Study Abroad: Additional Fees, Deposits, Refunds, & Out-Of-Pocket Expenses

Additional Billed Costs:

Your program may allow you to choose more expensive housing, add meal plans, sign up for additional planned excursions, or opt into a flight package, all of which could affect the baseline cost of your program. These additional costs will be added to your OWU student account and may appear 1-2 months into your term away, or even after your program ends. These are reconciled once we receive the final program invoice from our partners. Plan ahead for any voluntary adjustments you make to housing, meals, and other added expenses.

Important Notes:

  • Partner Program App Fees/Deposits: While most of the billing and payments for your off-campus program will be charged by OWU, many of our partners require that you pay them directly for application fees and/ or deposits (when applicable). 

  • External Scholarships: These are applied to your account once processed and may adjust your financial aid package.

  • Visa Costs: If your study abroad program requires a visa or specific vaccinations, you are responsible for these costs. 
  • Passport Costs: If you are a first-generation student and/or a Pell-grant recipient, you are eligible to have your passport paid for by OWU. For more information, check out Bishop Elevate/IOCP Passport Program, and fill out the request form. 
  • Flight Costs: You can apply for an OWU Connection Grant to pay for a round-trip flight to your study abroad destination.
  • All off-campus billing is processed through Nelnet and eligible for the payment plan option. Questions about your bill should be directed to either Student Accounts or IOCP.

Out-of-Pocket Expenses While Abroad:

Unless you choose to do a home-stay for your accommodation, you will most likely be cooking for yourself. This means that food is an out-of-pocket expense that you will need to budget for. Personal expenses (such as shampoo, laundry detergent, etc.) will also be out-of-pocket, as well as personal travel. OWU can pay for a round-trip flight to your destination of choice if you apply for a Connection grant. However, even with your flight paid for, we recommend budgeting between $3000-$7000 for your abroad semester. The amount of money you need depends on the cost of living of your destination (think Costa Rica vs London), your personal spending habits (frugal vs extravagant), and the amount of independent travel you would like to partake in (a few day trips vs country hopping every weekend). 

Health Insurance Fee:

You will be billed for OWU Student Health Insurance unless you apply for a waiver. Keep in mind that students studying abroad or in other U.S. cities need continuous insurance coverage. Talk to your family before deciding whether or not to waive coverage. You will have access to our institutional provided travel insurance at no additional cost for while you are traveling outside of the U.S.

Refunds:

  • Program Withdrawal:

    • Notify IOCP immediately in writing/ via email (iocp@owu.edu) if you decide not to attend.

    • OWU will refund payments only if the program partner refunds the money. You're responsible for knowing the refund and withdrawal policies of your specific program. Many of our partners have strict cancellation/ withdraw deadlines well in advance of the program and even our billing schedule. You may be financially liable for fees you have yet to be billed via OWU.

  • Processing Time: Refunds may take up to two months after the term ends.

  • Non-Refundable Fees: The OWU Application fee, OWU administrative fees, Study Abroad Partner application fee, and Study Abroad Partner deposits are all non-refundable.