Enrollment Services
Financial Aid
Applying for Financial Aid to Study Abroad
Most kinds of Federal and State financial aid can be used on the foreign study programs. Many students have used aid successfully in conjunction with study abroad. However, to make financial aid work for you, you need to follow the guidelines below:
Apply early for financial aid (before February 10 for the following school year) so you can be considered for all sources of aid for which you might be eligible and have adequate processing time to meet program deadlines. Always apply for scholarships by filling out the Southern Online Scholarship Application (SOSA) and reviewing outside scholarships on the Financial Aid web site. If you are a student who receives an SOU tuition remission scholarship, be aware that they are not applicable to some exchange programs. Check with the International Programs Office at 541-552-6336 if you have questions.
Study abroad financial aid recipients must have their data verified before their files are reviewed. This means turning in any requested documents, such as signed Verification Worksheets or Federal Tax copies. Once a student has accepted an aid offer, loan promissory notes and loan entrance counseling may need to be completed. Students who are taking a Federal Direct Loan and have never done loan entrance counseling before, can do it online at StudentLoans.gov. No aid will be released to your SOU account unless all required financial aid steps have been completed.
Financial Aid While You Are Away
When you are accepted to one of the exchange programs, the study abroad financial aid coordinator, Debbie Beck, will revise your aid package according to the new, foreign budget. She can be reached at 541-552-6162 or by email at beck@sou.edu. Student and parent loans are generally the only funds that can be increased to accommodate the additional costs of the program.
Be aware that dependent students may have already reached their annual borrowing limit through the Federal Direct Loan Program and will need to borrow additional alternative loans through private lending agencies. Furthermore, parent(s) must have good credit to obtain the Federal Direct Parent PLUS Loan. Please allow extra time for processing. These loans must be in place before leaving the country.
Students who receive Veterans Benefits must meet with Glenda Woods in the ESC at esc@sou.edu or 541-552-6600 to find out what is required to maintain those benefits while on the exchange program or for help with loan deferment problems while you are abroad.
Before you leave, you must meet with SuAnne Cleveland in the ESC to sign a Power of Attorney if necessary. You can call her at 541-552-6730 or email her at clevelas@sou.edu. This is your contact to manage your aid funds while you are abroad.