Financial Aid Information

FSU sponsors programs designed to provide students with study abroad options to enhance and broaden their college careers and future endeavors. The opportunity to study abroad can very well be the most memorable and exciting time of one's college experience. While study abroad is an opportunity filled with excitement and fun, it also entails taking on a certain amount of personal responsibility to ensure that necessary paperwork is in place well before departure to another country.

Therefore, if you are seeking financial assistance for study abroad, it is extremely important that you review the following important information as you begin to plan for your study abroad program. In addition, there are specific forms which must be submitted to the Financial Aid Office in order for your aid to be processed in a timely manner.

Some FSU sponsored programs cost about the same as an in-state semester at FSU except for the additional cost of travel, special fees (if any) and other personal expenses associated with travel abroad. In many cases, you can use your state and federal grants and loans to cover your overseas tuition.

Although the Financial Aid Office is not able to offer extra grants or scholarships to help cover the additional costs of study abroad programs, there are some cases where the Financial Aid Office can offer additional student or parent loans after adjusting for study abroad costs.

For further information, you should contact Angie Hovatter, Financial Aid Director, in the FSU Financial Aid Office (Pullen Hall, x4301).

• Visit the Financial Aid Office
  It is a good idea to visit the Financial Aid Office as soon as possible once you decide to participate in a study-abroad program. If you normally receive financial aid, there will be special paperwork that must be submitted for study abroad. There is also paperwork that needs to be signed, such as loan promissory notes and award letters which will need your signature before aid can be processed. Signing all of the necessary paperwork will ensure your financial aid for the semester. Also be sure to pick up the packet specifically designed for students seeking financial aid for study abroad. Forms required in this packet are mandatory before aid can be disbursed. At least three weeks before departure, double check with a Financial Aid Officer to ensure that all of the necessary paperwork is in order.
  
  
• Select someone to have Power of Attorney
  While you are away there may be additional documents that require your signature, such as checks, award letters, financial aid verification forms, and residence hall contracts. Power of attorney will give authority to another person - preferably a member of your immediate family - to sign documents on your behalf.
  
  
• Visit the University Billing Office
  You may be expecting a refund check before you depart. If so, the University Billing Office will need a letter from you to request that the check be mailed to an off-campus address. Make sure that your semester account is paid in full or that proper payment arrangements have been made. Any outstanding debt to the University may block future registration.
  
  
• Taxes and FAFSA forms
  Students traveling during the spring semester must file their tax returns before departing the country if they choose to file. The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) must also be completed. Without a completed FAFSA, you cannot receive financial aid for the next school year. FSU will begin awarding financial aid on March 1st. Special Note: Students who in the past have received a dependency override must once again supply supporting documentation to a financial aid officer for approval before the FAFSA is submitted.
  
  
• Student Loan Borrowers
  Your loan agency may try to verify that you are a full-time student for the period you are abroad, whether you are registered at FSU or another outside institution. As a result, your loan agency will probably send you a letter requiring that you prove your full-time status. If you or your family receives such a letter, send it to the Center for International Education with a letter requesting that the loan agency be provided with proof of enrollment.
  
  
• Scholarships
  Students may apply for a number of scholarships which they may put towards their study abroad experience. Remember to meet application deadlines (usually March 1st for the following fall semester). The FSU Financial Aid/Scholarship brochure is available in the Financial Aid Office. It contains descriptions of the institutional, departmental and outside scholarships which are offered each year to FSU students. Application procedures are also detailed.