Financial Information > Financial Aid Portability
Students approved to study abroad pay Brandeis tuition and certain fees, thereby maintaining their status as currently enrolled students, and as such, most Brandeis financial aid is portable.Skip to the Procedures for Taking Financial Aid Abroad.
Grants
The following scholarships are portable for study abroad:
- Alumni and Friends Scholarship*
- Annenberg Scholarship
- Brandeis Achievement Award
- Brandeis Gilbert Scholarship
- Brandeis National Merit Scholarship
- Challenger Scholarship
- Davis Foundation Grant
- Dean's Award
- Deitcher Scholarship
- Honor Grants
- Justice Brandeis Scholarship
- Leonard Bernstein Scholarship
- Martin Luther King Scholarship (Tuition only)
- Presidential Scholarship
- POSSE Scholarship
- Rabb Scholarship
- Trustee Scholarship*
- Waltham Scholarship
*Please note that if the study abroad program's room, board, and applicable fees are lower than those at Brandeis, the amount awarded for Brandeis Grants or Trustee Scholarships may be reduced.
There are a few Brandeis scholarships/ grants that will not be applicable for study abroad because their purpose is to bring international students to the Brandeis campus:
- Malkin Scholarship
- Slifka Scholarship
- Wien Scholarship
Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (SEOG) funds may be used for study abroad provided the student meets all federal requirements.
Pell Grants may be used for study abroad provided the student meets all federal requirements.
National SMART Grants and Academic Competitiveness Grants (ACC) may be used for study abroad provided the student meets all federal requirements.
State Scholarships may be used for overseas study if state policies permit. Students should check with their local State Scholarship Office and the Brandeis University Office of Student Financial Services.
Mass. Gilbert Grants may be used for study abroad provided the student meets all state requirements.
Other: Faculty and Staff Tuition Remission may be used for study abroad.
Loans
Federal Direct Stafford Loans (FDSL): Students interested in a Stafford Loan must submit a complete financial aid application to the Office of Student Financial Services. Students with financial need will be awarded a subsidized FDSL. Students without financial need may borrow an unsubsidized FDSL.
Federal Perkins Loans (FDSL): May be used for study abroad provided the student meets all federal requirements.
Brandeis Loans: May be used for study abroad.
Federal Direct Parent Loans for Undergraduate Students (PLUS): Parents may be eligible to borrow up to the cost of attendance minus any financial aid through the PLUS program. For information on this program and additional forms required for overseas study, contact the Office of Student Financial Services.
Other Parent and Student Private Loans such as MEFA, CitiAssist, and Signature Loans: Parents and students may be eligible to borrow up to the cost of attendance minus any financial aid through a number of different private loan companies. For information on these programs, contact the Office of Student Financial Services.
Work
Federal Work Study and University Employment may not be used for off-campus study.
Procedures for Taking Financial Aid Abroad
Students who wish to apply for financial assistance to study abroad should make an appointment to see their financial aid counselor as soon as possible to discuss procedures to secure funding. Students who currently have financial aid should also make an appointment with their financial aid counselor to determine if there will be any changes to their award and if additional financing will be needed to meet costs abroad. Although requirements and regulations regarding aid for study abroad differ depending on where a student goes and for how long, the following are some general guidelines:
- 1. Complete your financial aid application, on time, as you normally would. The priority filing date for financial aid renewal is April 13. All students renewing their financial aid or applying for the first time should complete a FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Financial Aid). Depending on your current award we may request additional materials from you. A financial aid renewal letter is sent home to families in Februrary which specifies what documents are required to reapply for financial aid.
2. Students are responsible for paying Brandeis tuition, an Off-Campus Study Fee, and if applicable the CISI Insurance fees directly to Brandeis University (students do not pay tuition to the program that they are attending, as Brandeis will reimburse the program for their tuition costs). They are also responsible for paying the room, board and any other applicable fees directly to the program that they are attending.
3. If the abroad program's room, board, and applicable fees are lower than those at Brandeis, the amount of Brandeis Grant, Trustee Scholarship, or loan may be reduced. Students should meet with their financial aid counselor to discuss possible changes to their award.
4. Students whose aid exceeds Brandeis tuition, the Study Abroad Fee, the CISI Insurance fee and any previous balance on the Brandeis student account, can obtain a refund to assist with expenses abroad such as room and board, flights, visas, etc. It is the student's responsibility to request refunds from the Office of Student Financial Services. Students should complete a Credit Release Form before they leave the country and specify on this form where they would like their refund sent (e.g. student, parent(s), institution). For students abroad all year, this should be done each term. Please note that refunds will not be released until 10 days before the start of Brandeis classes regardless of the starting date of the program the student will attend.
5. Students who have been awarded a Direct Stafford Loan or Perkins Loan for study abroad must arrange with the Office of Student Financial Services at Brandeis to sign promissory notes for the loans. This should be completed before the student leaves the country. The student should inform the Office of Student Financial Services as to whether the study abroad program will be for one or two semesters.
6. All students studying abroad are responsible for obtaining and completing, by the stated deadlines, the financial aid application materials for the next academic year. Although the required materials will be mailed to the student's permanent address, it remains the student's responsibility to ensure the forms are obtained, completed and submitted on time. Applications received after the stated deadlines may result in the student not receiving all the funds for which he/she may be eligible.
Any further questions should be referred to the
Office of Student Financial Services
Phone: (781) 736-3700
Fax: (781)736-3719
eMail: sfs@brandeis.edu