Financial Aid and Study Abroad

Would a study abroad experience enhance your education? Research indicates that students who study abroad often undergo positive changes in their worldview and self-confidence. Moreover, an experience abroad can help distinguish you during the job application process.

Many students are concerned that the price of studying abroad is too high. While some programs may be rather costly, other programs actually have a cheaper cost of attendance than IIT. In addition, students can use their federal aid to help supplement costs while studying outside the university. In fact, some programs allow students to utilize both federal and institutional monies while abroad. For financial aid purposes, there are three types of programs. The information below helps explain how these programs operate:

1. Faculty-led Programs
Description: Faculty-led Programs are IIT courses comprised of IIT students taught abroad by IIT faculty.

Financial Aid: Students on Faculty-led Programs are charged IIT tuition and will pay IIT for the portion of their bill not covered by financial aid. Housing, meals, and extra travel costs are paid abroad. Students can use all of their financial aid awards, with the exception of the Leadership Academy Scholarship, Housing Scholarship and Federal Work-Study funds*.

2. Exchange Programs
Description: An Exchange Program allows an IIT student to study abroad by directly enrolling in a university abroad with whom IIT has an exchange agreement. Both universities maintain a balance of students being sent and received, while the students pay their home institution tuition.

Financial Aid: Students on Exchange Programs are charged IIT tuition and will pay IIT for the remainder of their bill not covered by financial aid. Housing, meals, and extra travel costs are paid abroad. Students can utilize all of their financial aid, with the exception of the Leadership Academy Scholarship, Housing Scholarship, Federal Work-Study funds*, and the Illinois MAP Grant.

3. Approved Partner and Provider Programs

Description: A Partner Program is hosted by a foreign university that has a visiting agreement with IIT. Students studying on a Partner Program enroll directly at a foreign institution and pay the foreign institution for tuition, housing, and related charges. A Provider Program is hosted by a third-party provider, such as IES Abroad or CIEE. Students participating in a Provider Program will pay the provider organization for tuition, housing, and related charges.

Financial Aid: Students enrolled in a Partner or Provider Program can utilize all of their federal financial aid, with the exception of their Federal Work-Study funds*.

* Students employed in a remote Federal Work-Study position can utilize their funds while abroad.

Contact Jen Sherdan (jsherdan@iit.edu), coordinator of Study Abroad, to explore program options. Contact Melissa Hayne (mhayne@iit.edu), financial aid counselor and communications specialist, to discuss how awards in your financial aid package will apply to various programs abroad.