying abroad, we’re more than happy to accept it as payment.
AIFS Abroad is a charity-owned organization that is dedicated to helping students achieve the global education they deserve. So, in addition to accepting financial aid, AIFS Abroad also offers scholarships and grants that recipients can use towards our programs.
What Can FAFSA Funds Cover for Study Abroad?
If your home university permits you to use financial aid for study abroad, you may be wondering “What can FAFSA funds be used towards for study abroad?”
FAFSA funds can be used to cover a variety of study abroad program costs and fees. For example, with AIFS Abroad, your financial aid can cover our program fees, but these funds cannot cover:
- Enrollment Deposit
- Optional Travel Package, fees, and flight penalties
- Optional excursions
- Visa fees (if applicable)
The above are incidental fees that require out-of-pocket payment. Fortunately, using financial aid to pay for program fees will help you save significantly and FAFSA funds can be used towards them.
Can I Use my 529 Plan to Study Abroad?
A 529 plan is a tax-advantaged savings plan that is used to cover education expenses, such as college tuition. If you have a 529 plan that you would like to use for study abroad, you must check with your provider to see if they’ll accept it and make sure your home institution is designated as eligible by the U.S. Department of Education. A full list of eligible universities can be found here. If you are eligible to use your 529 plan to study abroad, you can use these funds to cover the following expenses:
- Program fees
- Room and board
- University and tuition fees
- Required textbooks
Any non-education expenses including transportation, living expenses, and other incidental costs of studying abroad will not be covered.
Can I Use a PLUS Loan to Study Abroad?
Direct PLUS loans are federal student loans that may be able to cover certain study abroad expenses. Direct PLUS loans can help pay for education expenses for graduate or professional students along with undergraduate students who are dependents. If you’re an undergraduate student, you may be eligible for PLUS loans if your parents apply on your behalf. These loans are designed to cover education expenses that other financial aid doesn’t; therefore, they may be used for study abroad, just make sure to speak with your financial aid office to confirm.
Can I Use My GI Bill to Study Abroad?
The GI Bill cannot be applied directly to AIFS Abroad programs, since AIFS is not a certifying institution. However, students may still be able to use their benefits if their host university abroad is VA-certified and willing to process billing directly.
Students using Chapter 35 benefits can usually certify without changes to tuition, and the VA will send stipends directly to the participant. For those using Chapter 33 benefits, special billing may be required. In these cases, the host institution must bill tuition directly to the participant, and the VA will send payments only to the certifying host institution.
Additionally, eligible students may qualify for the AIFS Abroad U.S. Veterans Grant by providing proof of their GI Bill benefits.
Grant Matches
In addition to our Limited Grants, AIFS Abroad offers several paired grants that applicants will automatically receive once they provide proof that they meet the requirements. These grants are stackable and can be applied to AIFS Abroad program fees.
For example, recipients of the federal Pell Grant will be awarded an additional $500 grant (called the Pell Grant Eligible award) from AIFS Abroad if they use the grant for one of our programs. Using grants like the Pell Grant are an excellent way to save money on your study abroad program.
Other AIFS Abroad paired grants include the Gilman Recipient Grant, Go Abroad Again, and the Fund for Education Abroad (FEA).
Make the most of your experience—use financial aid to study abroad with AIFS Abroad!
Studying abroad doesn’t have to feel out of reach financially. By exploring every option—like using FAFSA funds and applying for AIFS Abroad scholarships and grants—you can make studying abroad more affordable. Choosing a highly inclusive and transparent provider like AIFS Abroad makes your money go even further, since we provide valuable inclusions at no extra cost such as housing, trips and excursions, social and cultural activities, 24/7 support, comprehensive insurance, and on-site staff. AIFS Abroad’s comprehensive offerings let you focus less on logistics and more on the unforgettable journey ahead.
