It is possible to increase your student loan amounts in order to help fund your study abroad program, as long as certain criteria are met. The following is intended for general informational purposes only. For specific information about how to increase your financial aid award amount, you must contact your financial aid counselor.
To increase student loans for a study abroad program, you must:
- Be registered for the academic course that is connected to the travel. If you are going on a faculty-led travel course, you must register for the connected academic course to use financial aid. If you are taking a TS100 or not taking the course for credit and just traveling with the group, then you may not use financial aid to fund your travel.
- Be registered at least half-time during the term you are receiving aid. For undergraduates this means you must be registered for at least 6 credits to receive aid towards your study abroad. Even though the travel component of most faculty-led programs occurs during the Summer or Winterim, the connected courses are almost always listed in the Fall or Spring semesters, which makes this requirement no problem for most students. This may become a problem for students who register for Winterim or Summer programs, where you will be earning less than 6 credits.
- Register for courses that work towards your degree requirements. For example, if you have completed your language requirement and all of your elective credits, then you may have problems using your financial aid if you register for language courses overseas.
- Complete the International Cost of Attendance Form (DOCX), and return it to the Study Abroad office. Subsequently, the Financial Aid office will contact you about increasing your loan amount.