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Financial
Aid
It is possible to use federal
and state aid—including loans, scholarships, and grants—for study
abroad. In addition, the Learning Abroad Center helps you have
your financial aid package reevaluated for the term(s) you are away so that your aid may be adjusted to reflect the cost of
study abroad rather than the cost of study at the University of
Minnesota.
Study Abroad Cost Estimate
You must be registered at the University of Minnesota for an appropriate number of credits while you are abroad in order to receive financial aid.
In order to have your aid adjusted for the term(s) you are away, you also need to obtain a Study Abroad Cost Estimate (SACE) from the Learning Abroad Center. You need to put together a well-researched budget for your directed study costs. For example, if you already be studying abroad, you may have only a small additional cost for a book related to your research. However, if your study abroad consists entirely of your directed study, you may need to include costs such as housing and food in your budget.
The Learning Abroad Center has excellent resources to assist students in planning the logistics of their trip. If you find any of the research on costs difficult you can work with the Directed Study Abroad Adviser to outline the costs.
Document the sources of your estimated costs. This can be an airline invoice, printout of a web site with airline or train ticket costs, photocopy of a travel guide's estimate of housing and meal costs, etc. These estimates should be for a reasonable standard of living. For example, a student would not be expected to camp out and get all food from grocery stores to save money; however, a budget based on a four-star hotel accommodation and fine dining every night would not be acceptable. Personal expenses such as non-study related travel, gifts, and souvenirs cannot be included in this budget.
Registration
You register yourself
twice for a Directed Study Abroad.
First, you must register yourself for your directed study credits. Your faculty adviser provides you that registration information. If you wish to use state or federal financial aid during the time you are abroad, you must register for directed study for that term(s). Be aware that if you intend to complete the directed study after the term of registration (and, thus, take an incomplete grade), you may risk being placed on academic and/or financial aid probation.
Secondly, you have a FOST (foreign study) registration, which is a zero credit registration that serves as a marker that you are completing your directed study while abroad. You receive an email with registration instructions after the pre-departure meeting.
Last modified on November 21, 2008 |