Study Abroad Financial Aid

OWU & Federal Financial Aid & Scholarships:

Your OWU aid, OWU scholarships, and Federal aid all transfer to the cost of your semester study abroad program. Federal financial aid may also be repackaged for your off-campus semester if you opt for a Tier 2 or Tier 3 program, or if your estimated out-of-pocket expenses are exceptionally high.  

For summer study abroad, only Federal aid, such as the Pell Grant, will apply. This is because OWU students' aid packages do not apply in the summer. Additionally, since students are only enrolled part-time during the summer, only a portion of their normal Pell Grant amount applies. The exact amount of federal aid you receive for summer study abroad is calculated by the financial aid office based upon the number of summer classes you are taking and the cost of the study abroad experience overall.

Students should contact the Financial Aid Office for more information regarding their federal aid. 

OWU Connection Grants:

Students pursuing study away are encouraged to apply for an OWU Connection grant to pay for a round-trip ticket to their destination. OWU Connection grants are funded by generous donors to help students design and execute personalized and impactful OWU Connection experiences! OWU believes that every student should have the opportunity to Think Big, Do Good, Go Global, and Get Real. These grants are intended to close financial gaps and remove as many barriers as possible to participating in your OWU Connection experience. 

Partner Provided Scholarships & Financial Aid:

Many of our institutional partners (i.e. AIFS, CEA CAPA, CIEE, etc) award their own financial aid and merit-based scholarships. These deadlines vary by partner but are generally around the same time or even earlier than their program application deadlines. You should therefore be ready to apply for scholarships as soon as you have finished applying directly to your program of choice. 

If a student receives a program scholarship, it will be credited to the student's OWU account only after it has been remitted to OWU and processed. Any additional scholarship a student receives may have an impact on the packaging of the complete student financial aid package for the semester away. Students should contact the IOCP Office and the Financial Aid Office if they have been notified that they will be receiving external financial or merit-based aid of any kind.

Tuition Remission Benefits:

Students receiving tuition remission benefits (GLCA Tuition Remission Exchange or Tuition Exchange Program) must contact the IOCP office early in the process for information regarding these programs. The rules for billing and financial aid are different. If the benefit does not apply, replacement aid is available.

Benjamin A. Gilman Scholarship:

Students receiving Pell Grants are encouraged to apply for the US Federal Gilman scholarship program. This is a prestigious program that not only helps fund study abroad, but also connects students to a worldwide network of Gilman alumni!

Check out this video which walks you through applying for the Gilman. The IOCP office can also assist you in applying for the Gilman. The Fall deadline is generally around early October, while the Spring deadline is around early March. 

Boren Scholarship:

Students studying less commonly taught foreign languages might consider applying for a US Federal Boren scholarship. Note: one year of employment with the US government is required of recipients. 

Baran Fellowship:

Having benefited from strong mentorship at Ohio Wesleyan University, Jan W. Baran '70 created a fund to support and encourage students engaging in educational experiences that will better prepare them for graduate school and other post-graduate opportunities. Study abroad is one of these high-impact experiences, and students pursuing study abroad are encouraged to apply. Visit the Baran Fellowship page for eligibility and more information.

Other External Aid Opportunities and Information:

Please peruse this list to see if any other external scholarships might apply to your background, area of study, or destination. We also encourage students to search the internet for opportunities not listed here, and to inform the IOCP office of other opportunities you find so we can share them with future students!

For more information, please contact the IOCP office.