Below you will find basic information about financial issues related to study abroad. If you need more individualized help, Sue Kwan, the Assistant Director for Financial Services, will be happy to talk with you and your family. Feel free to call her at (847) 491-7400 or to email her at s-kwan@northwestern.edu.

A. Cost and Billing Policies
1. Program Tuition and Fees
2. Northwestern's Study Abroad Administrative Fee (SAAF)
3. Billing Arrangements
4. Paying Deposits
5. Northwestern University Billing Timeline
6. Arranging and Paying for Flights
7. For More Information

B. Financial Aid Policies
8. Study Abroad and Financial Aid
9. Applying for Financial Aid for Study Abroad
10. Applying for Financial Aid from Overseas
11. Using Financial Aid to Pay Charges Not Billed by Northwestern
12. For More Information

Cost and Billing Policies

1. Program Tuition and Fees
Students studying on affiliated programs pay the actual costs of the study abroad program (for example, Arcadia – Queen Mary tuition, not Northwestern University tuition) for the quarter(s) they are abroad. Exception to this are the Northwestern University exchange programs which charge Northwestern University tuition and NU programs such as European Union or Health Policy Studies. Please check your program's Web site or brochures for current cost information. If you have further questions, contact the appropriate department at your study abroad program. Remember to add in the SAAF when estimating your costs. It is important to note that study abroad program costs vary widely and may be considerably more or less expensive than the cost of attendance at Northwestern University . Please check this information carefully and discuss it with your parent(s) or guardian(s).

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2. Northwestern’s Study Abroad Administrative Fee (SAAF)

Fee for Students Studying Abroad in 2008-09

Full Year	$3,600
One-Two Quarters on one program	$2,200
Two Quarters on two different programs	$2,900
Summer term on a non-NU program	$725
NU Exchange Programs: Ecole Polytechnique, ETH-Zurich, Sciences Po, (NOT European Union Studies or Health Policy), Université Louis Pasteur or Hong Kong University of Science and Technology Exchange.	No fee, since students pay full NU tuition

*Students attending unaffiliated programs will be charged the Study Abroad Administrative Fee according to the term they will be abroad.

Every student studying abroad who plans to receive Northwestern credit—with the exception of students studying on Northwestern programs (NU or exchange) must pay this fee. This fee is in addition to program charges and covers all services related to the administration of study abroad at Northwestern University . For students on non-Northwestern programs, this is the only portion of the study abroad fees that Northwestern keeps.

Some of the primary work that the Study Abroad Office does to help students in the study abroad process includes the following:

• Evaluate potential programs for affiliation and monitor currently affiliated programs.

• Develop and implement a variety of educational programs, including Study Abroad 101 Workshops, pre-departure events (on packing and traveling, self-defense, European educational systems, keeping a journal, preparing for future careers, etc.), and special events for students who have returned from study abroad. These programs are intended to provide students with the practical, educational, and emotional knowledge that will help them do a number of things, including:

• Choose the study abroad program that best meets their needs.

• Make the most of their time abroad.

• Continue to learn from and exploit their study abroad experiences once they return.

• Work closely with faculty and administrators throughout the campus to clarify and streamline study abroad materials and policies.

• Produce informational materials on study abroad for students, faculty, and administrators.

• Advise students on an individual basis, as often as the students would like.

• Talk with parents/guardians about the study abroad process and related issues.

• Register students for generic study abroad courses while they are abroad and assist them with registration for the quarter they will return to campus.

• Maintain contact as needed with all students abroad.

• Facilitate the transfer of credit once students return to campus.

3. Billing Arrangements
Families whose students are attending affiliated study abroad programs will receive invoices from Northwestern University for their study abroad program tuition and the Study Abroad Administrative Fee. Many programs also have room, board, and other charges billed through Northwestern University , but these may also be billed directly to your family or to you on-site. Check the Billing Arrangements Chart (available at the Study Abroad Office or on our Web site) to confirm what invoices your family should expect.

If you believe that you have been sent the bill in error, or if you have concerns about the bill, please contact the Assistant Director for Financial Services immediately.

Students attending unaffiliated programs are responsible for paying their programs directly for all charges except the Study Abroad Administrative Fee. If an unaffiliated program mistakenly bills Northwestern instead of the student's family, we will forward the bill and contact the program about the error. Northwestern University will bill the family for the Study Abroad Administrative Fee.

NOTICE: Effective August 2005, tuition and fees bills will be delivered to Northwestern students electronically rather than through the mail. Students will access their bills online in QuikPAY® via CAESAR. A student may authorize other payers (such as a parent, spouse or sponsor) to view the bill online. Email notification is provided when each new bill is securely posted online. Payments may be made electronically or by mail.

Students, as well as parents of undergraduates, will receive details about electronic billing procedures and selection of billing options before their fall billing dates. A paper bill option will be available, but students must specifically request it by logging in through CAESAR to QuikPAY®, the electronic billing and payment service.

