Funding your study abroad experience
All eligible students will receive funding from the Center for International Education to assist with the costs of their study abroad program. The grants for semesters and short-term programs are detailed below.
Almost all study abroad providers (including KIIS, ISA, USAC, and many others) offer scholarships to participants in their programs. There are also many national and regional scholarships open to study abroad students. We encourage you to apply to any and all scholarships for which you are eligible.
External Scholarships
Students are encouraged to apply for any and all external scholarships for which they are eligible.
Other Financial Aid
Since summer study is considered optional, the only forms of financial aid available for summer programs—other than education abroad scholarships and grants—are from federal sources, specifically the Stafford Loan and the Pell Grant (Berea College loans may be an option for BIST participants). Before applying for admission to a summer program, consult with Student Financial Aid Services to ensure that you are able to apply some of your Pell Grant money and that you are eligible for subsidized and/or unsubsidized Stafford Loans sufficient to meet the total cost of participation. The maximum Stafford Loan amount that a student can borrow is based on financial need, classification, dependency status, and annual borrowing limits as set by federal regulations.
To be eligible for a Stafford Loan, students must have a 2.0 GPA or higher and be enrolled on at least a half-time basis during the summer. This generally means enrolling in two courses for a total to 1.5 Berea course credits.
The application deadline for summer loans is 1 March. Stafford Loan applications will be processed after education abroad scholarships/grants have been awarded and you have been accepted to your program.
More Information
Financial aid for program fees—including both education abroad funding and Stafford Loans—will be disbursed directly to your program administrator, provided that a consortium agreement is in place (see Consortium Agreements in sidebar). Any remaining aid (e.g., for airfare not billed by the program, books, or personal expenses) will be disbursed to students during finals week.
Questions?
For questions about education abroad scholarships and grants, contact the Education Abroad Team at abroad@berea.edu or 859-985-3453, or drop by 205 Woods-Penniman.
For questions about financial aid (e.g., your EFC, your Pell eligibility, any specific scholarships you hold, loan eligibility and criteria, etc.), please stop by the Financial Aid office in Lincoln Hall and/orcontact a counselor in Student Financial Aid Services.