Study Abroad Costs and Financial Aid

This page combines important information from Student Financial Services and the Office of International Programs to help you and your family understand the financial aspects of study abroad.

Note: all students approved to study abroad must sign a Financial Terms and Conditions document for their specific program. Approved students should refer to that document within the International Programs Portal for specific dates and amounts that apply to their situation.

Refer to the sections below for details regarding the following:

  • Fall and Spring Study Abroad Programs: Billing and Financial Aid
  • Summer Study Abroad Programs: Billing and Financial Aid
  • Faculty-Let Study Abroad Programs: Billing
  • Additional Expenses
  • Important Guidelines, including Withdrawal and Cancelation
  • Who to Contact with Questions

Fall and Spring Study Abroad Programs

We partner with a number of organizations and institutions to provide study abroad opportunities around the world for Puget Sound students. The study abroad application process has two crucial steps:

  1. In order to receive Puget Sound credit and to be able to use financial aid for study abroad, students must be approved to study abroad by the Office of International Programs.
  2. Once approved, students must then apply to their specific program through the partner organization’s website.

Billing

Your study abroad costs are handled through a combination of bills from Puget Sound and your specific program provider.

  • Program Deposit: Upon acceptance into most programs, you will be required to pay a non-refundable enrollment deposit directly to your program provider organization or institution. The amount of this deposit will be applied as a credit to your Puget Sound student account.
  • Puget Sound Bill: 
    • You will be charged the standard Puget Sound tuition and fees for the semester.
    • If the program includes housing and meals, you will also be charged the Puget Sound rate for housing and meals (pro-rated depending on the number of meals provided each week).
    • A $700 Study Abroad Program Fee is charged for each study abroad semester. This fee helps cover the support you receive from various campus offices before and during your time abroad.
    • Puget Sound will post billing for students studying abroad via the Bill + Payment system.
    • The payment deadline is August 15 for the fall and January 15 for the spring.
    • Note that Puget Sound reserves the right to adjust your bill if your program enrollment changes.
  • Puget Sound pays the provider bill for tuition, standard room and meal fees. Puget Sound will be billed for these items by your program provider organization or institution. Note, however, that we do not pay for premium housing options or other optional add-ons that students may select through their program provider. Any optional fees are the responsibility of the student.
  • Additional provider charges: You may receive a separate bill directly from your program provider for costs such as optional excursions, or supplemental or premium housing fees. Contact your provider directly with any questions about these charges.

Financial Aid

  • All of your institutional, federal, and state financial aid (if applicable), including scholarships, grants, and loans will be applied to your Puget Sound bill for the semester you are studying abroad. Note that it is not possible to complete work-study while studying abroad.
  • Credit balance refund: If your financial aid results in a credit balance on your student account, you must submit a refund request to Student Financial Services. you are strongly encouraged to set up an eRefund profile to receive funds via direct deposit. Refunds cannot be issued until the first day of the Puget Sound semester.
  • Other scholarships available: Students should also consider applying for scholarships offered by their program provider as well as outside study abroad scholarships.

Summer Study Abroad Programs

We partner with a number of organizations and institutions to provide study abroad opportunities around the world for Puget Sound students.  The study abroad application process has two crucial steps.

  1. In order to receive Puget Sound credit and to be able to use financial aid for study abroad, students must be approved to study abroad by the Office of International Programs.
  2. Once approved, students must then apply to their Specific Program through the partner organization’s website.

Billing

Your study abroad costs are handled through a combination of bills from Puget Sound and your specific program provider.

  • Program deposit: Upon acceptance into most programs, you will be required to pay a non-refundable enrollment deposit directly to your program provider organization or institution. The amount of this deposit will be applied as a credit to you Puget Sound student account.
  • Puget Sound bill
    • All students participating in summer study abroad will be billed for their program costs through Puget Sound.
    • A $500 program fee is also charged for all summer programs.
    • Payment deadline: The payment deadline for summer programs is the first day of Summer Session 1.
    • Puget Sound will post billing for students studying abroad via the Bill + Payment enrollment changes.
  • Additional provider charges: You may receive a separate bill directly from your program provider for costs such as optional excursions, or supplemental or premium housing fees. Contact your provider directly with any questions about these charges.

Financial Aid

Institutional aid is not available for summer study abroad. However, if your program is worth two or more academic units, you may be eligible to borrow up to one-third of your federal loans for the academic year.

Students should consider applying for scholarships offered by their program provider as well as outside study abroad scholarships.

Faculty-Led Study Abroad Programs

Each faculty-led study abroad program has an associated course fee. The course fee is typically posted to the student’s account during the term they will be traveling, but for some programs the course fee is posted the term before they travel. For example, if a student enrolls in a spring course that includes a faculty-led program where the travel portion of the course will take place in May (after the spring semester ends), the course fee may be posted to the student’s account in the summer term or it may be posted to the student’s account in the spring term. The timing of the billing depends on the exact structure of the course and the travel component of the program.

There are no additional scholarships or grants available to cover the course fee associated with faculty-led programs.

Additional Expenses

In addition to the costs billed by Puget Sound and your program provider, you should be prepared for other out-of-pocket expenses. These typically include:

  • Round trip airfare to the starting point of your program (do not pay for airfare until you have been approved by Puget Sound and accepted by your specific program and been told what date and time to book your travel).
  • Local transportation.
  • Passport and visa fees (note that some countries require in person visa appointments that may require you to travel to San Francisco, or another US city, in order to apply for your visa in the months leading up to your program).
  • Immunizations.
  • Books and course materials.
  • Personal expenses (food, shopping, entertainment, personal travel, etc.).

Important Guidelines

  • Housing: All Puget Sound students on any program must stay in program-approved housing. You are not permitted to find your own accommodations. If housing is not included in the cost of your program you must follow the guidelines and recommendations of your program to secure and pay for your housing abroad.
  • Withdrawal and cancellation: Because Puget Sound makes financial commitments on the student’s behalf well in advance of the start of the program, the following cancellation provisions exist:
    • Student withdrawal or removal from program:
      • If you choose to withdraw from the program, or are withdrawn for failing to maintain your eligibility to participate before or on the tenth day of classes of Puget Sound: 100% Study Abroad Tuition, Room and Board refund less a $300 cancellation fee and any non-recoverable costs charged to Puget Sound by the program provider. The financial aid award will be evaluated to determine whether any portion of a student’s financial aid must be returned in accordance with institutional policy and/or federal and state regulatory requirements.
      • If you choose to withdraw, or are withdrawn or removed from the program after the tenth day of class of Puget Sound: Study Abroad Tuition, Room and Board will not be refunded. Recoverable costs refunded to Puget Sound by the program provider will be reimbursed to the student. The financial aid award will be evaluated to determine whether any portion of a student’s financial aid must be returned in accordance with institutional policy and/or federal and state regulatory requirements. (International Programs and Student Financial Services will work case-by-case with any student who withdraws from a program having a departure date after the tenth day of classes.)
    • Cancellation of the program: In the event a program is canceled, students may be eligible for a refund less any non-recoverable costs, pro-rated based on the date of the program cancellation. Puget Sound and the program provider will work together to offer alternate arrangements for continuation of your studies.

Who to Contact with Questions

For specific questions about your financial situation, please contact Student Financial Services at sfs@pugetsound.edu.

For program-specific details, contact the Office of International Programs at internationalprograms@pugetsound.edu.