Paying for Study Abroad

Money is an important part of the study abroad decision, but it may not be the barrier you think it is. In many cases, studying abroad with ASA can cost the same as or even less than a semester at your home institution.
 
ASA is committed to financially assisting students who wish to participate in our study abroad programs. Our scholarships illustrate this commitment and our ongoing effort to help make study abroad affordable.
 
We are here to help you understand your options, explore scholarships and financial aid, and make studying abroad financially possible.

 

Financing Studying Abroad with ASA FAQs

Yes! If you compare programs and what's included, you'll find that ours are some of the most affordable. Compare what's included and not just the price itself. This information can be found in our Program Locations menu, click your city, and then What’s Included.

The majority of ASA students use financial aid to study abroad! The federal financial aid you receive at your home institution - such as Pell Grant, Stafford Loan, student loans, and Parent Plus Loans - can usually be applied!

Here's how it works: You can DEFER any portion of your ASA program fees that is covered by your financial aid and pay it once your financial aid is disbursed.* You just need to send us verification of how much financial aid you're getting by our payment deadline. Any program fees NOT covered by financial aid are due by our Payment Deadline. You can find our payment deadline by using the Program Locations menu, click your city, and then Cost & Dates.

*NOTE: Summer and January Term students must have a disbursement date that is at least 2 weeks BEFORE their program end date. Students whose disbursement date is later than 2 weeks before the program end date must pay all fees to ASA prior to program start date, and financial aid can be used to reimburse the student.

ASA accepts all grants, scholarships, or loans that you receive. However, it's up to the aid provider to decide if you can apply it to study abroad. Federal can usually be applied - such as Pell Grant, Stafford Loan, student loans, and Parent Plus loans. Grants and scholarships may or may not apply, so you have to ask the aid provider.

If your school asks you for the “Budget” or “Estimated Costs of Attendance” for your program, you can find that information here.

Confirmation Deposits cannot be deferred. Our Financial & Billing page tells you how much the Confirmation Deposit will be.

Please see the How to Finance & Pay for Study Abroad with ASA below for more details on the financial aid process.

Most students can apply for additional loans through their home institution's financial aid office. Just be sure to start this process several weeks before ASA's payment deadline. Give your financial aid office the Estimated Costs of Attendance for your program so they can recalculate your eligibility. You should also see if there are any scholarships you can apply for through your school or ASA's website (see below on this page for scholarship opportunities).

Information on loans can be found here: www.internationalstudentloan.com. IMPORTANT! You MUST make sure the loan does NOT require a Title IV school code. Not many institutions outside the U.S. have a Title IV school code. For this reason, the customary way to get financial aid for study abroad is through your home institution’s Financial Aid Office.

Sometimes, financial aid isn’t disbursed until a month or two after your program starts. Consider what arrangements you may need to make for flights and spending money until your aid is disbursed. Ask your Financial Aid Office what the disbursement date will be. Plan your finances accordingly to ensure you have enough spending money until your disbursement(s) are completed. Your balance due to ASA must be paid in full before you use your financial aid for personal expenses.

Your financial aid may be disbursed to you or your parent/guardian and not to ASA! It may be direct deposited into your or your parent/guardian's account, or may be a snail-mailed check. Ask your Financial Aid Office who your disbursement will be sent to and how, and know that you may be abroad when it happens. Advise your parent/guardian if they should expect a disbursement and what to do with it when they receive it.

You or your parent/guardian can pay ASA from anywhere in the world online via e-check. Failure to pay on time may result in a $200 late fee and a 2% monthly surcharge until ASA is paid in full. ASA reserves the right to take action if payment is not received on time, such as: dismissal from the program, removal from housing and program activities, notification to your home institution, and denial of final transcript.

You're responsible for paying your balance in full to ASA, even if your financial aid is less than you expected. Confirming the amount of funds, date of disbursement, and recipient with your Financial Aid Office before departure will help you prevent unforeseen issues.

