Financial Aid for Study Abroad programs

As a general rule, institutional aid, scholarships, and monthly payment plan eligibility will be applied ONLY to Fairfield University and affiliated programs. Federal and state aid can also be used toward study abroad. Neither athletic scholarships nor work study monies may be applied to study abroad programs.

Institutional aid will be awarded for one semester abroad, except for international studies and modern language majors, where coursework requires two semesters abroad. Second semester financial aid will be granted only by permission of the applicable program director.

Image: Syracuse, Italy

For students participating in a program in which the fee is less than the corresponding Fairfield University fee (Florence and Syracuse, Italy; Rouen, France; Managua, Nicaragua), Fairfield University grants/scholarships will be reduced by a comparable percentage.

There are some additional sources of funding which may help to make your semester overseas possible.

Major Scholarships include:

Each of these scholarships has very specific eligibility rules and some have target destinations, so be sure to see if you qualify. They also require some form of service or project after your study abroad experience concludes. Application dates, especially for the NSEP scholarship, are often far in advance, so start your research at least a year before departure.

Merit Scholarships:

Merit-based scholarships to study abroad are not only cost-effective but highly rewarding for the honored recipients. Among such scholarships and their designated destinations are:

American Councils Russian Language and Area Studies Fellowship

Russia

Benjamin A. Gilman International Schcholarship

many countries

Freeman-ASIA Scholarship

any Asian country

NSEP-David L. Boren Scholarship

many countries

Rotary Foundation Ambassadorial Scholarship

many countries

Program-specific awards

  • Fairfield's Florence program offers a scholarship of approximately $2500 each semester to one student with financial need.
  • API (Spain and Costa Rica) provide several need-based awards to Fairfield students
  • The Baden-Wuerttemberg Exchange often awards scholarships of approximately $2000 per semester to help defray the cost of room and board.
  • CIEE, IAU, WII, and a number of other affiliated programs offer small grants to students participating in their programs. Awards can be based on need, merit, or membership in academic honor societies.

Be sure to check with your program to see if any funds are offered.

Worth researching:

  • Are you a member of an ethnic or heritage organization (e.g., Sons of Italy)? Find out if they offer assistance for study in the country of your family's origin.
  • Try online funding sources.

Keep in Mind:

  • There may also be some aid available from Fairfield for students who can exhibit financial need.
  • Funding is not usually available for short-term programs, but it never hurts to ask. Some major scholarships do provide summer grants, depending on the duration of the program
  • Funding for study in Western Europe and Australia is very limited. Your chances greatly improve if your destination is elsewhere. Language study and certain majors are also favored by some scholarship sources.