Will I lose my financial aid if I take a semester to study abroad?
Typically, you remain enrolled as a full-time student at your home school while studying abroad, so you won't lose your financial aid eligibility. Moreover, at many schools financial aid can be directly applied to study abroad programs (and depending on where you plan to study, it can actually be cheaper to study overseas). Please be sure to check with both your home school study abroad office and financial aid office for proper procedures and to find out about any documentation you may need to submit to maintain your financial aid eligibility.
What kind of financial assistance can I get?
CIEE has programs to fit a variety of budgets. For many students, studying abroad is only possible with financial assistance.
Each year, CIEE awards scholarships to students who plan to study overseas on our programs. You do not need to have already been accepted into a program to be considered for a scholarship award, but you do need to apply early. See the section on scholarships for a list of available aid and application deadlines. Of course, you should discuss all financial planning with your campus financial aid officer well in advance of applying as well.
What's included in the program fee?
The good news is that CIEE has not seen the price of study abroad programs increase the way tuition has at most U.S. schools. CIEE Study Center fees typically include tuition, orientation, cultural activities, local excursions and field trips, as well as medical and emergency insurance and services. Many program fees also include room and board and visa fees. See your specific program’s information section on fees for details about what is included in your fees and what the estimated additional costs of your program are.
Does CIEE issue 1098-T forms to students for tax purposes?
CIEE is a non-profit organization, not a Department of Education “eligible” higher education institution, and as such can not issue 1098-T forms. If the student’s home school bills the program fees—particularly the tuition portion of the fees—the home school should be issuing the 1098-T form for the student. If the student pays CIEE directly, there is no guarantee that the student will be able to use the CIEE Educational Costs of the program to file for the Education Tax Credits, since CIEE does not report these costs to the IRS as eligible tuition costs. If a student who paid CIEE directly for his/her program fees would like a copy of his current account statement to take to a professional Tax Advisor to see whether the statement can be used as documentation of tuition paid, since the credits for the program are being accepted by his/her home school, s/he should contact the CIEE Billing Coordinator to request a zero-balance account statement.