Financial Aid & Scholarships

Program Cost

The costs of a study away program depend completely on the program you choose. For some, it could be the same as a semester at IIT, plus airfare and any personal travel; for others it could actually be cheaper if the tuition at a partner institution is considerably lower than that of IIT. 

Ask yourself the following questions:

• How much time can you afford to spend abroad in terms of economic resources?
• How much money can you spend on the study away experience? Consider not only tuition and fees, but also housing and food, personal expenses and international and domestic travel.
• Do you need to apply for financial aid? Is it available to you?
• Are you willing/able to take out loans or use personal funds in order to pay for study away?
• Are there scholarships that you might be eligible for to help fund your study away experience?

Costs will also be affected by whether you can bring your current financial aid with you, and this is again dependent on the program you choose. Access to study away-specific scholarships can also play a huge role in finances and we can help you try and find one that matches your needs and abilities.
 

1. Exceptions are Leadership Academy and Housing Scholarships, which are not applicable to any study away program.
2. Federal and state financial aid is only offered if you have completed FAFSA for the academic year in which your study away program takes place.
3. In order to apply federal financial aid to provider and external programs, the host program or university must complete a financial aid agreement provided by IIT.

 

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Funding your program

• Apply for Financial Aid, even if you are not awarded anything this is a good place to look for loans
• Research scholarships at IIT that may apply. Check with your department chair to see if any departmental scholarships exist.
• Remember to ask friends and family for support, or get creative to raise money with things like a GoFundMe or bake sale.
• Look at national scholarships such as the Boren and the Gilman.
• Research, research, research. There are scholarships out there! 
• Search international education scholarship databases, such as IEFA, studyabroad.com, and internationalscholarships.com.
• If applicable, research your Affiliated Program Provider’s website, as they too could offer scholarships to their participants.

External scholarships and grants offer an opportunity for students to offset the costs of studying away. Some scholarships and grants are highly competitive while others have very early deadlines. Read through the descriptions and websites carefully before you submit an application. If you need help with an application, do not hesitate to come up to the Study Away Office for assistance.

The following are just a few scholarship/grant sites for you to research:

General Study Abroad Scholarships Regional Study Abroad Scholarships Grant and Scholarship Opportunities for Graduate Students Scholarships For Minorities Specialized Scholarships Other Scholarship Databases