Financing Your Study Abroad Experience

The College works diligently to make study abroad experiences affordable for all our students. If you are interested in studying abroad, you should meet with the Study Abroad Advisor to discuss potential costs and scholarship opportunities. You should also schedule an appointment with your Financial Aid Advisor to discuss your financial aid offer.

Semester Programs

Will my financial aid offer apply to my study abroad experience?

When you study abroad with one of our affiliated (aka pre-approved) programs, your Etown financial aid offer will be applied to the program. This means you can use your merit-based scholarships as well as your federal and state financial aid to pay for your time abroad. You’ll pay the same for tuition, whether you choose to stay on campus or go abroad. Etown will send your tuition bill to you as normal.

Preferred Program Fee

There is a small selection of affilated programs, with higher tuition expenses, that require an additional Preferred Program Fee. On our website outlining affiliated semester programs, you’ll see several different categories for program fees. For example, if a program is listed as ‘Etown Tuition + $1,000’, you will pay your typical Etown tuition for the semester, along with an additional $1,000 Preferred Program Fee. This additional fee will be billed by Etown’s Business Office, along with your tuition.

Non-Affiliated Programs

If you choose a study abroad program beyond the offerings on our affiliated list, you must pay the full cost of that respective program. Your Etown scholarships and aid will not be applied to a non-affiliated or partner programs. You can still use your federal financial aid, but you will need to pay for the full amount of the program before you depart for your semester abroad.

Meeting with your Financial Aid Advisor

All study abroad questions pertaining to your financial aid can be directed to your Financial Aid Advisor.

Please note: International, tuition exchange and tuition remission students should consult the Financial Aid Office to discuss financing study abroad, as your arrangements may be different.

What’s the cost of room and board?

All students, regardless of location, are responsible for their program’s room and board expenses. Since you will not be on campus during your semester abroad, Etown will not charge you for housing or a meal plan. Instead, you’ll receive a bill for these costs from your study abroad provider or university. These costs vary by program as they’re dependent on the cost of living in your selected country and the available housing options (ie. apartment, dorm, host family, etc.) Many programs do not offer a meal plan, so you will need to budget for groceries and going out to eat as you’re able. Please contact your Financial Aid Advisor or Jennifer Behmer, Associate Director of Financial Aid at behmerj@etown.edu or 717-361-1344, to discuss covering this expense with loan funding, if needed.

Summer & Winter Programs

Students who attend May term, summer or winter study abroad programs are typically not able to apply their Etown financial aid offer to their study abroad experience, as these programs occur outside the academic year. However, students earning six or more US credits during a single term are considered part-time students and therefore might be eligible for additional financial aid. If that’s you, please contact the Financial Aid Office to learn more.

If you have questions about taking out additional loans for a short-term study abroad experience or other inquires, please contact your Financial Aid Advisor.

Study Abroad Fee

All Etown study abroad students, excluding faculty-led participants, are required to pay a study abroad. This fee allows the student to be enrolled at two universities at once. It also provides the full support of many offices on campus, including but not limited to, the Study Abroad Office, Registration and Records, Financial Aid Office and the Business Office.

The study abroad fee for affiliated and partner semester programs, as well as all short-term trips, is $250. Those who study abroad on a non-affiliated semester program pay a higher fee of $1,000. Students can pay their study abroad fee online, as a part of their post-approved, Etown study abroad application. Students who study abroad on more than one external program, only need to pay the study abroad fee once. Unless, they’re attending a non-affiliated semester program, the $1,000 fee is always required for those programs. Please note, this fee is different than the Etown Preferred Study Abroad Program Fee, if applicable.

All students who apply for the Gilman Scholarship will automatically have their study abroad fee waived (value of $250). Students eligible for the Gilman (must be a Federal Pell Grant recipient), just need to apply to receive the waiver. Students do not need to be selected for the award to receive the waiver.

Scholarships

All students are encouraged to research study abroad scholarship opportunities at least six months in advance of their study abroad experience to ensure they do not miss any early application deadlines. You can review a list of Etown and external study abroad scholarship opportunities on our website. Twice a year, the College awards five $1,000 study abroad scholarships. Students studying abroad during any term are invited to apply for a $1,000 award. If planning ahead, students will have two choices to apply for these awards. Please visit our website for more details and to apply now.

You review a list of study abroad scholarship opportunities here.

