FIU students on FIU programs
In order to use your financial aid for your study abroad program, you must complete the FAFSA form. Your eligibility for financial aid is determined by the information submitted on the FAFSA form, including your income and your parents’ income. The FIU Financial Aid Office (located on the first floor of SASC) has all the information you need to start the FAFSA application process.
As an FIU student participating in the International Student Exchange (ISE) or FIU Education Abroad programs, you may use all of your available aid for your study abroad program. This will include state and institutional scholarships as well as the federal Pell grant, student loans, and all other financial aid. Students may also use their Florida Prepaid benefits towards the tuition portion of their study abroad programs.
Important tips
- The national priority deadline for filling out your FAFSA for the upcoming academic year is March 1st.
- While on your study abroad program, your financial aid will work the same way in which it works while you are on campus. You are required to maintain full time enrollment status for the semester in which you are studying abroad in order to be eligible for the full amount of your financial aid award.
- Although your study abroad program may run on an academic calendar that is different from the FIU academic calendar. Please keep in mind that your financial aid will disburse in accordance with the FIU academic calendar.
- If you are participating in a summer study abroad program and you are planning to use some of your summer financial aid to help cover your expenses, please keep in mind that for most study abroad programs you will need to pay your program fee prior to the summer aid disbursement date. Students should plan accordingly to pay the program fee out-of-pocket and receive “reimbursement” once their summer aid is disbursed.
- All study abroad programs are for academic credit. This means that your academic performance on the program may affect your eligibility to receive financial aid in future semesters.
- If you have already been accepted to participate in a study abroad program and you need assistance or have questions regarding your financial aid, please contact our office at (305) 348-1913 or edabroad@fiu.edu
FIU students on non-FIU/Third Party Program Approved (TPPA) programs
If you are participating in a study abroad program offered by another institution or provider and you are planning to use your financial aid, please keep in mind the following important tips:
- You must schedule an appointment to meet with an advisor in the Office of Education Abroad to discuss your study abroad plans and to initiate an approval process for your program.
- Depending on your study abroad program, your aid may or may not travel with you.
- If you are receiving an institutional scholarship (FIU scholarship) and you plan to participate in a semester or academic year program through another institution, you may lose your institutional scholarship eligibility.
- If you are currently receiving Florida Pre-paid or Bright Futures and you plan to attend a study abroad program offered by another Florida-state institution, that institution will determine the applicability and/or your eligibility to receive this aid.
- If you have applied to go on a study abroad program through a US institution outside of the state of Florida, your state aid will not apply but you may be able to utilize federal grants and student loans.
- If you are planning to enroll directly at an institution abroad for your study abroad experience, it is unlikely that any of your financial aid will apply.
If a program provider or host institution requires the FIU Financial Aid Office to fill out a Consortium Agreement or other financial form, please submit to our Program Coordinator, at the Office of Education Abroad directly. We will facilitate this process with financial aid, as going to financial aid directly could delay processing of the form. Provider/ Approval forms will only be completed after your study abroad program is approved through the TPPA process. Please contact the Office of Education Abroad for more information.
FIU Alumni
Alumni who wish to participate in an FIU study abroad program may do so by applying directly to the program of interest. Please note that you will need to apply as a non-degree student to reactivate your Panther ID and participate in a study abroad program.
Non-FIU Students
All non-FIU students who wish to participate in an FIU study abroad program may do so by applying directly to the program of interest. Please note that you will need to apply as a non-degree student to participate in a study abroad program.
Transient Students
Non-FIU transient students should first apply to the Florida Shines website Transient application link and consider the following:
- You must consult with your academic advisor and financial aid advisor at your home institution to learn about your institution’s policies with regards to having your study abroad courses approved and using aid on a study abroad program.
- If your are eligible to receive aid, your aid will disburse through your home institution and not through FIU
Scholarships
Scholarships are a great way to help fund a study abroad program. It is very important that you begin research and apply early, as deadlines vary and often occur months before the intended study abroad term. Most scholarships don’t require you to have been accepted or to even have applied to a program before submitting an application, so you can start applying as soon as you’ve made the decision to study abroad. Apply for as many scholarships as you can and keep in mind that a scholarship doesn’t have to be specifically for study abroad in order to be applied to your program, so keep an eye out for general scholarships too.
The following scholarships are ones that FIU students have applied to/ received in the past, but this is not a comprehensive list. You can begin your search here, but it’s recommended that you also look into other opportunities that may be specific to your major, country of study, background, etc.