Financial aid

Using financial aid for study abroad

You can apply most forms of federal, state, or institutional aid awarded to help pay for fees and costs on some study abroad programs. See below for information on financial aid eligibility.
You can also submit a Revision Request Form to increase the amount of aid for the quarter you are studying abroad. These additional funds are often in the form of loans.
Private scholarships are generally applicable to study abroad. Verify the conditions of your award with the scholarship administrator or donor directly.
Financial aid and most scholarships are disbursed on the first day of each academic quarter. If your program starts earlier than the financial aid disbursement date, you must finance the start of your program abroad on your own. Many students take advantage of options like short-term loans through the Office of Student Financial Aid to help bridge this gap.
If your program starts after the start of the UW quarter, your aid will be held until the start date of your program.
You must be accepted into a UW Study Abroad program and be enrolled through the UW Study Abroad enrollment process to use financial aid for study abroad.

You cannot use tuition waivers, work-study awards, or scholarships specifically designated for tuition.
If you are not a matriculated UW student, you do not qualify for UW financial aid or scholarships.
If you have graduated or completed your degree requirements prior to going abroad, you cannot use UW financial aid (scholarships, grants or loans) to pay for your study abroad program.

If you are a financial aid recipient, please read the following carefully.
Some programs are approved to use financial aid to help pay for program costs and fees and some programs are not approved to use financial aid to help pay for program costs and fees.
Program eligibility for use with financial aid depends on the program’s term, dates, and alignment with the UW Academic Calendar.

The UW Office of Student Financial Aid (OSFA) reviews program term dates to determine eligibility.
Eligibility for use with financial aid cannot be determined until program dates are available. For many exchanges, program dates are not available until after a student must commit to the program.
Each program brochure includes financial aid eligibility for the previous year and the upcoming year. If a term was eligible for financial aid in a previous year, it is likely that the term will be eligible in the current year. However, it is not a guarantee as dates shift from year to year.
Terms will have one of three designations listed below:
- Approved:
  OSFA approved this semester or one quarter within the semester for use with financial aid in the academic year listed. Examples: an autumn semester-long program may be approved for autumn quarter aid, however a spring semester-long program may be approved for winter quarter aid, but not spring quarter aid, or vice versa.
- Not Approved:
  OSFA did not approve this term for use with financial aid in the academic year listed.
- Not yet reviewed:
  his term has not been reviewed by OSFA for the academic year listed. This is usually because the term dates are not yet available. UW Study Abroad provides information about term eligibility as soon as partner institutions announce their academic year dates. Visit the UW Study Abroad Financial Aid webpage for more information about dates review and timelines.

Newly-published program dates will be reviewed by the Office of Student Financial Aid (OSFA) on a biweekly basis.

Visit the Office of Student Financial Aid early in your planning process to get more financial aid information and assistance.
Consult with a financial aid adviser before you apply to a program to find out the maximum amount of additional aid you are eligible to receive.
Meet with UW Study Abroad Advisers to talk through financial questions and plan out your budget, including when payments will be due. Advisers can also give you tips on creative fundraising ideas and options that can help you manage costs.

If you qualify for financial aid, you can request an increase in aid from the Office of Student Financial Aid (OSFA) if the cost of the program or exchange exceeds the regular budgeted amount for a UW student living and studying in Seattle. These additional funds are often in the form of loans.
Complete a Revision Request Form for Study Abroad and obtain an estimated program budget from UW Study Abroad.
Return both documents OSFA. Based on your FAFSA and the estimated budget, OSFA will evaluate your eligibility for additional funding.

Summer quarter aid is not part of the general aid package awarded for autumn, winter and spring quarters.
If you plan to study abroad summer quarter and need UW financial aid to support your program expenses, you must submit a FAFSA and file a separate Summer Aid Application, which is usually available after April 1 each year.

You can revise your autumn quarter financial aid to help cover the costs of early fall programs. Your financial aid will not disburse until the beginning of autumn quarter, but your program fee will not be due until the autumn quarter tuition deadline. Therefore your aid will disburse in time to cover this cost.
You will need to finance all other aspects of your program in advance. Please be sure to plan accordingly. Note that many students take advantage of options like short-term loans through the Office of Student Financial Aid to help bridge this gap.
During autumn quarter, you will need to take at least 10 credits (in addition to your 5 credit study abroad program) to be eligible for full-time aid.

The Office of Student Financial Aid offers short-term loans for students who are currently enrolled.
Repayment is due by the next quarter.
Apply on-line through MyUW’s Personal Services.