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Study Abroad

Studying abroad can be an exciting experience but it involves preparation. Your first stop should be the International Education Office.

The following are some questions students often ask about their financial aid prior to studying abroad. If you have additional questions on how studying abroad will impact your financial aid, contact the Student Assistance Center.

Can I receive financial aid to study abroad?
How do I apply for financial aid?
How much can I receive?
What is a Power of Attorney?
Are any other scholarships or special funds offered to study abroad students?
How will my financial aid be disbursed while I am away?
Can I receive the Best in Class Scholarship while I am studying abroad?
Can I receive work-study benefits for studying abroad?
Can I receive reciprocity benefits for studying abroad?
Is financial aid available for winter break and/or May session?
How do my grades and credit load affect my study abroad plans?

Can I receive financial aid to study abroad?

Yes, financial aid is available for most students who qualify for Study Abroad programs. You must comply with the general eligibility requirements and the credit requirements for financial aid awards.

If you already receive financial aid, you can use most of your UMD financial aid awards toward studying abroad; however, you must still complete the procedures outlined here. If you have not received financial aid in the past, you should consider applying as soon as you decide you want to study abroad.

How do I apply for financial aid?

You must first complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and submit it to the federal processor. You can apply online or by sending in a paper FAFSA. If you have already submitted a FAFSA for the same academic year you intend to study abroad, do not complete another one. Next, once you have been accepted into a Study Abroad program, you must go to the International Education Office to fill out all the necessary paperwork associated with your financial aid.

How much can I receive?

Once you have applied and are accepted into a Study Abroad program, the International Education Office will inform the Office of Financial Aid and Registrar of the anticipated cost of your chosen Study Abroad program. If your program cost is estimated to be more than the average cost to attend UMD, you may be able to borrow financial aid funds to help cover your expenses. If your Study Abroad cost of attendance is lower than your current cost to attend UMD, your financial aid will be reduced. You can never receive aid above the cost of attendance.

The cost of attendance for your chosen Study Abroad trip is used to determine your eligibility for additional financial aid to supplement the cost of your study abroad. This aid is generally awarded in the form of loans, such as Ford Federal Direct Subsidized and Unsubsidized Loans, Student Educational Loan Funds (SELF), and/or private bank loans. Grants and University scholarships administered by Office of Financial Aid and Registrar are not increased for your study abroad session. Most students’ federal and state financial aid is not enough to cover study abroad expenses. A lot of students take private bank loans to supplement their financial resources. You can refer to our Alternative (Private) Education Loan Guide for information on loans through private lenders.

What is a Power of Attorney?

A Power of Attorney (POA) or Attorney-In-Fact is a person you may designate to handle your affairs, including financial aid matters, while you are studying abroad. However, you are still responsible for ensuring all documents and funds are sent to the right places. If you want the Office of Financial Aid and Registrar and the International Education Office to communicate with or send financial aid information to someone other than yourself, you must designate someone—usually your mother, father, spouse, or a trusted friend—who must agree to work with our office to complete the processing of your financial aid while you are away. In most cases, the individual with POA is needed to sign your paperwork and loan promissory notes. You can purchase the Power of Attorney form from an office supply store.

NOTE: The U.S. Department of Education regulations state that educational institutions cannot accept Perkins Loan promissory notes signed by a POA designee. The note must be signed by the student.

Are any other scholarships or special funds offered to study abroad students?

The Office of Financial Aid and Registrar does not provide any scholarship money for studying abroad. However, many study abroad programs offer scholarships specifically for their programs. The University of Minnesota offers a variety of scholarships for study abroad. More information on these and national level scholarship opportunities is available at the University of Minnesota Learning Abroad Center website, or through the International Education Office.

You must report to the Office of Financial Aid and Registrar any outside or private scholarships that you receive during the year.

How will my financial aid be disbursed while I am away?

Your financial aid, including federal and SELF loans, will be disbursed into your student account. Study abroad program fees that are billed through the University are the first charges that will be paid. After your program charges are completely paid, any remaining funds are considered a credit balance. If you will be attending an outside or non-affiliated program, your aid will be issued as a credit balance directly deposited into your bank account. You must set up direct deposit by completing the Direct Deposit Online authorization on the Student Self-Service page, or contact the Student Accounts Receivable Office at Window 15 or 16 in the Darland Administration Building (218-726-7190).

Can I receive the Best in Class Scholarship while I am studying abroad?

Best in Class is actually a tuition waiver and does not apply to outside programs, and at UMD can be applied only to the Study in England Program.

Can I receive work-study benefits for studying abroad?

While you study abroad, you are not eligible to receive work-study during the semester(s) you are away. However, you may request that other aid, usually a loan, replace your work-study.

Can I receive reciprocity benefits for studying abroad?

Everyone, regardless of the state of residence, is charged the same program fee for his or her corresponding study abroad program. If you are currently receiving reciprocity and you will be abroad, you must reapply when you return from your study abroad program. Your voluntary participation in a study abroad program waives your residency status. Therefore, as a study abroad student, you are not eligible to receive tuition waivers or Wisconsin, North Dakota, South Dakota, or Midwest Student Exchange nonresident tuition reciprocity waivers. For more information, please contact the Student Assistance Center once you have made a decision to study abroad.

Is financial aid available for J Term and/or May session?

Yes. You may apply for additional financial aid to meet costs related to courses established through UMD during J Term (late December–mid-January) and studies during May session (mid-May—early June). When doing so, please be aware that J Term courses are classified as part of the spring session and May session courses are classified as part of the summer session for registration and financial aid purposes. As a result, J Term financial aid is disbursed in mid-January and May session financial aid is disbursed in early June. For information on summer financial aid, please visit our website.

How do my grades and credit load affect my study abroad plans?

To be eligible for financial aid, you must meet the standards set forth in the University of Minnesota Duluth Financial Aid Policy on Satisfactory Academic Progress.

This policy is determined by federal guidelines and includes a variety of grants, loans, and scholarships sponsored by federal and state programs and the University of Minnesota, as well as many private loans.

As a study abroad participant, you will be impacted by SAP guidelines in several ways, including the following:

Late posting of grades

If your grades are not posted in a timely manner, which may occur, you may receive a cautionary e-mail from the Office of Financial Aid and Registrar stating that you have been placed on either financial aid probation or suspension.

If you receive a letter indicating that you are on financial aid probation, do not panic. Once your grades are posted, contact the Office of Financial Aid and Registrar office immediately to determine if the probationary code can be removed from your record.

If you are studying abroad for an entire academic year, you may receive a suspension e-mail, since grades from both semesters may not have been posted. Please contact the Office of Financial Aid and Registrar to resolve the matter.

For complete details, see Satisfactory Academic Progress.

Number of credits

A preliminary registration of 15 credits will be completed by the International Education Office on your behalf. Your aid will be adjusted based on the actual number of credits taken. You will be responsible for any repayment of financial aid resulting from a drop in credits to less than 15 credits. For example, if you have a Minnesota State Grant and are registered for 15 credits but only take 12 credits, once your grades transfer back to UMD you will be billed for three credits of Minnesota State Grant.