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Education Abroad
Frequently Asked Questions
Getting Started
I am a Washington State
University student. Can
I use my WSU financial aid to pay for my education abroad
experience?
Yes, you can utilize most types
of financial aid if you apply to study or intern abroad through the
Education Abroad Office at Washington State University.
You can learn more
about the application process at the Education Abroad Office.
Does the financial aid process
work differently depending on the type of education abroad program
in which I participate (e.g. exchange or international internship)?
No, the basic financial aid
process is the same for each type of education abroad experience.
I plan to use financial aid to
pay for my education abroad experience. What
should I do first?
The first step in the process of
getting financial aid for your education abroad term(s) is to
complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
The FAFSA is revised annually and is available from the
federal processor on January 1 of each year.
WSU’s priority-processing deadline is March 1.
You can complete the FAFSA
online.
·
PLEASE
NOTE: Depending
on which semester(s) you are studying abroad, and if you are
returning to WSU, you may need to complete the following year’s
FAFSA while you are away or, even better, before you depart.
Must I do anything differently
if I am planning my education abroad experience during the summer
term rather than during the academic year?
Yes,
the summer process has one additional step.
Along with the Free Application for Federal Student Aid
(FAFSA), you must also complete the WSU Summer Financial Aid
Application. For optimal
funding, you must submit the Summer Financial Aid Application before
the March 1 priority-processing deadline.
The form is
available online. Fill in your name and WSU ID
number and send; it’s
that easy!
After I complete the FAFSA,
what next?
After completing the FAFSA, you should attend a
“First Timer’s Session” at the WSU Education Abroad Office in
Bryan Hall 105. This
session will walk you through the study abroad process: selecting
a study abroad program, completing the application process,
researching scholarships, utilizing study abroad credit for WSU
requirements, and so on. “First
Timer’s Sessions” are usually scheduled once or twice a day,
Monday through Thursday. For
further information, call (509) 335-6204.
An Education Abroad Advisor can
answer questions to help you choose the education abroad program
that best meets your needs and determine which WSU Education Abroad
Application you should complete.
On the application you will be asked if you intend to use
financial aid to pay for your study abroad expenses.
If you do, be sure to check the “yes” box; this will
prompt the Education Abroad Office to complete a WSU Education
Abroad Program Expense Form for you.
Further
information is available on the Education Abroad web site.
Necessary Forms
What is the Education Abroad
Program Expense Form?
The Education Abroad Program
Expense Form is an itemized list of your individual education abroad
costs including tuition, living expenses, airfare, and passport and
visa fees. The Financial
Aid Office uses this information to make the appropriate changes to
your student budget and, if you are eligible,
to your financial aid award as well.
·
PLEASE
NOTE:
An Education Abroad Advisor must submit the Education Abroad
Program Expense Form to the Financial Aid Office. You
cannot submit this form yourself.
What is the Revised Financial
Aid Award Notification?
The goal of the Financial Aid
Office is to fund students to their full cost of attendance whenever
possible. You will
receive a Revised Financial Aid Award Notification if you are
eligible for additional financial aid and if changes
have been made to your award. To
review your financial aid award online, go to www.my.wsu.edu.
I have a Revised Financial Aid
Award Notification. Now what should I do?
You will need to consider
carefully each component of your award.
Decide what you do or do not want to accept and notify the
Financial Aid Office by returning one copy of the notification by mail, fax, or in person,
or you may notify our office by telephone.
What
if I do not receive a Revised Financial Aid Award Notification?
If your budget
has been increased to cover your education abroad expenses, but your
award has not been
revised, you will not
receive a Revised Financial Aid Award Notification.
Go to www.my.wsu.edu
to review this information.
The two most likely reasons that a student might not receive
a Revised Financial Aid Award Notification are (1) the student has
reached his/her full loan eligibility, or (2) the student has
previously rejected that portion of his/her financial aid award.
What if my financial aid award
does not cover my program expenses?
You may
wish to consider applying for a private student loan if your award does not cover your program expenses after
your financial aid budget has been adjusted to reflect the actual
cost of your semester abroad.
Please refer to the
question below: What
do I need to know about private student loans? More
information on private loans is also available on our web site.
Further, you may wish to speak with a financial aid counselor
about your circumstances.
Disbursement of
Financial Aid
Will WSU pay program fees
directly to my education abroad program?