Gilman Scholarship (Up to $5,000)

If you’re a Federal Pell Grant recipient, the Study Abroad Office encourages you to apply for the US Department of State’s Gilman Scholarship. Each recipient is awarded up to $5,000. Students studying a critical language can apply for an additional $3,000 scholarship. All students who are eligible and apply for the Gilman Scholarship will automatically have their Etown study abroad fee waived (value of $250). Students eligible for the Gilman, just need to apply to receive the waiver. They do not need to be selected for the Gilman Scholarship to receive the waiver.

Budgeting

All students are encouraged to be proactive in their studying abroad planning. This includes gaining an understanding of your overall study abroad expenses, so you can save and budget accordingly. Gathering this information also ensures there are no hidden fees later.

Below is a budget sheet outlining common study abroad expenses. The top chart outlines exact amounts you will be charged for tuition, housing, etc.. Whereas, the bottom chart is for estimating additional expenses you may encounter, but how much you actually spend is up to you and your spending habits.

You can fill out this chart during a meeting with the Study Abroad Advisor and/or you should be able to locate this information on your program's website. As always, if you have any questions do not hesitate to reach out to the Study Abroad Office staff.

Program Costs	Program Fees
Provider Application Fee
Provider Confirmation Deposit
Etown Study Abroad Fee
Etown Preferred Study Abroad Program Fee (if applicable)
Tuition (semester = insert your Etown tuition)
Housing
Housing Deposit / Security Deposit (if applicable)
Total:

Additional Expenses	Estimated Expenses
Meals
Round Trip Airfare
US Passport
Student Visa (if applicable)
Textbooks & Supplies
Local Transportation
Additional Personal Expenses
Total:

Study Abroad Fee: The standard Study Abroad Fee is required for all study abroad participants, excluding Etown faculty-led programs. This fee is paid, when completing your study abroad post-approval application materials for Etown. The only way to waive this fee is to be eligible and apply for the Gilman Scholarship.

Preferred Study Abroad Program Fee: The additional Preferred Study Abroad Program Fee is only required for specific semester-long programs. Please reference the Study Abroad Office’s website for an updated list of fees by program. This variable, additional fee ranges from $1,000 - $4,000 depending on the program. This fee is paid at the same time as your Etown tuition, according to Etown’s semester billing due dates. These due dates are typically early August for the fall semester and early January for the spring semester. Please contact the Financial Aid Office to discuss covering this fee with loan funding, if needed.

Refunds

The Study Abroad Office encourages any students considering withdrawing from a study abroad program to reach out and discuss the financial ramifications before making a final decision.

Provider or Direct Enroll Semester Programs

If a student withdraws from a semester-long study abroad program with a provider or international university, prior to departure, Elizabethtown College will work with the study abroad provider or university to see what tuition and housing expenses can be refunded. Study Abroad Providers have their own refund policies. Affiliated study abroad provider's refund policies are linked below. Any refund from the College for tuition will be dependent on if/how much the provider or university can refund us. If the student withdrawals prior to departure, the Etown study abroad fee will be refunded, if already paid.

If a student withdraws from a study abroad program with a provider or international university, on or after their program's start date, the student's tuition refund will be dependent on the College's Traditional Program Fall and Spring Semesters withdrawal policy, plus any non-refundable fees from the program provider. Study Abroad Providers have their own refund policies, which may not provide any refund after the start of the program. Affiliated study abroad provider's refund policies are linked below. If the student withdrawals from their program, after departure, the Etown study abroad fee will not be refunded.

You can find links to our affiliated provider's refund policies below:

Amizade
Arcos Learning Abroad
API Study Abroad
CIS Abroad
IFE
ISA
ISEP
Kansai Gaidai University*
KCP International
Nihon University*
Northumbria University
Queen's University
School for Field Studies
TEAN (COVID-19 refund policies, please contact TEAN for more details on standard policy)
The Washington Center
USAC

*Exchange programs follow Etown's withdrawal policy.

Elizabethtown College Faculty-led Programs

If a student withdraws from an Etown faculty-led study abroad program, prior to departure, the potential refund will be dependent on the program. Students considering withdrawing from their faculty-led program should talk to the faculty-led to discuss the potential financial repercussions of their decision to withdraw.

If a student withdraws from an Etown faculty-led study abroad program, on or after the program start date, the student will not receive a refund for their program.

Summer & Winter Study Abroad Programs

Students attending summer and winter study abroad programs, beyond Etown faculty-led programs, are responsible for the full cost of their summer experience. Therefore, if they choose to withdraw from the experience, they’re subject to their provider’s refund policy as outlined in the links above.