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International Office

Financial Aid & Scholarships

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Photo: Zoe Bouras, Pembroke, England '17.

Financial Aid

According to the Higher Education Act of 1965, federal financial aid can be applied to study abroad if you are registered as a full-time student and if you will receive course credit for your study abroad. Both federal and state sources may be applied to up to a year of study abroad. Note that the size of your award may be adjusted if the cost of the study abroad program is greater than your school’s tuition.

IWU financial aid may be applied to one international May Term course and one semester abroad through an approved study abroad program. Exceptions to the policy are granted for programs that can only be undertaken for a full year (e.g., the Pembroke College program at Oxford University), for participants in the IWU London and IWU Spain programs or an IWU exchange, and for students who successfully petition for a second semester of study abroad (see the Petitions page for more details). Note, though, that work-study awards cannot be used for any form of off-campus study.

The cost of studying abroad will vary depending on the program and study abroad location. Students should note that most financial aid packages will remain the same as if they were attending classes on campus. In some unusual cases where the comprehensive fee is less because room and board is significantly less, financial aid packages may be proportionally reduced. If program fees and or travel costs are significantly higher than the cost of a semester at IWU, students or their parents will be required to pay the difference.

Scholarship

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Photo: Ke Zhang, Pembroke, England '17

Studying abroad can be affordable! If you are currently receiving financial aid, it can be applied to a semester of study abroad--and in some cases to a full year abroad (see above for more information).

There are also several external funding sources for study abroad. Explore a list of scholarship options and download our scholarship handout. Please apply to all scholarships you qualify for to increase your opportunity at receiving one. In addition, most of our affiliated programs offer scholarships, both need and merit-based.