Study Abroad

Seeing the world opens your eyes to the wonders of our diverse and exciting planet and the Office of Financial Aid is here to help you on your way! If you have any doubts or concerns about your ability to pay for your study abroad program we highly recommend visiting our office to discuss funding options BEFORE committing to your program and purchasing airfare. The topics below will give you additional information on how financial aid will work when you go abroad. Adventure is out there!

How it works

You can use your financial aid to participate in CSUEB approved (study abroad/study away) programs. Your cost of attendance, in combination with the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and available aid funds will be used to determine your aid assistance for the term(s) you plan to be abroad. In most cases the only remaining aid eligibility is in the form of Direct Student loans, Parent PLUS loans, or Private/Alternative loans. Direct Student loans have yearly aggregate limits which cannot be exceeded. If you have been awarded your federal yearly loan maximums you will be limited to Parent PLUS loans or Private/Alternative loans.

With the exception of a few State and Federal funds (Federal Work Study and State University Grant), most financial aid may be used for CSUEB affiliated study abroad programs. Generally, the only additional aid available to cover these added costs are from either a Parent PLUS loan (for dependent undergraduate students) or an Alternative/Private loan. Your study abroad advisor can provide you with program costs and payment details. Financial aid is disbursed using the standard term dates for the host university. Students cannot receive aid for CSUEB units taken in a term that overlaps the enrollment period at the host campus (e.g., Summer online classes for an August start abroad).

Cost of Attendance & Study Abroad

The CSUEB Financial Aid Office develops a cost of attendance that will represent the average cost to attend CSUEB for an academic year. This is an estimate and is used for financial aid awarding purposes only. Your study abroad program costs are also considered in developing your cost of attendance for financial aid for the terms you are abroad/away. Once study abroad notifies us of your program details we will review your costs and make any revisions to your cost of attendance which may give you additional eligibility. Generally, the only additional aid available to cover these added costs are from either a Parent PLUS loan (for dependent undergraduate students) or an Alternative/Private loan. Come by the Enrollment Information Center and speak to a Financial Aid Counselor if you would like more information.

Annual Student Loan Limits

Student loans have limits, both annual and aggregate. The annual limit is the maximum amount you can be awarded each year whereas the aggregate limit is the grand total of all you combined student loans throughout your academic career. The table below provides information on the maximum amount you can receive each year based on your student status. Remember that your dependency status is determined by the questions you answer on the FAFSA.

Annual Loan Limits
Annual Limit	Dependent	Independent
Freshman	$5,500	$9,500
Sophomore	$6,500	$10,500
Junior/Senior	$7,500	$12,500
Graduate		$20,500

*Parent or GRAD PLUS loans do not have annual limits but cannot exceed the CSUEB cost of attendance. If a parent applies for a PLUS loan and is denied based on their credit, a dependent student can then be considered independent for loan awarding purposes on an annual basis.

Program Type & Ineligible Financial Aid

The following list outlines the financial aid that is not available to you when you are on a Study Abroad program based on program type. If you have questions, feel free to contact us for further clarification.

CSU International Programs (IP)

Federal Work Study-A student who is studying abroad would not be able to obtain a work study position and is therefore ineligible.

CSUEB Exchange Program (Bilateral Exchange)

Federal Work Study-A student who is studying abroad would not be able to obtain a work study position and is therefore ineligible.

International Student Exchange Programs-Exchange (ISEP)

Federal Work Study-A student who is studying abroad would not be able to obtain a work study position and is therefore ineligible.

International Student Exchange Programs-Direct (ISEP)

Federal Work Study-A student who is studying abroad would not be able to obtain a work study position and is therefore ineligible.
State University Grant-The State University Grant is to cover tuition/fees at CSUEB, so when you are on a direct program, since your tuition/fees are charged by your host school you are not eligible. SUG is essentially a tuition “waiver” meant to offset the cost of tuition/fees at a California Institution and is not transferable.

Faculty-Led Program or National Student Exchange (NSE)

Federal Work Study-A student who is studying abroad would not be able to obtain a work study position and is therefore ineligible.

Student Account Billing

Financial aid cannot be disbursed prior to the start of the regular CSUEB term for Study Abroad participants. Your financial aid has the same requirements and will be disbursed the same as it is when you are attending CSUEB. Financial aid does not post charges to student billing accounts. You may pay all of your program costs to CSUEB, all costs to an outside agency or foreign university, or tuition and fees to CSUEB and other costs, such as room and board, to a foreign university. Be sure to check with your study abroad coordinator to make sure you understand exactly what you will owe to whom, and when it is due. Most program providers offer a billing plan that takes into account your financial aid award and the date that aid will be released. Please note that you MUST finalize your Financial Aid before requesting that your aid is certified. Financial Aid will certify your CURRENT accepted aid package and the provider may request that you pay the difference, so be sure you have accepted all your financial aid prior to submitting any verification forms.

Before You Go

Complete your FAFSA.
Complete any outstanding items on your Checklist.
Sign & submit all paperwork.
Accept your Financial Aid by logging into MyCSUEB.
Sign Master Promissory Notes for all loans & complete any required Entrance Counseling at studentloans.gov.
Submit a FERPA release for anyone that needs to have information about your aid.
Sign up for Direct Deposit through the MyCSUEB Portal.
Plan ahead for emergency funding.
Pay any up front program costs.
Pay off any outstanding balance on your CSUEB student account.
Do not wait until the last minute as some of these things take time to update!
Most importantly, if you have questions, or do not understand how the process works, ASK!

Scholarships

The number of study abroad scholarships has been steadily increasing over the past few years. However, not many students are aware that study abroad scholarships exist. The Study Abroad office provides a list of scholarships and resources for both undergraduate and graduate study abroad on their website. Many of the scholarship deadlines are four to eight months before departure and they may or may not coincide with the study abroad application deadline. Be sure to check the websites and that you meet all of the eligibility requirements.