Financial Aid

UW-Madison students may be able to use financial aid on UW-Madison study abroad, domestic study away, and international internship programs. If you have not received aid in the past, you may still be eligible for financial aid to help with your study abroad expenses. Guidelines and questions about the usage of financial aid can be referred to the Office of Student Financial Aid (OSFA).

Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)

Students interested in receiving financial aid should complete the FAFSA as OSFA only offers aid based on financial need determined by the FAFSA. Even if students do not receive aid on campus, oftenexternal scholarship administrators may also work with OSFA to determine a student’s scholarship eligibility based on their FAFSA. Federal loans also require a completed FAFSA.

You can complete the FAFSA as normal and do not need to indicate you are studying abroad. It is possible to apply for aid anytime during the academic year. However, it may take additional time to complete the processing of your FAFSA; therefore, it is best to apply as early as possible.

Federal Work-Study funds cannot be applied to study abroad program fees. However, declining Work-Study for the term you are studying abroad can be a strategy. Contact OSFA for more details. The types of federal financial aid offered through FAFSA that can be used for study abroad on a UW-Madison approved program are:

• Pell Grant
• Federal Supplemental Education Opportunity Grant (FSEOG)
• Federal Student Loans

Some State of Wisconsin grants and institutional grants/programs offered through FAFSA by UW-Madison can also be used for study abroad programs. Below are some examples:

• Vilas Grants
• Equal Opportunity Grants
• WI Higher Education Grants
• Lawton Minority Grants

Students in Bucky’s Tuition Promise and Badger Promise are not eligible to use funding for these programs towards studying abroad. We encourage these students to look into additional funding options.

Financial Aid Eligibility from OSFA and Disbursement

Semester (fall/spring) and year-long programs:

• Any UW-Madison approved programs approved will be considered for financial aid with a FAFSA on file
• Disbursement: 10 days before the start date of classes at UW-Madison or 10 days before the start date of your study abroad program (whichever date is later)

Winter:

• The winter session is not considered a term within itself and therefore, no aid is offered for the winter- however, spring aid could be used towards winter intersession programs
• Disbursement: Any aid received for a winter intersession study abroad program will not be disbursed until spring aid disburses (10 days before the start of spring classes at UW-Madison)

Summer:

• Summer program must be at least 4 weeks long to be considered for financial aid with a FAFSA on file
• Disbursement: 5 days before start date of study abroad program

Additional funding

You may qualify for additional funding to offset the extra costs sometimes associated with study abroad- even if you already received aid. Below are additional aid options for students to look into:

• Wisconsin Scholarship Hub (WiSH)
• External Scholarships
• Private Loans

Graduate Student Remissions

Graduate students receiving a tuition remission should inquire with their home department about whether it will apply when studying abroad. There are various types of tuition remissions on campus and some will and some will not continue to be funded.

Cost of Attendance (COA)

IAP reports the total cost of the program, not just the program fee, to OSFA for all participants. OSFA will then update student’s COA to accurately reflect their study abroad costs for the given term. Please note that if anticipated study abroad costs are less than on-campus costs, aid packages can be reduced. If anticipated study abroad costs are more than on-campus costs, aid packages will not be increased. Students may fill the gap with additional funding options mentioned above.

Per federal regulations, students can only receive financial aid up to their COA. If students receive outside aid that exceeds their COA, OSFA may decrease aid their office already offered. If you are interested in taking out a loan for study abroad expenses, please contact OSFA first to ensure your COA has been updated and allows room for the full loan amount you want to borrow.

Financial Aid Contact

For questions regarding financial aid for study abroad, please contact the Office of Student Financial Aid (OSFA) below. Students can also schedule an appointment with an advisor via Starfish.

Email: finaid@finaid.wisc.edu

Phone: 608.262.3060