Financial Aid for Study Abroad

If you want to study abroad during a semester or summer session, you should first attend a Study Abroad 101 advising session. To review when sessions are offered, see the Study Abroad Events Calendar.

Next, meet with your academic advisor to determine the feasibility of the course/program and whether it fits your academic or career goal. To receive financial aid, you must be enrolled full-time for a fall or spring semester study abroad program.

Then, you should meet with a Financial Aid Counselor to discuss financing options available for your program. Applying for financial aid can be a very long process; prepare early so that you do not have any delays. If at all possible, you should start at least two months prior to leaving the country. Use this Budget Worksheet to record expenses and resources related to your study abroad experience.

Also, you may want to grant Power of Attorney to one of your parents so that they may sign documents for you while you are out of the country.

Study Abroad Airfare Grant

Students studying in all study abroad programs during the fall or spring semesters may be eligible for the Airfare Grant Program to help fund their airline ticket.

Luxembourg Program

To be considered for financial aid and scholarships, complete the following:

Tuition and academic fees for the Luxembourg program are the same as those for attending the Oxford campus; however, it requires separate application materials. For information on the application process as well as additional expenses associated with the program, visit the John E. Dolibois European Center.

Other Study Abroad Programs Offered at Miami

There are several different types of study abroad programs and the financial aid available will be based on the type of program you select.

Exchange or Sponsored programs

Programs that allow you to be billed through Miami while attending at another institution abroad are called exchange or sponsored programs.  These programs do not require the completion of additional paperwork for your financial aid that is used during your semester abroad.

Co-Sponsored or Approved programs

If you will be billed by another institution during your time abroad, you may be in a co-sponsored or approved program. For co-sponsored programs you are allowed to use federal and some state aid (depending on the program) and Miami scholarships (up to the study abroad tuition costs) for your study abroad. Federal and state aid (if applicable) can be applied to fees and expenses in addition to the tuition portion of the program fee. For approved programs, you are only allowed to use federal and some state aid (if applicable). Note: National Merit Scholarships cannot be used for co-sponsored or exchange programs.

For both a co-sponsored and approved program, the following items must be received and processed by our office before any funds can be disbursed to pay for your study abroad fees:

  • Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Submit this form online by the deadline for priority consideration.*
  • Study Abroad Consortium/Contractual Agreement. Required for co-sponsored or approved programs only.
  • Proof of full-time enrollment, including registered credit hours, in your abroad program. This cannot be an estimated schedule and typically is not available until you arrive at your destination.  (Proof of enrollment is required only for Summer 2013 and previous semesters.)
  • Transfer Credit Approval Form (available at the Office of International Education). This must be signed and completed by your Miami Academic Advisor before you depart and submitted to the Office of International Education.
  • Verification documents (if applicable)  If you have been selected for verification by our office you must sign and submit all the required documents listed on your BannerWeb account.

If you are studying abroad for more than one semester, you will need to complete a Study Abroad Consortium/Contractual Agreement and Transfer Credit Approval Form for each semester abroad.

Miami Scholarships for Study Abroad

Miami Scholarships may be used for Exchange or Sponsored programs billed through Miami.

For Co-sponsored programs, Miami Scholarships cannot exceed the tuition portion of the program fee for the study abroad program, scholarship funds cannot be used for room, board, travel, books, or miscellaneous fees (exception: Study Abroad Airfare Grant). Miami Scholarships can only be used once for one semester of study abroad in a co-sponsored program (exception: specific program that only has a year option).

Typically, summer study abroad programs do not allow the use of Miami scholarships, unless a scholarship is offered by your academic department or study abroad program.

There are some scholarhips specifically for study abroad available through the Office of International Education.

Summer Study Abroad

Federal financial aid eligibility is based on the number of credit hours you are enrolled and the financial aid you've already received for fall and spring semesters. If you are studying through a Miami summer workshop, we will automatically determine your summer financial aid eligibility once you have registered for your courses. If your summer program is not offered by Miami University, you will need to complete the Study Abroad Consortium/Contractual Agreement before we can determine your summer financial aid eligibility.

Disbursement of Funds

Please note that Miami cannot release financial aid funds until 10 days prior to the start of Miami's semester, even if your program begins before our semester start date.  There are no exceptions to this federal regulation.  It may be necessary for you to make a payment or complete paperwork with your host institution to delay the payment of your fees until financial aid can be released.