No, WSU does not pay education
abroad costs directly to your program.
You, the student, complete all financial transactions with
the program. Your
financial aid will be disbursed into your WSU student account.
If you have made the necessary arrangements for direct
deposit, the funds are electronically transferred to your personal
checking account. Then
you pay the costs associated with your education abroad experience.
What can I do if my education
abroad program requires payment before my financial aid is
disbursed?
Although government regulations
do not allow WSU to disburse funds early to cover your program
deposits, airline tickets, or other necessary fees, there are at
least two ways you might be able to resolve this issue.
(1) If a family
member or friend can offer you a short-term loan, you could
reimburse that person when your financial aid is disbursed.
(2) Some, but not
all, education abroad programs will defer a portion of the payment
due until the financial aid disburses.
This usually requires that the program knows in advance how
much financial aid the student will receive and when.
A WSU financial aid representative can complete and sign this
deferment form for the student to return to the program.
In any case, the student is solely responsible to either pay
the fees when due or make other satisfactory arrangements with the
program.
When do I get my money?
If your departure date
is at the beginning of the semester or before the semester begins,
you should receive your funds on the first day of the regular WSU
semester. According to federal regulations, if your departure
date (as indicated by the Education Abroad department) is later in
the semester, the formula for calculating your aid release is to
count back 10 days from your departure date. So, assuming all
paperwork has been completed, your funds will be released on the
first day of the term, or 10 days before your departure date,
whichever comes first.
Financial Aid
Checklist for Education Abroad
What is the Financial Aid
Checklist for Education Abroad and why do I have to complete it?
The Financial Aid Checklist for
Education Abroad is a
short list of terms and conditions that you, the education abroad
student, must understand and to which you must agree.
You can complete
the form electronically AFTER
your financial aid budget has been adjusted to reflect the actual
cost of your semester abroad.
·
IMPORTANT:
Your financial aid funds will NOT be released until the
Financial Aid Office has received your Financial Aid Checklist!
What information does the
Financial Aid Checklist for Education Abroad contain?
By submitting the form to the
Financial Aid Office, you agree to the following:
- I understand that special rules apply to the release of financial
aid for education abroad students. Some
education abroad expenses (e.g. airline tickets, program
deposits and/or bills) may be due before my financial aid is
released. I am
personally responsible for those expenses and may need to make
alternative arrangements for payment.
- I
understand that my financial aid has been or will be
adjusted/awarded according to the costs associated with my
specific education abroad program.
- I agree to provide the WSU Financial Aid Office with an unofficial
copy of my transcript immediately upon returning from my
education abroad program.
- I understand that effective Fall 2007,
in no case will my financial aid be released to me before the
first day of the regular WSU semester, or ten (10) days prior to
my program start date– whichever is later.
Important Details
How can I receive my financial
aid quickly and conveniently, especially if my program start date is
prior to the first day of the WSU semester?
Direct deposit will allow your
financial aid funds to be directly deposited from your WSU Student
Account into your personal checking account.
Thus, your financial aid is conveniently available to you
whether you are in the U.S. or abroad.
In Pullman, go to the University Receivables Office in 342
French Administration Building, or visit their web site to download
the Direct Deposit Authorization Form.
The
completed form, along with a voided check, should be submitted to
the University Receivables Office in Pullman.
What if I want my parents, or
another designated person, to have access to my financial
information at Washington State University?
You will need to complete the
Authorization to Release Financial Information (FERPA) Form.
This form will authorize the designated person to access your
confidential account information – including financial aid,
scholarships, and billing/account information at Washington State
University. You may download
the form, or you may obtain one at the Office of Student Financial Aid
and Scholarship Services, Lighty 380, in Pullman.
How can I update my address
and other contact information on the WSU system?
Go to www.my.wsu.edu
and update each of the various address options.
Be sure that the mailing address you choose is where you can
be reached most easily when abroad.
(Many students choose to use the U.S. address of a parent who
has agreed to forward information to the student’s education
abroad address.)
What if I decide that I am not
going to study abroad?
If you decide that you are not
going to study abroad, notify both the Education Abroad Office and
the Financial Aid Office immediately. A
short written statement, signed and dated, will be sufficient.
It will be necessary for the Financial Aid Office to revise
your budget and award to reflect your cost of attendance at WSU
rather than your education abroad site.
