Studying Abroad on Financial Aid: Options for Low-Income Students

Federal Aid Still Applies Abroad

Your existing financial aid package does not disappear when you study abroad. Pell Grants and federal direct loans apply to an approved study abroad program the same way they apply to a term on your home campus, as long as your school has a consortium or study-abroad agreement with the host program. Your financial aid office processes the funds, so start there before you apply to any program.

Check with your financial aid office how the aid amount is calculated when program costs differ from your home tuition. Some programs cost less than a term on your home campus, which can free up aid to cover flights, visas, or living costs instead.

File the FAFSA on your normal schedule even if you are still finalizing your program choice, since your aid eligibility for the academic year is set through that form regardless of where you spend a specific term. Update your financial aid office as soon as your program is confirmed so they can adjust your aid package to reflect the actual program cost rather than your regular home tuition.

The Gilman Scholarship

The Gilman Scholarship is built for students who already qualify for financial aid. To apply, you must be receiving a Federal Pell Grant at the time you apply, or provide proof you will be receiving one during your study abroad term.

This makes it one of the few major study abroad scholarships that targets low-income students by design rather than as a side consideration.

Gilman runs on a cycle tied to your term abroad, so check the application deadline for your specific term well ahead of when you plan to go. Apply through your study abroad office or directly on the Gilman site, and start your application early since it asks for a personal statement and follow-on service project proposal that take real drafting time.

Build your personal statement around a specific goal for your term abroad rather than general interest in travel, since reviewers read hundreds of applications and specificity stands out. Ask your study abroad office if they run a Gilman application workshop or peer review session before the deadline, since many offices run this specifically for Gilman applicants and it improves your odds.

Other Need-Based Scholarships

Look beyond Gilman for programs built around financial need. The Fund for Education Abroad gives need-based scholarships aimed at students who are underrepresented in study abroad, including first-generation and community college students, and has awarded over $5.3 million to more than 1,500 students to date. Your own college may also run its own need-based study abroad grants that stack with Gilman and federal aid, so ask your financial aid office directly rather than assuming none exist.

Choose a Lower-Cost Program Format

Program format changes total cost more than destination does. A public university exchange partnership or a program with homestay housing generally costs less than a private provider program with hotel-style housing and included excursions, since you are paying closer to local rates instead of a marked-up package price. A short-term or summer program also lowers total cost by cutting the number of weeks you pay for housing, meals, and program fees.

Ask your study abroad office which of their approved programs are lowest cost and which ones already have Pell-eligible students enrolled, since staff often know this from past cohorts even when it is not listed on a program's marketing page.

Build a Full Cost Picture Before You Apply

• Program fee, and exactly what it includes and excludes

• Flights, local transportation, and any required in-country travel

• Health insurance, since your home policy may not cover you abroad

• Visa fees and passport costs

• Books, supplies, and personal spending money

• How your financial aid disbursement schedule lines up with when program payments are due

Ask your financial aid office to walk through this list with you against your actual aid package before you commit, rather than estimating on your own. A lower sticker price is not always the lower total cost once fees not covered by the program are added in.

Build Your Aid Stack Early

Combine federal aid, Gilman, your college's own grants, and a lower-cost program format instead of relying on any single source. Apply for Gilman and any college-specific need-based grant in the same term you apply to your program, since most have their own deadlines separate from the program application. Meet with both your financial aid office and study abroad office before you commit to a specific program, so you know your full aid picture before you pay any deposit.