Scholarships & Financial Aid

Yes! If you compare programs and what's included, you'll find that ours are some of the most affordable. Compare what's included and not just the price itself. This information can be found in our Program Locations menu, click your city, and then What’s Included.

The majority of ASA students use financial aid to study abroad! The federal financial aid you receive at your home institution - such as Pell Grant, Stafford Loan, student loans, and Parent Plus Loans - can usually be applied!

Here's how it works: You can DEFER any portion of your ASA program fees that is covered by your financial aid and pay it once your financial aid is disbursed.* You just need to send us verification of how much financial aid you're getting by our payment deadline. Any program fees NOT covered by financial aid are due by our Payment Deadline. You can find our payment deadline by using the Program Locations menu, click your city, and then Cost & Dates.

 

*NOTE: Summer and January Term students must have a disbursement date that is at least 2 weeks BEFORE their program end date. Students whose disbursement date is later than 2 weeks before the program end date must pay all fees to ASA prior to program start date, and financial aid can be used to reimburse the student.

 

ASA accepts all grants, scholarships, or loans that you receive. However, it's up to the aid provider to decide if you can apply it to study abroad. Federal can usually be applied - such as Pell Grant, Stafford Loan, student loans, and Parent Plus loans. Grants and scholarships may or may not apply, so you have to ask the aid provider.

 

If your school asks you for the “Budget” or “Estimated Costs of Attendance” for your program, you can find that information here.

 

Confirmation Deposits cannot be deferred. Our Financial & Billing page tells you how much the Confirmation Deposit will be.

 

Next are a few simple steps to make sure we receive verification of your financial aid by our payment deadline. 

Most students can apply for additional loans through their home institution's financial aid office. Just be sure to start this process several weeks before ASA's payment deadline. Give your financial aid office the Estimated Costs of Attendance for your program so they can recalculate your eligibility. You should also see if there are any scholarships you can apply for through your school or ASA's website (see below on this page for scholarship opportunities).

You can try the following website: www.internationalstudentloan.com. IMPORTANT! You MUST make sure the loan does NOT require a Title IV school code. Not many institutions outside the U.S. have a Title IV school code. For this reason, the customary way to get financial aid for study abroad is through your home institution’s Financial Aid Office.

Sometimes, financial aid isn’t disbursed until a month or two after your program starts. Consider what arrangements you may need to make for flights and spending money until your aid is disbursed. Ask your Financial Aid Office what the disbursement date will be. Plan your finances accordingly to ensure you have enough spending money until your disbursement(s) are completed. Your balance due to ASA must be paid in full before you use your financial aid for personal expenses.

 

Your financial aid may be disbursed to you or your parent/guardian and not to ASA! It may be direct deposited into your or your parent/guardian's account, or may be a snail-mailed check. Ask your Financial Aid Office who your disbursement will be sent to and how, and know that you may be abroad when it happens. Advise your parent/guardian if they should expect a disbursement and what to do with it when they receive it.

 

You or your parent/guardian can pay ASA from anywhere in the world online via e-check. Failure to pay on time may result in a $200 late fee and a 2% monthly surcharge until ASA is paid in full. ASA reserves the right to take action if payment is not received on time, such as: dismissal from the program, removal from housing and program activities, notification to your home institution, and denial of final transcript.

 

You're responsible for paying your balance in full to ASA, even if your financial aid is less than you expected. Confirming the amount of funds, date of disbursement, and recipient with your Financial Aid Office before departure will help you prevent unforeseen issues.

If you have any questions about financial aid or payment, please don’t hesitate to contact us at 617-327-9388 or hello@academicstudies.com! Our experienced advisers are happy to help!