Can I Use Financial Aid To Study Abroad?
Yes, if you participate in an official UT Austin
program and maintain enrollment at UT Austin as a degree-seeking student,
you may use any federal, state, or institutional aid you would normally
be awarded by the Office of Student
Financial Services (OSFS), excluding work-study, to help pay for
overseas program costs. Additionally, most private scholarships are
applicable to study abroad - however, you must confirm that with the
donor. Likewise, there are scholarships specific for study abroad, such
as the IEFS.
If you will not be participating in an official UT Austin program, you
cannot use funding distributed by the UT Austin OSFS. The reason for
this being, that distribution of aid is closely related to registration
and since students on non UT programs do not maintain enrollment at
UT while abroad they cannot be disbursed aid.
Can My Award Be Increased To Cover The Cost of Studying Abroad?
Yes. Advisors in the UT Austin Study Abroad Office work with you to develop a budget for the program. This budget is then submitted to the Office of Student Financial Services (OSFS) at UT Austin. Counselors at OSFS then adjust your educational expenses in order to determine if you will be eligible for increased loan amounts or additional loan programs. Once awarded and accepted into a program, you will be required to complete an online Financial Aid Counseling Session. Most students who study abroad and who are on financial aid end up being offered either a Parent Loan (PLUS) or a College Access Loan (CAL). Students with financial need should start researching these two loan options through the OSFS webpage as soon as possible.
Is Summer Financial Aid Available?
Yes, but only for students who maintain enrollment of 6 hours. Be aware that summer aid is based on the residual aid from the previous academic year award. Therefore, summer aid is only available if you have not already reached your maximum award for the year. Additionally, it should be noted that federal, state and institutional grants and most scholarships are awarded at the beginning of the academic year. Students should expect to only receive loans from OSFS to assist in covering summer program costs.
What Alternative Loan Programs are there?
Many students will need to look specifically into alternative loans to fund their summer studies abroad and perhaps even support a semester abroad. The Office of Student Financial Services web page is a great place to start researching these loan options. http://finaid.utexas.edu/sources/loans/loantypes/altlenders.html
Can I apply for loans to cover a Maymester Abroad Program?
Yes! Students who have never applied for assistance need to complete a FAFSA as soon as possible (see below). Students currently receiving funds through a federal loan program distributed by OSFS, in most cases, are eligible to be considered for an increase in loan aid to cover legitimate educational expenses (i.e. increased costs of tuition, program fees and some of the incidental expenses). Study Abroad Advisors at the Study Abroad Office will submit program costs to OSFS in early December. These costs will then be used to recalculate the student's overall need for the spring semester. In most cases students will receive their normal disbursement in mid January and a second disbursement in late February.
How Do I Apply For Financial Aid?
You apply for aid by submitting a FAFSA
(Free Application for Federal Student Aid) form. This application does
not allow you to indicate that you will be studying abroad, so don't
worry about that yet.
Priority deadlines: Summer: February 15; Fall: March 15; Spring: September
15.
Can I use my Texas Guaranteed Tuition Plan (fka: Texas Tomorrow Fund) Resources For Study Abroad?
Yes. You should inform your SAO Advisor if you intend to apply Texas Guaranteed Tuition Plan resources towards your overseas program costs. The Study Abroad accounting office will work directly with the Texas Guaranteed Tuition Plan to request a reimbursement for the portion of the program cost that is equal to UT Austin Tuition and Fees.
Can I use a National Merit, National Achievement or National Hispanic Scholarship to Study Abroad?
Yes. We suggest that students currently receiving one of these awards should check with the Merit counselor at the Office of Student Financial Services at (512) 475-6211. The counselor will be able to explain the usage policy, distribution procedures and additional contacts that will need to be made.
Can I use a Longhorn Opportunity Scholarship (LOS) or President's Achievement Scholarship (PAS) to Study Abroad?
Yes. Students who currently receive one of these scholarships should contact their assigned counselor at the Office of Student Financial Services (512-475-6282) to inform them of your plans to study abroad. Use of an LOS or PAS is normally not a problem for students on exchange programs, however, students on an affiliated program might need to arrange for special handling or disbursement of their funds.
- faculty & staff
- parents
- non UT students
Resources For...
"This program is an exciting, unique, and relatively cheap way to learn about another culture and language."