Puget Sound has a strong commitment to a globally-focused curriculum. One of the multiple facets of that commitment is study abroad. Student Financial Services plays an important role in helping students plan their finances for a successful study abroad experience.
Puget Sound continues to engage in work to ensure that we are able to maintain an academically strong and financially viable study abroad program.
Students are charged Puget Sound tuition and fees for their study abroad programs. If the program includes housing and meals (all or partial board plan), the student will also be charged the Puget Sound rate for housing and meals.
Students studying abroad will be able to apply both need-based and merit-based financial aid, including Puget Sound scholarships and grants, to their study abroad program. Program fees will be assessed for study abroad based on the cost of individual study abroad programs relative to the cost of Puget Sound tuition, and are used to support students prior to and during their study abroad experience. There are three program fee tiers, ranging between $300 up to $2,400, with the majority of program fees falling at the $300 tier.
For more information, please contact the office of International Programs.
For eligible students Pell Grants, Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants, Washington State Need Grants, Federal Direct Loans, and Parent PLUS Loans may be used for Puget Sound study abroad programs. Work-study benefits are not transferable to the study abroad program.
All students participating in summer study abroad programs will be billed for their program costs through Puget Sound. Students will pay the cost of their specific program plus a $500 program fee. The payment deadline for summer study abroad programs is the first day of Summer Term 1. Deposit deadlines, tuition, and terms for each program are detailed on your International Programs Financial Agreement.
If the summer study abroad program is worth 2 or more academic units, students may be eligible to borrow up to one-third of their federal loans for the academic year. No institutional aid is available for summer study abroad.
Students who study abroad through Puget Sound receive extensive support prior to and during their study abroad experience from various offices of the college. In addition to the Office of International Programs, Puget Sound study abroad students are supported by the Registrar, Student Financial Services, Business Services, Technology Services, Collins Library, Center for Writing, Learning and Teaching, other Academic and Student Affairs support resources, as well as faculty advisers. The program fee covers, in part, the cost of this support.
There are a wide variety of programs from which to choose, including those with low fees ($300). To learn more about options that meet your study abroad objectives, please consult with a staff member in the International Programs office in Howarth Hall 215 and talk to your academic advisor.
It is not unusual for colleges such as Puget Sound to have a program fee structure associated with study abroad. The Puget Sound study abroad program fee structure will be evaluated and adjusted if needed on an annual basis to maintain a workable approach to achieving the goals of maximum student participation and financial sustainability.
Any time Puget Sound students have questions about their ability to pay tuition and fees, they should be in touch with their Student Financial Services financial aid counselor in Jones Hall 019. Financial aid counselors are here to support all students and their families, and are happy to assist.
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