Study Elsewhere and Financial Aid
Study Elsewhere and Financial Aid: Overview
When considering a study elsewhere program, please note that Tufts aid is available only for Tufts Programs Abroad.
Please review the information below regarding how study elsewhere will impact your financial aid award. If you have any further questions, please contact your financial aid counselor.
Tufts Programs Abroad
If you attend a Tufts Programs Abroad, you will be billed directly by Tufts and therefore remain eligible to receive all Tufts aid awarded. You will be charged tuition and a Comprehensive Fee for your program, and billed normally through eBill.
The total program cost each semester is equivalent to standard tuition, double room, and Premium meal plan charges. If your aid happens to exceed your total charges and there is a credit on your student account, you can request a refund at the start of the semester.
Non-Tufts Study Elsewhere
If you attend an approved External Program whose courses will apply towards the Tufts degree, you only retain eligibility for Federal Pell Grant, Federal Direct Loan, and state scholarship funding in your financial aid award. Any Tufts aid (including National Merit scholarships) will be canceled for the semester you are in the non-Tufts program.
In order for us to determine exact aid eligibility and disburse your funds, in addition to a completed aid application you must also submit a Consortium Agreement completed by you and the non-Tufts program. The Consortium Agreement will allow for the release of federal funds to your student account. All federal and state funds must be administered by Tufts. You may apply for private funding through your non-Tufts program, but must report the funding on the Consortium Agreement.
You should not assume that all funds will be available when your bill from the other institution is due. You may contact your aid counselor for guidance with billing issues.
If you are a Pell Grant recipient and will study abroad you may want to look into scholarships from the Gilman International Scholarship Program.
Study Elsewhere Fee
To cover the administrative expenses associated with studying at institutions both in the United States and abroad, all students participating in an education abroad program will incur a fee from Tufts Global Education of $2,100 per semester of leave of absence (beginning in the 2024-25 academic year). Please note that the fee is subject to change annually.
Students will not be charged this fee to attend Tufts Programs Abroad.
Consortium Agreement
You must submit a Consortium Agreement if you have a Federal Direct Loan, PLUS Loan or alternative loan and will attend a non-Tufts program. We must receive your completed Consortium Agreement before any funds can be released.
If you attend one program in the fall, and another program in the spring, a Consortium Agreement is required for each program. If you attend one program for the full year, one Consortium Agreement will be sufficient, but you must submit a separate Refund Request for the fall and spring semesters.
If you borrowed a federal Perkins, Direct, or PLUS Loan in the past, but will not use a loan for your non-Tufts study elsewhere program, you must still submit a Consortium Agreement in order to continue to defer your loans. This will allow you to retain your full grace period so you do not go into repayment while you are abroad.