To receive financial aid when
I return to WSU, what must I do before I leave my host university?
The key to a smooth financial aid
transition from your host university to WSU is to be prepared!
Proactively ask for an unofficial academic transcript before
you leave. Then submit
this information to the WSU Financial Aid Office immediately upon
your return to the United States. The
Financial Aid Office is required by the federal and state
governments to monitor the academic progress of each student
receiving financial aid. It
is usually a lengthy process for your host university to send an
official grade report to WSU. The
unofficial transcript will help in the interim.
Loans
I am borrowing a Stafford Loan
for the first time. What
does the Federal Government require of me before I can get my loan
money?
You are required to complete
an Entrance Interview. For
further information and to complete the interview online, go to www.finaid.wsu.edu.
Click
on "Entrance and Exit Counseling". There
you will read information about your rights and responsibilities as
a new Stafford borrower and answer a few questions to demonstrate
your comprehension. Once you complete this step, our office will
receive an email from the loan counseling web site, confirming that
you met this requirement.
You will also need to sign
a Master Promissory Note at the EdFund web site. This
is your agreement and promise to repay the loan.
With few exceptions, the Master Promissory Note will remain
in effect for the duration of your attendance at Washington State
University and you complete it only once.
However, without the Master Promissory Note, you will receive
no Stafford funding, even if you returned your award letter or
called our office and accepted the loan.
It’s a separate step!
I have borrowed Stafford Loans
before, and my education abroad semester is my last semester at WSU.
What must I do and when?
You must complete
the Stafford Exit Interview before you leave for your education
abroad semester. For further
information and to complete the online interview, go to www.finaid.wsu.edu.
Click on “Entrance and Exit Loan Counseling”. There you
will read information about your exiting rights and responsibilities
as a Stafford borrower and answer a few questions to demonstrate
your comprehension. Once you complete this step, our office will
receive an email from the loan counseling web site, confirming that
you met this requirement.
What do I do if I have
previously borrowed a Health Professions Loan or a Perkins Loan and
my education abroad semester is my last semester at WSU?
You
must contact the
staff at the University Receivables/Student Loan Office to
complete exit counseling –
and you must do it before you leave the country. This
is not the same as your Stafford Loan Exit Counseling. They
are separate processes and each must be completed if you have both
types of loans.
How can my parent borrow a
PLUS loan?
The Parent Loan for Undergraduate
Students (PLUS) is a loan that a parent,
not the student, can use to pay for the student’s educational
expenses. If you are
eligible to receive Parent PLUS funding, the amount will be reflected on
your Revised Financial Aid Award Notification.
(More information about the Parent PLUS Loan is
available on our web site.) Your parent must accept the loan by returning the appropriate
PLUS Loan Acceptance and Verification Form(s), which will be included with
your Revised Financial Aid Award Notification.
If this is the first time your
parent has borrowed a Parent PLUS Loan for you, they also must complete
their Master Promissory Note.
If the loan is approved, the money from your parent’s PLUS
Loan will be disbursed into your WSU student account, along with
your other financial aid.
What
do I need to understand about private student loans?
Private educational loans are
sometimes called alternative student loans.
These student loans are not
guaranteed by the federal government and are not
subject to all the same rules. Use
our online
resources, designed to assist you in comparing the features of a
variety of private loan products.
You
also may wish to compare the Parent
PLUS Loan with private student loans.
·
IMPORTANT: Private
educational loans, like other financial aid, cannot be disbursed
before the beginning of the semester for which they will be used.
·
ALSO
IMPORTANT:
If your lender disburses funds with a paper check made out to
you, not an Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT), the check will require
an original signature endorsement.
These funds cannot be credited to your WSU student account
and cannot be deposited directly into your personal checking account
without the required endorsement.
At the very least, you will be inconvenienced if the paper
check arrives at Washington State University after you leave for
your education abroad destination!
Inquire about a lender’s disbursement method, and get
answers, before
you choose your lender and before
your departure date!
Further Information
What if I have specific
financial aid questions that were not answered on this web site?
Ask your Education Abroad Advisor
for the date of the next Education Abroad Pre-departure
Orientation. A financial
aid representative will attend to provide reminders and updates.
For further information, contact the Pullman Student Financial Aid Office.
We are
located in Lighty Student Services 380, and our telephone number is
(509) 335-9711. A counselor will be glad to answer your
questions.
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