If you have any questions about financial aid or payment, please don’t hesitate to contact us at 617-327-9388 or hello@academicstudies.com! Our experienced advisers are happy to help!

How to Use Financial Aid to Study Abroad

The majority of ASA students use financial aid to study abroad! The federal financial aid you receive at your home institution, such as Pell Grant, Stafford Loan, student loans, and Parent Plus Loans, can usually be applied! 

 

Scholarships

ASA scholarships illustrate this commitment and our ongoing effort to help make study abroad affordable. In addition to ASA scholarships, there are a number of other scholarships available for study abroad. Many scholarships have a long application process and early deadlines, so planning ahead is important.

Scholarship recipients are chosen on a variety of criteria, including financial need. You must be accepted to one of ASA’s study abroad programs in order to be eligible to apply for the ASA General Scholarship. ASA reserves the right to grant or deny scholarships according to the scholarship criteria and available funds. All reasons for awarding or denying scholarships are strictly confidential. 

Learn More & Apply

Scholarship recipients are chosen on a variety of criteria, including financial need. You must be accepted to one of ASA’s study abroad programs in order to be eligible to apply for the ASA Diversity Scholarship. ASA reserves the right to grant or deny scholarships according to the scholarship criteria and available funds. All reasons for awarding or denying scholarships are strictly confidential. 

Learn More & Apply

Below is a list of outside scholarship resources that you may pursue to help finance your study abroad experience. In addition to the resources below, you should also ask your school’s study abroad office and financial aid office if they have any scholarship opportunities. This list is not all-inclusive. ASA students may apply to any other scholarships they qualify for in addition to one of the two ASA scholarships.

Directories of scholarships and internship opportunities:

How to Finance & Pay for Study Abroad with ASA

  1. Step 1: Confirm how your financial aid applies to studying abroad

    Start by speaking with your Study Abroad Advisor and Financial Aid Office at your home institution to confirm how much of your existing financial aid can be applied to your ASA program. Many schools require a program Budget or Estimated Cost of Attendance to determine eligibility. You can find ASA’s budget information on our website and share it directly with your institution.

    Budget & Cost of Attendance Sheet
  2. Step 2: Explore scholarship options

    If you think you may need additional financial support, there are many scholarship options available to help you fund your study abroad experience. This may include ASA scholarships, institutional study abroad awards, or external funding sources. Scholarships can significantly reduce your out-of-pocket costs and should be factored into your overall financing plan as early as possible.

  3. Step 3: Apply for your ASA program

    Complete the ASA application for your chosen program.

    Apply
  4. Step 4: Submit the Financial Aid Verification Form (FAV)

    At least 2 weeks before your ASA payment deadline, ask your home institution’s Financial Aid Office to complete the Financial Aid Verification (FAV) Form. This form confirms the amount of financial aid you will receive for your ASA program. Note: It takes several weeks for your Financial Aid Office to complete our Financial Aid Verification Form. 

    It's important to follow up with your financial aid office to make sure they can provide the FAV form in time. If you expect a delay, please let us know right away. If you’ve already paid your non-refundable Confirmation Deposit, we can usually give you some more time to submit your FAV form. However, additional payment may be needed to hold your space. The important thing is to communicate with us so we can try to work with you! We'll be as flexible as possible within your program requirements.

    FAV Form
  5. Step 5: Pay any uncovered balance by the payment deadline

    Subtract the amount on your FAV Form from your balance due to ASA, and if any fees aren't covered by your financial aid, pay that portion by ASA’s payment deadline. Example: If your balance due is $10,000 and your FAV says you'll receive $8,000 in financial aid, your out-of-pocket payment of $2,000 is due by our payment deadline. $8,000 is the portion you can defer.

    When you receive your financial aid disbursement (usually shortly before or after your program starts) you have 10 days to pay your remaining balance in full.