Study Abroad Information

Applying for Financial Aid

Most students qualify for some form of financial aid regardless of financial need. To receive financial aid for the 2013-2014 academic year, students may apply for financial aid by filing the 2013-2014 FAFSA online at www.fafsa.ed.gov. This FAFSA is used to process federal and state financial aid, including federal student loans, for fall 2013, spring 2014, and summer 2014. Please respond to any requests for additional information in a timely manner.

A new FAFSA must be filed each year. LHU's recommended FAFSA filing deadline is March 15th (e.g. students should submit the 2013-2014 FAFSA at www.fafsa.ed.gov on or before March 15th, 2013). Meeting this deadline ensures maximum consideration for all financial aid programs.

Please Note: To apply for financial aid for summer 2013, students must file a 2012-2013 FAFSA. Student Financial Services automatically notifies students of their summer financial aid eligibility once they register for summer classes.

Cost of Attendance

A student's eligibility for financial aid and loans is generally limited to his or her Cost of Attendance. For 2012-2013, the standard Cost of Attendance (COA) for full-time, undergraduate students is $10,300 per semester for PA residents and $14,400 per semester for non-PA residents. Summer cost of attendance is typically less than semester cost of attendance since summer enrollment terms are shorter. 

Cost of Attendance (COA) includes direct costs like tuition, fees, and room and meal plan charges if applicable. COA also includes an estimate of what students typically spend for books, supplies, transportation, clothing, recreation, un-reimbursed medical/dental expenses, and for students who live off campus, rent, utilities, and groceries.

Student Financial Services (SFS) will increase a student's standard COA, for a given semester or summer session, to include the added expense of studying abroad, upon the student's request. Once your plans to study abroad are definite, you may contact SFS to request that your COA be increased.

Please Note: An increase in COA does not guarantee that additional financial aid and/or loans will be available to meet those costs.

Aid Eligibility

Students usually qualify for most or all of their standard financial aid when they study abroad for a semester. Federal Work Study cannot be used for study abroad. Additional financial aid may be available for study abroad, but it is typically in the form of loans, such as Stafford, PLUS, and alternative. For information about educational loans, click here.

Summer Financial Aid

Financial aid for summer study abroad may be more limited. However, for students taking at least 6 credit hours, PLUS and alternative loans may be an option. Stafford Loans may also be an option if a student did not borrow his/her maximum loan amount for the previous fall/spring. To apply for financial aid for the summer 2013, students must file a 2012-2013 FAFSA. Student Financial Services automatically notifies students of their summer financial aid eligibility once they register for summer classes.

Scholarships

Some scholarships available for study abroad include the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship (www.iie.org/gilman) and the Rotary Foundation Ambassadorial Scholarship(www.rotary.org/en/StudentsAndYouth/EducationalPrograms). Please visit those sites for more information.

Please Note: Any scholarships received for study abroad will be added to the student's financial aid package and counted toward meeting the student's Cost of Attendance.

Part-time Enrollment

Undergraduate students who study abroad for a semester are typically registered at LHU for 15 credit hours. If a student's actual class schedule turns out to be part-time (i.e. less than 12 credit hours), his or her financial aid may need to be adjusted. For example, Pell and PA State Grants will be adjusted to part-time awards. Sometimes these adjustments occur very late in the term, or after the semester has ended, and can result in a student owing money to LHU. Loans typically are not adjusted if the student takes at least 6 credit hours.

Cost Information

All study abroad programs require that students to pay standard, full-time tuition and fees plus a study abroad fee to LHU. There is a flat rate of tuition and fees for undergraduate students taking 12 to 18 credits per semester or in any one summer session. Tuition and fees for undergraduate students taking more than 18 credits are higher. Cost information is available online at www.lhup.edu/financial-services.

Refunds

Student Financial Services begins issuing refunds of excess financial aid/loans on the first day of LHU's semester. If a student's semester abroad begins prior to LHU's start date, s/he will need to use other resources to pay initial expenses. This includes any study abroad program deposits due before classes begin. It is also important to note that not all refunds are issued the first day as certain circumstances (e.g. part-time status; incomplete paperwork) may cause delays.

Satisfactory Academic Progress

To maintain eligibility for financial aid programs, all students must meet certain minimum academic requirements, which are outlined in LHU's Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) policy. The SAP policy is available online at www.lhup.edu/financial-services/progress.htm.

Student Financial Services (SFS) reviews SAP for all students at the end of each term. However, for students with incomplete grades, this review typically cannot be done until all grades are available. Students with incomplete grades should contact SFS as soon as their grades are added to their LHU transcript. SFS will then complete the SAP review and begin processing the student's financial aid for the next term. Students who study abroad spring in countries with late start/end dates (e.g. Australia, China, Japan, Germany, Spain, Taiwan) should note that their financial aid for the following term may not be finalized and disbursed until that term is underway. Those students should plan to use other resources to pay initial term expenses.