Study Abroad Funding

To assist you in putting a good financial plan in place for your study abroad program, consider the following: 

1. Understand your program fees and payment policies

• What is all included in my program costs? Is it all inclusive?
• When are payments due for my program?
• If installment payments are an option, what is the amount due for each payment, and how many installments will you have to make?
• Whom do I have to make or submit payments to?
• What are the refund, withdrawal, or cancellation policies associated with my program? 

2. Understanding how your program fees are structured

Study abroad programs usually have three major cost categories: 

• Programs fees (billable expenses) - the amount charged and collected from the student (by TAMU-CC Office of International Education or their program provider). Amenities and/or services covered through the program fees will vary based on program selection. 
• Tuition fees- All credit bearing programs will assess tuition and fees to students. Depending on the program selection, tuition fees may be considered a separate "out-of-pocket" expense, or can be grouped together with the program fees.  TAMU-CC faculty-led and exchange program participants will be assessed TAMU-CC tuition as a separate "out-of-pocket" expense. 
• Out-of-pocket fees or expenses(non-billable) - Out-of-pocket expenses will vary based on program selection. Out-of-pocket fees or expenses can be incurred before the program start date, or incurred while students are on the program. Examples of out-of-pocket fees or expenses include, but are not limited to, passport/visa fees, textbook/course materials, airfare, personal spending or excursions, meals, in-country transportation, etc.

Once you have a better understanding of what your program costs will be, as well as when and how to pay for them, you will need to start assessing your current financial resources to ensure that you will be able to find the funding for your program by the payment due dates.  

Tips: Students will find it helpful to understand their current finances and apply some of those principles to financial planning for their study abroad program as well. For example, what are your current costs for tuition, housing, meals, transportation, personal expenses for studying at TAMU-CC? How are you paying for those current expenses? Do you have a current financial plan in place to help you with your current expenses? Did you have a back-up plan in place in case funding options did not go through? How can you apply some of these steps or measures to your study abroad planning? 

A word of caution as well, when it comes to comparing the costs of each program, do not focus solely on the billable program fees and instead focus on what the overall costs will be for your program. Some programs may seem inexpensive at first, because the billable program fees seems less than others; however, if the program fees do not include tuition or airfare, your tuition and/or our-of-pocket expenses will seem higher when compared to other programs.  Hence, be mindful of all of your expected program costs. You can utilize our Budget Sheet to help you calculate the total costs of each program to inform your program decision.

Understanding what your current financial situation is and preparing, or predicting, for your future expenses are things that all students should be actively doing. When it comes to finding financial support for your program, the resources options will vary from student to student. Here are some questions you should ask  yourself as you continue planning for your study abroad experience:

• How are you currently paying for your studies at TAMU-CC? And, will these financial resources be available for your study abroad program?
• Does the program overall cost fit within your current budget?
• What current funding options are you currently using? Financial Aid? Veteran's Benefits? Scholarships? Self-funded? Parents/family?
• What funding options have you not looked into? Alternative options through Financial Aid? Study abroad-related scholarships? Grants/stipends through your academic department? Research grants? Online/Crowdfunding? 

There are a variety of ways to fund your study abroad program. For more information about Financial Aid, Veterans Benefits, or Study Abroad Scholarships, see the general information listed on our website, or feel free to reach out to the appropriate offices on campus. 

ALWAYS START PLANNING AND SAVING EARLY FOR YOUR PROGRAM! 

Depending on the study abroad program, and study abroad program type, some students may be able to use current or future financial aid to help pay for some of their study abroad program fees. All students who are currently receiving financial aid will need to make sure their financial information is up-to-date with the financial aid office and must be participating in a TAMU-CC approved, credit-bearing program.

Full-time Enrollment While Abroad

Students must be enrolled for a full-time course load during their term abroad, in order to be eligible for financial aid. To be considered full-time, students must be enrolled for a minimum of 12 U.S. credit hours for a semester-long study abroad program and a minimum of 6 U.S. credit hours over the course of the summer, for summer study abroad programs. Note for summer program participants, not all 6-credit hours need to be earned while abroad. For many summer study abroad programs, some students may only be able to take up to 3- credit hours, meaning they would have to make up the remaining 3 credit hours by enrolling in a different course (online, or on-campus) during a different summer term if necessary. 

Financial Aid Disbursement Dates

Students who will be utilizing financial aid should note that financial aid disbursement will be done according to the TAMU-CC financial aid disbursement dates for the term that students will be abroad. Disbursement dates may affect a student's ability to pay their program fees on time, and/or affect when students can access their financial aid funds. Generally, financial aid is disbursed closer to the tuition payment deadlines. 

Students will need to make sure that they are making appropriate financial arrangements in order to adhere to the program payment deadlines for their programs. 

Contact the Financial Aid Office

All students who are considering utilizing financial aid towards to their program should work with the Financial Aid Office directly to learn more about their eligibility, financial aid award package, and how using financial aid for study abroad could effect their future financial aid. 

Students can stop by the Financial Aid Office in the Student Services Center (Round building), or they can contact Ms.Cecilia De La Garza at Cecilia.delagarza@tamucc.edu to set up an appointment with the Financial Aid Office.

