Financing Study Abroad

Saint Joseph’s University offers several scholarships from $500 to $1,500 for Saint Joseph’s University students studying abroad on Semester/Year, Study Tours, and Summer programs. Students who have not studied or traveled abroad in the past are strongly encouraged to apply. Awards are granted on the basis of merit, need, and the quality of the essay. Scholarships are for only one semester of study. Previous award winners are not eligible. Completed scholarship applications must be submitted in full to the Center for International Programs and received by March 15 for Fall programs and October 15 for Spring programs. All applications will be reviewed by a committee. All award decisions are final and may not be appealed.

The Society of the Friendly Sons of Saint Patrick has generously donated monies to Saint Joseph’s University to aid in the support of an SJU undergraduate student(s) who is accepted by SJU and the overseas university to study abroad in Ireland for a fall semester or year academic program. This award is made once a year. Scholarship award amounts vary year to year, but are estimated to be a minimum of $1,000 designated for tuition only and are awarded on a need and merit basis. Preference shall be given to students who pursue courses in Irish Studies or the Humanities while in Ireland. All students must apply by March 15th prior to the academic year during which they plan to study abroad.

A limited number of scholarships are available to Asian Studies majors and minors for study in Asia, through SJU approved programs at The Beijing Center in China, Sophia University in Tokyo, Japan, or through a petition program in Asia. Preference is given to Asian Studies majors & minors, but others are welcome to apply. Scholarships are awarded on a first-come, first-served basis. To find out more, please contact the program director.

The Charles F. Shreiner ('50) Fund for Latin American Studies is the gift of several generous alumni of Latin American Studies at Saint Joseph’s University. Thanks to this endowment, the Latin American Studies Program can offer scholarships to SJU students to support study in Latin America. Preference will be given to students participating in an SJU study tour to Latin America. Please contact Dr. Richard Gioioso, Director of the Latin American and Latin Studies Program, at rgioioso@sju.edu for more information.

The Fund for Education Abroad (FEA) invests in promising students with financial need who wish to study abroad. Potential applicants who meet their eligibility requirements may participate in any international education program that meets their academic objectives (provided the student has CIP approval to study abroad). Scholarships range from $1,250-$10,000 and can be applied for programs that run for at least 28 days. FEA gives preference to students with demonstrated financial need and strongly encourages students to apply who represent a group that is traditionally underrepresented in education abroad. These groups include, (but are not limited to) first-generation college students and minority students. Please visit their website for more information and for application deadlines.

The Gilman International Scholarship Program is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA), and administered by the Institute of International Education (IIE). The Gilman Program aims to diversify the kinds of U.S. undergraduate students who study and intern abroad and the countries and regions where they go. Awards of up to $5,000 are made for U.S. citizen undergraduates to study abroad. Award amounts will vary depending on the length of study and student need, with the average award for a semester being $4,000. Students studying a critical need language while abroad in the Middle East, North Africa, or other non-traditional locations are also eligible for an additional $3,000 Gilman Critical Need Language Supplement.

To learn more about the Gilman Scholarship Program and to apply, please visit their website.

The U.S. Department of State’s Gilman-McCain Scholarship provides awards of $5,000 for child dependents of active duty service members to study or intern abroad on credit-bearing programs. Developed under the framework of the State Department’s Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program, the John McCain International Scholarship for Children of Military Families (Gilman-McCain Scholarship) is open to eligible students enrolled at accredited U.S. colleges and universities who receive any type of Title IV federal financial aid. To learn more about the Gilman-McCain Scholarship, visit the website linked above.

Freeman-ASIA is sponsored by the Freeman Foundation and administered by the Institute for International Education (IIE). The Freeman Foundation’s major objectives include strengthening the bonds of friendship between the United States and countries of East Asia. Freeman-ASIA accepts applications from U.S. citizens or permanent residents studying at the undergraduate level at a two-year or four-year college or university who demonstrate financial need to study abroad in East or Southeast Asia. Awards of up to $5,000 are made for U.S. citizen undergraduates spending a semester abroad. For more information, please visit their website.

Chinese Government Scholarship (CGS) is established by the Ministry of Education of P.R.China (MOE). Applicants can choose three academic programs in three universities as their first, second, and third choice universities from the directory of Chinese universities that admit international students. All undergraduate programs are instructed in Chinese. Applicants with no command of Chinese are required to take college preparatory courses for one to two years and pass the examinations before pursuing major studies. English-delivered programs are only for postgraduate programs and non-degree courses for general and senior scholars in certain universities. More information about this award and the eligibility requirements can be found here.