See the Student Financial Services web site at www.northwestern.edu/sfs/ for additional information. Contact Student Accounts with any questions at studentaccounts-ev@northwestern.edu or 847-491-5224.

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4. Paying Deposits
Students should check with their program office for information on deposits. Any deposits required will be paid to the program, not to the Study Abroad Office, and will be credited towards your balance due on either your program invoice or your Northwestern University invoice.

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5. Northwestern University Billing Timeline
All students will be billed by the Northwestern University Student Accounts Office for the SAAF -- if applicable -- and other charges on the same quarterly billing schedule that students are accustomed to at Northwestern: in mid-August, in mid-December, and in mid-March. Study abroad programs may have different billing deadlines; students should confirm this information with their programs if necessary.

If your family participates in the “Nine-Pay” program, you may continue to make payments as long as you are studying abroad on an affiliated program. Please note, however, that the Student Accounts Office does not maintain a list of study abroad program costs and parents will need to adjust the Nine-Pay amounts for the quarters spent abroad to accurately reflect the study abroad charges.

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6. Arranging and Paying for Flights
You are responsible for making your own flight reservations and payments according to your program’s specific dates and rules. Some programs include international group airfare in their program costs. Consult your program office or program literature for more detailed advice. The Northwestern Study Abroad Office frequently works with STA Travel, which has a branch in Evanston (www.sta.com ).

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7. For More Information . . .
Contact Sue Kwan, Assistant Director of Financial Services, at (847) 491-7400 or s-kwan@northwestern.edu.

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Financial Aid Policies

8. Study Abroad and Financial Aid
Enrollment in a program of study abroad approved for credit by the home institution will be considered enrollment at the home institution for the purpose of applying for Title IV aid. Northwestern University 's policy of meeting demonstrated need extends to students attending affiliated study abroad programs. Students who attend unaffiliated programs are not eligible for any form of financial aid.

As in any other year, your family's expected contribution will be calculated based on your family's financial and other information as reported on the CSS Profile and FAFSA. Therefore, expected family contributions will not change based on study abroad costs.

When calculating financial aid awards for study abroad, the Financial Aid Office will use a budget based on the program's costs, including tuition, room and board, personal and book costs, transportation, and the Study Abroad Administrative Fee. Please note that the estimated personal and other costs do take into account reasonable cost of living for the area in which you will be studying.

All forms of aid will be adjusted to meet your demonstrated need for the quarters spent on study abroad. Because federal work-study is not available for students overseas, work study earnings will not be offered for the quarters abroad. These earnings will be replaced by student loans.

Because work study is not available, and because budgeted expenses for study abroad are often higher than costs on campus, your loan debt may be higher for the terms you are abroad or for the year overall. Students concerned about loan debt should carefully review all costs associated with study abroad and discuss their concerns with the Assistant Director for Financial Services.

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9. Applying for Financial Aid for Study Abroad
The application for financial aid for study abroad is no different than that for regular campus study. For details on this process, please see the Financial Aid Office site. However, students attending fall or full year programs with early start dates (generally, university-based programs in the Southern Hemisphere and Antioch-Tuebingen) must have their aid applications completed approximately one month earlier than the general deadline. Consult the Financial Aid Office Web site for deadlines. Students going abroad for the winter and/or spring quarters will be first awarded financial aid based on a full year on campus. Revised awards for study abroad will be calculated late in fall quarter.

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10. Applying for Financial Aid from Overseas
Students who will be abroad in the winter and spring quarters must be sure that their financial aid application forms are completed by both student and parent. This includes the FAFSA, CSS Profile, and University Aid Application as needed. Students may also use the online FAFSA and CSS Profile forms and print the Northwestern University application from the Financial Aid Office Web site (http://ug-finaid.northwestern.edu) . Please make sure to keep your address listings updated so that any financial aid paperwork or application materials are sent to a current address.

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11. Using Financial Aid to Pay Charges not Billed by Northwestern
If your financial aid during the quarters you are studying abroad is greater than the amount billed to you by Northwestern University , you will accumulate an overage of financial aid which should be used towards other costs associated with your program overseas. This is particularly relevant for those students studying on programs where room and/or board are billed by the study abroad program. To see if you should expect an overage, simply compare your financial aid for the appropriate quarter(s) with your estimated charges to be billed by Northwestern University . If the financial aid is greater, you will probably have an overage.

If you believe that you will have an overage you may request that it be released to you by contacting the Assistant Director for Financial Services. This can be done by email, letter, or fax. In order for funds to be released, students must have submitted all loan forms and their signed award notice, as well as the power of attorney and cash advance forms. All of these will be sent to the student with the award notice. Students may request the release of funds at the start of their program.

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12. For More Information . . .
Contact Sue Kwan, Assistant Director of Financial Services, at (847) 491-7400 or s-kwan@northwestern.edu.

updated 12/05

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