If you will be meeting with the Financial Aid Office, we would recommend bringing the following documents with you: 

• An unofficial copy of your transcript
• A printed-out copy of your degree plan
• Study abroad program information:
  • Program Name/Location
  • Program Term
  • Estimated Program Costs & What's included in the costs
  • Estimated Out-of-Pocket expenses for costs that are not included in the overall program costs 

TAMUCC Study Abroad Scholarships

• The TAMU-CC Study Abroad Scholarship is designed for the students who plan to enroll in academic courses as full-time students at international sites. There are three application cycles, based on when students plan to study abroad: Fall/Academic Year, Spring, and Summer. 
• The TAMU-CC Study Abroad Scholarship is available via the TAMU-CC Scholarships website, here. 

Local Scholarships, National Scholarships, International Scholarships

• You also have opportunities to win other local, national, or international scholarships. Each scholarship program has different eligibility requirements such as GPA or studying a particular language or going to a particular country. You will find more information on the left navigation. 
• National Scholarship Opportunities: 
  • Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship: Open to U.S. Citizens pursuing undergraduate study at an accredited U.S. institution AND receives PELL Grant funding who is interested in studying abroad on a credit-bearing program that is three weeks (21 days) or more in length. For more information, click here. 
  • Gilman-McCain Scholarship: Open to U.S. Citizens who are dependents of active duty service members who are enrolled at an accredited U.S. institution, receives any type of Title IV federal financial aid, AND who wants to pursue a credit-bearing study abroad program that is three weeks (21 days) or more in length. For more information, click here. 
  • Critical Language Scholarship Program: The Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) Program is an intensive overseas language and cultural immersion program for American students enrolled at U.S. colleges and universities. Students spend eight to ten weeks abroad studying one of 15 critical languages. The program includes intensive language instruction and structured cultural enrichment experiences designed to promote rapid language gains. For more information about the program and the 15 critical languages identified for eligibility, click here. 

Honorary Societies Scholarships

• If you are a member of an honorary society, go ahead to check the study abroad scholarships they offered. You will find more information on the left navigation. 

Third-party Provider/Affiliate Program Scholarships

• Most of the third-party provider offer scholarships if you choose to study abroad through them. Go ahead to check the scholarship requirements and availabilities from your provider.
• UniPlaces is a search engine for student accommodation, and while their scholarship is different than most others on the list, applicants will have the chance to win accommodation for a full semester of their study abroad -- which we all know can be a major expense! Applicants can be any nationality. 
• Academic Programs International (API) offers scholarships opportunities for participants on API sponsored programs. For more information about API Scholarships, check out their scholarships page  here.
• Cultural Experiences Abroad (CEA) offers scholarship opportunities for participants on CEA sponsored programs.  For more information regarding CEA scholarships check out their scholarships page here.
• CIS Abroad also offers a variety of scholarships and grants that program participants can apply for. If you will be participating in a CIS Abroad sponsored program, check out their Scholarships & Grants. 
• International Studies Abroad (ISA) also offers different scholarships for students studying abroad on an ISA sponsored program. Find out more about ISA scholarships here. 

For other Travel scholarship opportunities not provided by TAMU-CC or Affiliated Third-Partie Programs, you can visit: Goabroad.com

Utilizing Veterans Benefits for Study Abroad

(GI Bill®, Hazelwood Act, Etc.)

Veteran Education Benefits may cover some of your study abroad program costs; however, the coverage depends on what kind of benefits you are eligible for, and what kind of restrictions may apply, based on those benefits. 

In general, students utilizing veterans benefits will need to show that their study abroad program directly correlates with their degree plan. Students should also work with the Veterans Affairs Office to see what aspects of the study abroad program their benefits will cover: tuition, accommodations, travel, books/materials, etc.

Students should make sure they understand which benefits (state vs. federal) they are eligible for, as state benefits and federal benefits will differ. For example, most state benefits (i.e., Hazelwood) may only cover the cost of tuition; however, the tuition has been be assessed by, or payable to, TAMU-CC. This type of funding restriction may pose limitations on the types of programs students can participate in. In turn, this means that students utilizing the Hazelwood Act funding will be limited to exchange or faculty-led options.  

To see whether your study abroad expenses can be covered by your Veteran Education Benefits, please contact the Veteran Affairs Office at 361-825-2331 or email veterans.affairs@tamucc.edu, located on the first floor of the Student Services Center (the Round Building), Monday through Friday 8 am - 5 pm.

Each Veteran Education Benefit package is very different, so you will need to contact the Veterans Affairs Office and set up an appointment. You may need the following for your first appointment:

• An unofficial copy of your transcript
• A printed-out copy of your degree plan
• All the information about the study abroad program that you would like to attend: which semester, the length of your studies, the start date of the program, and the courses that you would like to take

Veteran's Who May be Eligible for Financial Aid?

On another note, many students who qualify for Veteran Education Benefits typically do not apply for, or might not know that they are eligible to apply for, Federal Student Aid as well. If you are currently utilizing Veteran Education Benefits, and typically do not apply for any Federal Financial Aid (via the Financial Aid Office), you should consider completing the FAFSA and exploring other financial aid options available through the Financial Aid Office.