The Rainbow Scholarship is awarded to deserving lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) students who aim to participate in high-quality, rigorous education abroad programs. To be considered for the Rainbow Scholarship, applicants must self-identify on the above-mentioned Fund for Education Abroad (FEA) scholarship application. Recipients can receive up to $10,000 towards their term abroad.

BeGirl World is seeking to diversify and change the face of study abroad by offering two scholarships worth $2,000 for black female college students. The two scholarship types are as follows:

• All Philly – This scholarship is for one black female college student who is from Philadelphia and is enrolled at an accredited Philadelphia college or university.
• All Country – This scholarship is for one black female college student who is enrolled at an accredited college or university in the United States of America, Puerto Rico or the US Virgin Islands

For qualifications and application information, please visit their website.

The Committee on Diversity in the Profession of the Society for Classical Studies offers this scholarship opportunity to minority students pursuing classical studies in summer, semester, or year abroad programs. Award amounts vary by year. For more information about the current application cycle for this scholarship, please visit their website.

Scholarship Search Engines:

• University of Minnesota, Learning Abroad Center
• InternationalScholarships.com
• GoAbroad.com Scholarship Search

For help with outside scholarships, consider contacting the Saint Joseph’s University Fellowships Office.

NIAF hosts a database of scholarships offered by Italian-American organizations around the US, often but not always exclusively for study in Italy. 

With the exception of Federal Work Study Funds and athletic scholarships, other forms of financial aid and scholarships are applied towards your Saint Joseph’s University tuition fees for the semester or you are abroad studying full time. They are applied automatically as if you were studying here on campus.

For more information, please visit the Financial Aid Office. For questions regarding billing, please contact the Office of the Bursar. For questions regarding academic records, please contact the University Registrar.

In most cases, students are required to pay all non-tuition-related fees (i.e., housing and other administrative fees) directly to their study abroad program or foreign institution. However, there are a few exceptions based on agreements that the University has with a small number of our approved/affiliated programs. Therefore, students participating in the following programs will see their study abroad housing fee (not the SJU housing cost!) on their billing statement from Saint Joseph’s University:

• All approved/affiliated IFSA-Butler programs
• Universidad Alberto Hurtado

For all other programs (including petitions), students will be required to pay housing and other non-tuition fees directly to their program. Students are responsible for submitting these payments by deadlines established by and communicated from the program, not the CIP office. It is important to note that the deadline for submitting payment to your program may occur before your SJU financial aid package has been disbursed, as all Federal funds are scheduled to disburse to the student after add/drop each semester.

If you are concerned about your program’s payment deadline, please contact them directly for assistance. Some programs (including, but not limited to: DIS, CIEE, John Cabot University, Temple University, American University of Rome) have allowed students to defer their program fee payment until after their financial aid has been disbursed by Saint Joseph’s University. Other programs (such as SLU Madrid) allow students to pay in installments. Please research your program’s website and/or contact them directly to inquire about a possible Payment Deferral Form or required documentation. If it is an available option, you will need to also work with the Office of Financial Aid to submit necessary financial aid documentation as the CIP cannot sign the agreement.

Once the aid is disbursed to the student through their SJU account, any credit balances will be refunded directly to the student (with the exception of Federal Parent PLUS Loans which are disbursed directly to the parent borrower). The student (or parent) is then responsible for paying any non-tuition fees to the study abroad program/foreign institution/landlord before the agreed upon deferment deadline.

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2. Discuss your plans with the Financial Aid Office at least a year prior to studying abroad.
3. Complete the FAFSA application early. Federal funds will not be disbursed to SJU if the FAFSA is not submitted.
4. Research when program and/or housing fees are due to the abroad program and understand the process for having financial aid applied. Financial Aid deferral agreements and payment plans can often take 1-2 weeks to put into place, and typically must be in place before payment deadlines.
5. Set up Direct Deposit at SJU. Most loans are sent to Saint Joseph’s University via Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) and most students receive refunds via direct deposit. Direct deposit will allow students to have access to their funds much quicker.
6. Share all financial aid information with parent(s) or guardian(s).
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Dropping below full-time status or completely withdrawing from your semester abroad program could have an adverse effect on your financial aid package. Therefore, if your enrollment status changes, notify the CIP and the Financial Aid Office immediately.