Financial Assistance

College of Arts and Sciences (A&S) students who receive financial assistance at Washington University (WU) may use their financial assistance award to participate in a WU Arts & Sciences program or alternative program approved by petition.

Tuition for study abroad programs will be consistent with the WU full-time tuition rate and will be billed to the student's WU student account. For certain study abroad programs, students will also be billed to the student’s account for housing, meals, and health insurance costs. In the event that these expenses are not billed through his or her student account, the student may be responsible for making arrangements to pay these expenses directly.

Washington University financial assistance can be used to study abroad if:

  • the study abroad program is a WU approved study abroad program, or
  • the study abroad program is an alternative program approved by petition.
Washington University financial assistance cannot be used to study abroad if:
  • the student is on Leave of Absence to study abroad, or
  • the alternative study abroad program petition is not approved.

Additional expenses for a specific program such as shopping, telephone calls, gifts, and other optional expenses are not provided for in the financial assistance calculation. These expenses are the person responsibility of the student. The adverse effect of potentially unfavorable exchange rates and/or high sales taxes, like the Value Added Tax (VAT) in Europe, should also be considered.

Non-A&S students should consult with their college office regarding financial assistance for study abroad, as some restrictions may apply.

For more information regarding WU's financial assistance policies and procedures for off-campus study and for an individual award determination, you may contact the Student Financial Services in North Brookings Hall, Room 75, or by phone at (888) 547-6670 or (314) 935-5900.

Additional Account and Award Information

Direct Deposit: Direct deposit of your future refunds into your United States checking or savings account is also available. Please complete the following steps in WebSTAC to enroll in direct deposit of your student refunds: Selecting "Billing Records". Select the button "Pay/View My Bill" in the middle of your screen. Then proceed to the "My Profile" tab. Scroll down to the bottom of the page and store an account and make the "Enable for refunds" state "YES". If you have any questions regarding this process, please contact Student Billing at 1-800-758-0050.

Washington University Student Account Refunds: Depending on a student's financial assistance award and other student account payments, a refund may be due to the student while they are studying abroad. Student Financial Services is obligated to mail any refunds in the form of a check directly to the student. Because checks may be lost or delayed when mailed abroad, the student may prefer to designate a domestic mailing address and complete a Specific Power of Attorney form to authorize a parent or other suitable person to endorse a check in the student's absence. If you complete a Specific Power of Attorney form, the check will be mailed to the person you indicate on the form.

Scholarships and Grants: Any Washington University-provided scholarship, federal grant, or state grant will be applied to the student account, provided that all documents Student Financial Services requires have been completed.

Outside Scholarships: Outside scholarship organizations should be contacted to verify that the scholarship awarded to the student is eligible for use towards a study abroad program.

Students receiving a scholarship from the National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC) are required to contact NMSC at (847) 566-5100 to notify the organization of their intention to study abroad.

If a student expects to receive a check from an outside organization while they are studying abroad, they should complete a Specific Power of Attorney form to allow Washington University to apply the scholarship check to their student account.

Federal Student Loans: If the student’s financial assistance award contains a Federal Perkins Loan or Federal Stafford Loan and the student is a first-time borrower in the semester in which the student plans to study abroad, all required documents must be completed (ex: Master Promissory Note, Entrance Counseling) prior to travelling abroad.

Federal Work-Study (FWS): FWS is not available to students studying abroad. Working while studying abroad is strongly discouraged and is seldom possible, except in internships related to your academic program.

Partners in Education with Parents (PEP): Students whose parents participate in the PEP program may use these funds to study abroad. For questions about an existing PEP arrangement, contact a PEP representative toll-free at (800) 468-0569. To learn more about the PEP program, visit sfs.wustl.edu.

TuitionPay Monthly Plan: The TuitionPay monthly payment program may be used to study abroad. Parents should take the Washington University program price, which may exclude housing and/or food, into consideration when calculating their payments. To learn more about the TuitionPay Monthly Plan, visit sfs.wustl.edu

Employee Child Scholarships: The employee benefit covering tuition for dependents of WU employees can be applied to the tuition charged by WU for study abroad programs. However, housing, food, airfare, and other expenses associated with the program are not covered by this benefit.