Many students want to take advantage of the opportunity for a term of study abroad while they are in college. It is possible to use many of the same sources of financial assistance for a study abroad program that are available for on-campus attendance. Contact the Center for International Education Abroad and the Financial Aid Office for further information.

Be sure to allow enough time to process the paperwork before you leave on your trip. It is strongly recommended that you allow at least two months for the financial aid process. And if you receive Federal funds, they cannot be released until within 10 days of your trip so you will need enough money from another source to pay any advance deposits required.

Federal Financial Aid

To be considered for Federal Financial Aid (Pell Grant, Federal Direct Stafford Loans, PLUS Loan, and Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant), you must:

• Have a Federal Aid Application (FAFSA) on file
• Fill out a Study Abroad Funding Sheet that collects information about the trip, its credits, and the costs
• Be degree-seeking and enrolled at least half-time
• Be sure the trip is a Truman State University approved study abroad program with credits accepted for degree credit

Scholarships

You can apply some scholarships to study abroad expenses.  Academic scholarships may be used to offset charges paid directly to Truman State University and will count as one of the semesters of of scholarship eligibility. Academic scholarships and Pershing Stipends cannot be used if a student has met all of the requirements to obtain their degree prior to taking the trip.

Missouri Bright Flight Scholarships may be used during the academic year, but are not available for summer programs.

For further details on scholarship usage for study abroad, contact the Financial Aid Office.

Cultural Loans

Truman State University also offers Cultural Loans from foundation funds for study abroad programs. The maximum loan is the cost of the trip, but not more than $6,000. Students must be enrolled full-time with a 2.5 grade-point average. Preference is given to Truman State University sponsored trips.

Cultural Loan Application