Billing & Payments
While you are abroad, you will pay your study abroad program's costs, not Northwestern tuition. You will receive an invoice from Northwestern each quarter, and your program sponsor may also bill you directly for other charges.
Understanding Your Northwestern Invoice
If you are attending an affiliated program, your Northwestern invoice will include at least your study abroad program's tuition and the Study Abroad Administrative Fee (SAAF). Some programs also have room, board, and other charges billed through Northwestern, while other programs will bill these supplemental fees directly to you. Specific charges will vary by program sponsor; view the Billing Arrangements chart for details.
Each quarter you are abroad, your NU invoice will display the NU tuition charge of $14,460, along with either a Study Abroad Differential charge or a Study Abroad Differential credit amount to make your invoice reflect your study abroad program’s cost.Students abroad for one quarter only:
- If your program costs $16,000 (more expensive than Northwestern), you will see a Study Abroad Differential charge of $1,540 to make your charges equal the cost of your study abroad program.
- If your program costs $12,000 (less expensive than Northwestern), you will see a Study Abroad Differential credit to reduce your charges by $2,460, for a total cost of $12,000.
- You will be charged the Study Abroad Administrative Fee during the quarter in which you are abroad. The 2012-2013 SAAF for one quarter abroad is $2,400.
Students abroad for two quarters (Fall-Winter or Winter-Spring):
- Your charges will be split evenly between the two quarters. For example, if your program’s cost is $18,000, the amount on your Northwestern invoice will be $9,000 each quarter. The study abroad differential on your invoice will reflect this amount.
- You will be billed for half of the Study Abroad Administrative Fee each quarter you are abroad. The 2012-2013 SAAF for two quarters is $2,400 ($1,200/quarter).
Students abroad for the full year (fall, winter, & spring):
- Northwestern will bill you for one-third of your program’s full year cost each quarter, and you will receive a differential charge or a differential credit each quarter to equal one-third of your program’s cost.
- You will be billed for one-third of the Study Abroad Administrative Fee each quarter. The full year SAAF for 2012-2013 is $3,925.
Students studying abroad on unaffiliated programs: Northwestern will only bill you for the Study Abroad Administrative Fee. All other charges will be billed to you directly by your study abroad program sponsor.
Program Sponsor Invoices
Depending on your program sponsor's billing arrangements, you may receive an invoice directly from your program for charges such as housing, insurance, supplementary course fees, or other charges. Generally, it is your responsibility to pay these charges. If you have any questions about an invoice you have received from your program sponsor or believe you may have received an invoice in error, please contact Krista Buda, Assistant Director of Study Abroad Financial Services, for clarification or further instructions.
Financial aid recipients may be able to use Northwestern financial aid and/or loans toward the payment of program charges.
REFUND POLICIES
- Northwestern-Sponsored Programs: Refund policies are available on the Withdrawal Policies for Northwestern-Sponsored Programs web page.
- Affiliated, approved unaffiliated programs, and approved Non-NU Summer programs: As indicated in the NU Study Abroad Application's Student Agreement, all fees besides the Northwestern Study Abroad Administrative Fee are set by the program and students are bound by the program's billing, withdrawal and refund policies. If a student withdraws or is dismissed from the program, refunds of tuition, program fees and deposits will be made according to the policies of the program and not according to the Northwestern-Sponsored Programs refund policies or the standard Northwestern refund policy applied on campus. If Northwestern suspends student participation on a program due to health or safety concerns, Northwestern will make reasonable efforts to obtain refunds for recoverable program costs to the participants but cannot guarantee any refunds. Unrecoverable program expenses (e.g. pre-paid tuition, airline deposits, pre-paid excursion expenses, housing fees or reservation deposits) generally cannot be refunded.
