Study Abroad

Study Abroad Pre-departure Information for Students

BILLING, PAYMENT AND FINANCIAL AID

The way in which you will be billed, how much you will be billed, and who you will pay for your study abroad experience depends on the type of program

All Federal financial aid and most TU scholarships can be used to pay for study abroad, whether it is a TU program/exchange or a program run by an outside agency.

IMPORTANT: Tuition remission can only be applied to TU Exchanges.

Tuition Deferred Payment Plans

If you normally use the Nelnet/e-Cashier Tuition Deferred Payment Plan to pay for tuition, you may be able to continue to use it for study abroad. If your bill is coming from Towson, simply contact the company to arrange for a new amount for the plan. If you will be receiving a bill from a study abroad program, contact the program and the Plan to make arrangements. Some programs may not accept Tuition Deferred Payment Plans.

Study Abroad Fee

All students will be charged a study abroad fee by the TU Bursar’s Office. For TU exchanges and programs, and for non-TU programs including direct enroll, you will receive a bill from Towson for the Study Abroad Fee*. 

• FALL/SPRING SEMESTER - $300
• MINIMESTER/SPRING BREAK/SUMMER - $150

*Fees are subject to change

Financial Aid

Students who already receive Federal Aid may qualify for additional aid up to their maximum loan amount. Students who do not currently receive aid may apply for it to pay for study abroad. Scholarships may also be used to pay for study abroad.

When you have selected your study abroad program or exchange, ask your Study Abroad Advisor to complete a Study Abroad Budget outlining estimated and known costs. Costs can include program tuition, housing, food, TU study abroad fee, passport and visa fees, application fee, flight, books, local transportation, and insurance. Submit the budget to the TU Financial Aid Office and your award will be adjusted accordingly.

If you are participating on a TU program, aid awards and/or scholarships will automatically be deducted from your TU bill, with the remainder issued to the student in the form of a rebate check.

If you are participating on a non-TU program , you will get a rebate check from the TU Bursar’s Office. Y ou must contact your study abroad program (e.g. AIFS, ISA, AustraLearn, IFSA-Butler) and ask to make arrangements for deferred payment. You may be asked to fill out a Payment Deferral Form. You are responsible for paying the difference, if any, by the program’s payment due date.

Your financial aid monies will not directly transfer from TU to the Study Abroad program. You will receive a rebate check from TU Bursar’s Office and must pay the program using these funds.

For more questions about Federal Aid or scholarships, please contact the TU Financial Aid Office.

Financial Aid and Scholarship Rebates

Rebate checks become available two weeks prior to the beginning of Towson University’s semester . If you depart prior to disbursement of financial aid, you should complete and submit the Rebate Release Form to the Bursar’s Office. This form authorizes Towson University to mail your rebate check to the person and address indicated on the form.

(IMPORTANT: No monies will be released until the student submits the Rebate Release Form to the Bursar’s Office.)

Since the rebate check will be made out to you, designate someone (i.e. parent, relative) as your Limited Power of Attorney (POA). The POA will be responsible for depositing your rebate check(s) and paying any remaining fees due to the Study Abroad Program.

Limited Power of Attorney

The purpose of appointing a POA is to designate a person to perform certain acts on your behalf while you are away. These include:

• To receive checks made payable to you for educational expenses.
• To endorse and to deposit those checks.
• To draw and sign those checks to pay for your educational expenses.
• To sign other documents related to financial aid and your educational expenses.

The Limited Power of Attorney form permits the person designated to receive, deposit and endorse checks on your behalf. Please assure that the person you designate is a parent or other such individual whom you trust to act responsibly and honestly on your behalf. The signed and notarized form should be left with the person whom you have designated – NOT the Study Abroad Office.

To designate a POA, complete and have notarized the Limited Power of Attorney Form. You may also want to ask if your bank has its own POA form that they want you to use for transactions with them. The POA that we provide should work for other situations.

N.B.: Notary publics are listed in the Yellow Pages and are found at most banks, credit unions, post offices etc.

Study Abroad Office
Administration Building, 2nd Floor
Monday - Friday, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Phone: 410-704-2451

Fax: 410-704-4703
Email: studyabroad@towson.edu