For the purposes of study abroad, awarded aid, alternative loans and scholarships, including Chancellor’s Awards, are all considered “Financial Aid” and can be used for study abroad expenses. However, the transferring of aid is not automatic; you must follow the proper process to get your aid refunded to you so you have those funds to pay your Education Abroad Expenses.
Things to Keep in Mind
- Not all Awarded Financial Aid is eligible to be used toward Education Abroad Expenses.Tuition credits, federal work study, fee waivers, and Athletic Scholarships cannot be used. Grants, scholarships, and loans can be used.
- Students who receive VA benefits, DCF Funding, and other less common types of aid should consult with their Education Abroad Advisor as early as possible. These types of funding can be used for some types of programs, but not all.
- If participating in a Partner Program, the Program Fee is paid to your Program Provider, not UMass. Your Program Provider will invoice you and you are responsible for paying them directly. UMass cannot send funds to your Program Provider for you.
Click through the tabs to learn more about using Financial Aid for the type of program you have selected.
UMass cannot transfer your Financial Aid to your Partner Program; students are responsible for making all payments to the Program Provider. Assuming all aid-eligibility requirements are met, UMass will refund your Financial Aid (minus any costs owed to the university) to you via Excess Express so that you can pay your Program Provider. Financial Aid is disbursed 1-2 weeks before on-campus classes start, and it will take another 1-2 weeks for your refund to process through Excess Express.
You have two options for paying your Program Fee:
- Pay the entire Program Fee before the payment deadline. When the UMass semester starts, your aid is refunded to you. You can use these funds towards any Education Abroad Expenses.
- Request to defer payment. Your Program Provider may allow you to defer paying the portion of your Program Fee covered by financial aid until those funds are refunded to you. Program deposits and the remaining amount not covered by your Financial Aid are still due by the Program Provider payment deadline.
Each Program Provider has their own paperwork and instructions to request to defer payment. Click here for detailed instructions and sample financial aid deferment forms.
You will need to provide proof of your Financial Aid award. Financial Aid will create a Financial Aid Exchange Award Letter for you in SPIRE once your UMass Abroad application has been reviewed and conditionally approved. Follow these instructions to locate your FAXL.
Remember:
- Partner Programs may require application fees, confirmation deposits and other fees that can not be deferred.
- Any amount not covered by Financial Aid needs to be paid by you before the Program Provider payment deadline.
- Your refund amount will be less the Global Education Fee and any other outstanding charges on SPIRE.
- You are responsible for understanding this process. Education Abroad Advisors are available to help you.
Read these slides for step by step instructions.
The Exchange Tuition Fee is posted to your UMass bursar bill in SPIRE for the semester you are abroad, along with the Global Education Fee. Billing deadlines and payment options are the same as if you were on campus.
Financial Aid will credit toward your bursar bill as it always does, and excess will be refunded to you via Excess Express; it can be used towards any Education Abroad Expense.
UMass will bill you for only the Exchange Tuition Fee and Global Education Fee. Housing will be billed directly by the Exchange University or the accommodation provider with varying due dates, varying payment options and may be billed in a foreign currency. Since Financial Aid refunds aren’t processed until the start of classes at UMass, students who choose an exchange program must have personal or family funds available to pay for their housing. Speak with your Education Abroad Advisor if you need details about housing billing and costs on your Exchange Program.
Meals, airfare, and additional expenses will be paid directly by you. If you need additional funding, consider Alternative Loans. Note that these funds can not be refunded to you via Excess Express until UMass classes start, typically within the first week of the semester on campus.
There are limited opportunities for a UMass student to participate in a Direct Enroll university program (only Herriot Watt University, London School of Economics and Political Science, and Queen’s University Belfast). Payment arrangements, deadlines and amounts are unique to each University. It is likely that you will need to pay some or all costs prior to receiving your UMass Financial Aid, and that they will be billed in the local currency.
You can use Financial Aid, but note that these funds can not be refunded to you via Excess Express until UMass classes start, typically within the first week of the semester on campus. Therefore, students who choose these programs will need to have personal or family funds available to pay these costs well in advance of receiving their Financial Aid refund.
Meals, airfare, and additional expenses will also be paid directly by you. If you need additional funding, consider Alternative Loans. Note that these funds can not be refunded to you via Excess Express until UMass classes start, typically within the first week of the semester on campus.
We strongly encourage you to work with your Education Abroad Advisor to understand the financial requirements of your Direct Enroll University.
How to...
Each Program Provider has their own paperwork and instructions to request to defer payment, and you will need to provide proof of your Financial Aid award. The Financial Aid Office at UMass will create a Financial Aid Exchange Award Letter for you in SPIRE once your UMass Abroad application has been reviewed and conditionally approved. You'll find this letter by logging into SPIRE, navigating to the Financial Aid section, then clicking on Financial Aid Communications. If your Partner Provider requires a Financial Aid Verification Form or other payment deferment information, send them a PDF of your Financial Aid Exchange Award Letter and then follow up with them to see if additional information is needed.
Once your financial aid is verified, your Program Provider will allow you to defer the payment of some or all of your fees until your aid is disbursed. However, your Program Provider may still require a confirmation of enrollment or housing deposit, and any remaining balance not covered by financial aid will still be due by the Program Providers' payment deadline.
After the UMass semester starts, you’ll receive a financial aid refund via direct deposit to the bank account that you designated in Excess Express (minus the Global Education Fee and any other outstanding university charges). It’s now your responsibility to pay your Program Provider the remaining balance owed. Any funds leftover can be used to cover additional costs like airfare, meals, etc.
If you are participating in a Partner Program and paying your Program Fee upfront creates a financial barrier, and are already enrolled in a UMass UPay payment plan for the current semester, you may request to use the UMass UPay payment plan to pay for your semester abroad.
To do this, refer to the How To Pay for Education Abroad Form in your UMass Abroad portal. If approved, the Office of Global Affairs (OGA) will ask your Program Provider to invoice UMass for your Program Fee. UMass will then post the Program Fee to your SPIRE account for the term you are abroad.
Once the charge appears in SPIRE, you will be able to enroll in the UMass UPay payment plan and make payments to UMass rather than paying the Program Provider directly.
Once your petition is reviewed, you will be notified by email of your next steps.
Reach out to your 529 Fund Administrator and let them know you are studying abroad. Ask them to send funds to your Program Provider. If they will only send funds to UMass, the Bursar will refund those funds to you via Excess Express so that you can use that money to pay your Program Provider directly.
You need to work with the VA benefit coordinator at UMass. Some study abroad opportunities will allow you to use more of your VA benefits than others. Your Education Abroad Advisor can help you find those programs, once you understand regulations around the type of benefit you receive.
The UMass Employee Dependent Tuition Credit benefit is not available for education abroad, regardless of program type. For Non-UMass employee benefits, contact your Education Abroad Advisor for guidance.
In order to receive summer financial aid, you must be taking at least 6 credits and enrolling in an OGA Approved Program. Financial aid awarding for the summer term typically begins in early April, but for planning purposes you can get an estimate of your summer aid amounts from a Financial Aid Counselor at any time. Most students are only eligible for loans (federal and/or private) for summer study abroad. Students who receive a Federal Pell Grant in the fall/spring semesters may receive a summer Pell Grant.