Financial Aid

Vassar allows Financial Aid, including Vassar scholarships, to generally be applied to study abroad program costs. Students with demonstrated financial need, as determined by the College, will be awarded aid in the following sequence: Federal or Vassar student loan(s), Federal/state grants if eligible and if transportable, outside scholarships/tuition benefits, and lastly a Vassar scholarship subject to the following restrictions:

Vassar scholarship for study away cannot exceed the amount you would receive if you remained at Vassar for the semester for the academic year.
Work-study funds are not transferable to your program of study. Vassar College does not make up for the loss of work-study earnings, therefore, there will be an unmet need unless you have remaining student loan eligibility to help cover this lost resource.
If you are a New York State resident and eligible for either TAP and/or New York Merit awards, these funds will travel for any Vassar-sponsored program.

Financial aid will be disbursed no earlier than 10 days prior to the start of Vassar classes each semester, provided that all paperwork has been completed. Your aid will automatically be applied to your Vassar student account regardless of where you are studying. If your aid exceeds your Vassar charges for the semester, you will be issued a refund via direct deposit to your bank account. Refunds will be processed automatically during the first week of each semester. We urge you to discuss disbursement procedures with Student Financial Services after you receive your study away/exchange award letter.

Please note: Students with a prior unpaid balance on their student account may not be permitted to attend a study abroad program. Any outstanding balance on your student account will be deducted from your financial aid refund.

Financial Aid Budget Sheet

Using financial aid while studying abroad: students who are using any form of financial aid are required to submit an online budget sheet to the Financial Aid Office in the semester prior to their departure. These budgets are used to determine the total cost of attendance for your program and must be accompanied by appropriate documentation, i.e., airfare, program costs, etc. Each semester, the Financial Aid Office hosts Financial Aid Budget workshops for those students who will be away the following semester, in order to help students better understand the budget sheets. For more information, see the Student Financial Services website.

The expense budget will include the following costs:

Direct tuition and fees charged to the student by Vassar.
Vassar’s mandatory travel health insurance.
Expenses for room and board for the study abroad program, not to exceed the cost of room and board at Vassar for the term or terms of study away.
Round trip transportation by the most economical means, if not included in the tuition or program fee.
Additional travel allowance from home to departure site if the place of departure is not in the student's home state.
A standard allowance for books and personal expenses to include the cost of a visa if needed, not to exceed the standard allowance for books and personal expenses if the student had remained at Vassar for the term or academic year.
An allowance towards Vassar’s domestic health insurance plan if the student has elected to purchase the plan or the cost of domestic student health insurance up to the cost of the Vassar health insurance plan.

The following expenses will NOT be included in the expense budget:

Optional in-country travel before or after the academic period or during breaks.
Housing and food costs if the student arrives before the program begins or remains after the program ends.
Housing and food costs in excess of Vassar's allocation for room and board.
The cost of obtaining immunizations, a passport, or other special documents such as an International Student Identity Card.
Special or additional clothing.
Cost for books, materials, and visa expenses in excess of the standard allowance.
Expenses for gifts, phone calls, laundry, etc. in excess of the standard allowance provided as part of books, personal, and visa expense allowance.