Are you going to study abroad for the next semester or two? This page is designed to help you understand what happens to your financial aid for the semester(s) you are going abroad.  We strongly encourage you to read the information and save this page for future reference.  If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact our office or the Center for International Studies  for additional information.

Information on this page is also available in a Frequently Asked Question (FAQ) format.  Click on the Study Abroad FAQ to view or print the document in PDF format.

Institutional Requirements

-If you have been accepted into a study abroad program there will be some additional steps you will need to take to ensure all of your eligible federal and state funding can be transferred to the program or directly to a parent/guardian.  First and foremost, you will need to ensure all your financial aid application materials are completed and any requests for additional information, including verification, have been satisfied with the Office of Financial Aid for the semester(s) you plan on going abroad. 

-Any unsatisfied requests could result in a delay of completing your study abroad paperwork required by your specific program, if applicable.

Institutional Policies

-It is very important to note that Providence College does not permit the use or transfer of any institutional funding in the semester(s) a student is abroad.  However, you are able to use any federal and state financial aid you are eligible to receive.  Institutional aid will be cancelled for the semester you plan to study abroad.  Funds lost during the semester abroad cannot be added to the grant total for a semester you will be on campus if you are planning to study abroad for only one semester.  When you return to campus, your aid will be fully renewed as long as your eligibility for financial aid remains the same in subsequent years. 

-Any federal or state funding you receive in the semester(s) you are going abroad will first be applied to any outstanding charges you may have at Providence College, including the $1000.00 (rate effective 2008-2009 academic year) study abroad fee, any prior semester balances or charges due to your unfullfilled housing contract.  Therefore, on your Refund Instruction Form completed by the Office of Financial Aid, you will notice the net amount of aid able to be transferred to your abroad program or parent/guardian will already be reduced by the fees we anticipate you will incur in the semester(s) you are abroad.  The net amount of aid could change if any additional fines or fees are present on your bill at the time your aid is ready for transfer.

-If you have any outside scholarships/resources you anticipate using towards your abroad expenses, you must check with the sponsoring agency giving you those funds to ensure that you can continue to receive them while you are abroad.

-All paperwork for your study abroad program must be completed prior to your departure date.  In addition, some study abroad programs have a separate form they would like the Office of Financial Aid to complete.  We are more than happy to complete the form for you, provided you have obtained a completed Consortium Agreement from the host program you are participating in first.

- For the semester(s) you are abroad you cannot pay for the study abroad program through TMS.  You can only contract with TMS for the semester you are on Providence College ’s campus.  If you are still interested in a payment plan, contact the program you are participating with to see if they offer a similar plan.

- Please keep in mind funds, especially from third party lenders, may not arrive at the same time.  Since funding may come in at different times it is possible that multiple checks will be issued to your program or parent. 

Transferring of money

-At this time, if your host program requires payment in a form other than American currency, we will be unable to send or wire money directly to the program.  Rather, all money will be sent home to a parent/guardian and it is your responsibility to convert and transfer those funds in the manner required by the host program. 

-Parent PLUS loans and alternative student loans are also transferable, provided all appropriate paperwork is completed with the lender you have chosen prior to departure.

-If you are taking a parent PLUS loan, please be advised that if the lender sends Providence College a paper check, it will require the signature of the parent/borrower.  Once the check arrives at Providence College it will be mailed to the parent whose name is on the loan for endorsement before we can forward it per the refund instructions.

-If you are taking an alternative student loan, please be advised that if the lender sends Providence College a paper check, it will require the signature of the student/borrower.  Most often loan checks will come in after the student has already left the country.  We strongly recommend that a parent/guardian secure a Power of Attorney for the student’s financial affairs so the check can be endorsed in the student’s absence.  This will help prevent any delays in payment.

- If your eligibility changes or you apply for loans or outside scholarships after your paperwork is completed by the Office of Financial Aid you must notify us in writing what you would like us to do with those funds.  Your original instructions are fund and semester specific.  It is not a blanket agreement and separate instructions will be required.

- If you are already abroad and change programs or get approval from the College to stay an extra semester, you will need to complete another Consortium and Refund Instruction Form.  Your original agreements are specific to the program and semester you are scheduled to be away.  These forms need to be completed prior to the start date of your new program abroad.

- Please note, some study abroad programs require that certain fees be paid up front and out of pocket regardless of the types and amounts of financial assistance a student is receiving and/or applied for.  Examples of such fees could be an enrollment deposit, damage deposit, insurance fee, round trip airfare, taxes and fuel charges.  Please contact your host program for information regarding their payment policies.

Required Paperwork

Consortium Agreement

Refund Instruction Form

Consortium Agreement

Regardless of what program you choose, it is your responsibility to complete a Consortium Agreement with the host program you are attending.  A Consortium Agreement is a formal contract between two schools, in your name, that dictates which institution is responsible for determining eligibility and distributing your federal and state funding (including parent PLUS or alternative student loans). 

A Consortium Agreement must be completed prior to releasing any payment or estimated payment information to the host program you are planning on attending.  If this form is not completed your aid will be cancelled for the semester you are abroad and you will be fully responsible for all charges incurred at Providence College and your host program.  

Refund Instruction Form

This form gives the student an opportunity to tell us exactly where they would like us to send their eligible financial assistance during their semester(s) abroad.  By completing this form you are giving Providence College permission to send your eligible federal and state funding directly to the host program you are attending or directly to a parent/guardian.  If you have completed your Consortium Agreement but not the Refund Instruction Form, your aid will remain on your account at Providence College.