The cost of study abroad varies among different programs based on the cost associated with traveling to a specific location, the duration of the program, the sponsoring institution, etc. The good news is that there are several financial resources available to you; you just need to dedicate some time to inquire about your options.
Study abroad can be very affordable, especially if you qualify for any of the following resources.
Financial aid is usually applicable toward the required costs of approved Texas State study abroad programs, including faculty-led programs, international exchange programs, and affiliated programs. Please note that there is no guarantee that a student will receive enough financial aid to completely cover the total costs of the study abroad program. Contact the Texas State Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships for more information about this option. Students should begin investigating the funding options for study abroad, including grants, personal savings, scholarships, and loans, as soon as possible.
Please note there are limits on the number of hours that may be taken via extension studies, which includes study abroad courses. Texas State students may take up to thirty credit hours via extension studies.
Under the Hazlewood Act, certain Texas veterans are exempt from enrollment costs for college courses taken at any publicly funded higher education institution in Texas. The legislation allows payment exemption only if the courses apply toward the student's approved degree plan, and the Texas Veterans' Association has determined eligibility. As a self-funded program operating at Texas State, we receive no state funding when granting a Hazlewood exemption. Currently we extend a full study abroad course tuition fee exemption as a courtesy to our Texas veterans. Effective August 27, 2012, a 50 percent tuition exemption will be extended as a courtesy to our Texas veterans.
To obtain a Hazlewood eligibility packet, contact the Texas State Office of Veterans Affairs at 512.245.2641.
If you are an undergraduate student enrolled at Texas State with a GPA of 2.75 or higher or a Texas State graduate student with a Texas State GPA of 3.25 or higher, you can apply for the International Education Fee Scholarship (IEFS). Each year Texas State students receive this scholarship, with about $200,000 available annually for study abroad.
Background
The mission of the Study Abroad Program at Texas State University-San Marcos is to provide students in all areas of academic interest and levels a variety of educational choices abroad. The International Education Fee (IEF) funds the International Education Fee Scholarship program and assists in that mission by making funds available to qualified students who want to study abroad. The 72nd Texas State Legislature passed the IEF Bill, giving authority to the governing boards of all higher education institutions to charge and collect a $1.00 fee from all students who register each semester or summer session. Texas State University-San Marcos began collecting the fee in the 1992 fall semester and was approved to raise the fee to $3.00 starting in the 2002 fall semester
Eligibility
The IEF Scholarship is distributed in a competition open to all undergraduate and graduate Texas State students who meet the established eligibility requirements. To be eligible, undergraduate students must be enrolled at least part-time at Texas State with a minimum cumulative Texas State GPA of 2.75. First-semester transfer students must have an admission GPA of at least 2.75. Graduate students must be enrolled at least part-time at Texas State with a minimum cumulative Texas State GPA of 3.25. Each applicant is required to be enrolled full-time in study abroad, unless otherwise stated in the inter-institutional agreement or specified by the program requirements. International students at Texas State, like all other Texas State students, are eligible to apply for a Texas State-approved study abroad program. However, no money will be awarded to international students for study at Texas State University-San Marcos or in their home country. Students who are on academic or disciplinary probation/suspension are not eligible. All applicants must be Texas Success Initiative compliant and must be in attendance at Texas State University-San Marcos during the semester that precedes their study abroad.
Award Selection Process
| Category | Number of Points |
| 1. Texas State cumulative GPA | Multiply your Texas cumulative GPA by 10. |
| 2. Financial need (determined by the Financial Aid and Scholarships Office) | 40 if high need 30 if medium need 20 if low need |
| 3. Length of program | 10 if long term (more than three months abroad 5 if short term (0-3 months abroad) |
| 4. Prior IEFS recipient | 10 if first-time recipient 0 if prior recipient |
Learn about the IEFS by viewing the IEFS Slide Show. Read more and apply by completing the online IEFS Application.
The Gilman Scholarship is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and is administered by the Institute of International Education. Gilman Scholarships provide awards of up to $5,000 for U.S. undergraduate students who are receiving federal Pell Grant funding at a two-year or four-year college or university to participate in study abroad programs worldwide. Over 2,000 scholarships are usually awarded every year.
In order to be eligible, students must be enrolled as an undergraduate student at a two or four-year U.S. institution and must meet the following criteria:
For more information about the Gilman Scholarship, application deadlines and timeline, and the application process, please visit the Gilman website at www.iie.org/gilman, contact the Gilman Program at 713-621-6300 ext. 25 or e-mail gilman@iie.org. Before you apply for the Gilman Scholarship, please contact the Study Abroad Office located at Thornton International House, 344 West Woods St. You may also want to contact Texas State student Philip Wharton, recent recipient of the Benjamin Gilman Scholarship, who can share with you his experience as a recipient of this scholarship award.
Boren Scholarships and Fellowships provide unique funding opportunities for U.S. undergraduate and graduate students to add an important international and language component to their educations. Boren Scholarships and Fellowships focus on geographic areas, languages, and fields of study that are critical to U.S. interests and underrepresented in study abroad.
Boren Scholarships provide up to $20,000 for an academic year’s study abroad. Boren Fellowships provide up to $30,000 for language study and international research.
Applications and detailed information on the Boren Scholarships and Fellowships are now available on www.borenawards.org.
API actively seeks to support students who fall within demographic groups who are traditionally less likely to study abroad. In light of this goal, API is pleased to offer two new scholarship opportunities:
Students who are the first in their families to attend a college or university are eligible to apply for the API First Generation Scholarship, which offers one deserving semester or academic year student a scholarship in the amount of $750.
Students who are studying science, technology, engineering or mathematics are eligible to apply for the API STEM Scholarship, which offers one deserving semester or academic year student a scholarship in the amount of $750.
In addition to the new opportunities listed above, API students can apply for any of the following scholarships:
API strongly encourages eligible students who are interested in studying at John Cabot University to apply for the API/JCU Diversity Scholarship, which provieds one full tuition scholarship per session abroad (Fall, Spring, Summer 1, Summer 2) to an outstanding minority student to encourage diversity at the JCU campus.
Students participating on an API program who have been awarded a Gilman scholarship will be eligible to receive up to $1,000 in matching contributions from API. To receive the API Gilman Matching Scholarship, Gilman winners should indicate their scholarship details on their financial aid information after acceptance to an API study abroad program.
Finally, students are encouraged to apply for API General Scholarships, which range from $250-$1,000 per session. The general scholarship is need and merit-based.
Applications and details regarding these scholarships can be found on the API website. We are so pleased to be able to award over $400,000 in study abroad scholarships annually to assist students in their quest to study abroad.
The Institute of International Education is pleased to announce that funding for the Freeman-ASIA Program has been approved for two years, beginning with the summer 2011 term. The application system will open in January 2011, and grants will be offered for summer, semester, and academic year terms.
Detailed information is available at http://www.iie.org/programs/freeman-asia.
In addition to the financial assistance you can pursue at Texas State, there are resources such as foundations and private and public organizations that provide financial assistance for study abroad. Private organizations and associations related to your field of study or destination are worth consulting, as well as ethnic organizations.
The following resources contain useful information on this financial assistance:
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