Affordability Starts With a Plan
Scholarships & Funding for Study Abroad
Studying abroad is not only for students who can pay the full cost out of pocket. Financial aid, scholarships, careful program selection, early planning, and a realistic budget can bring a global experience within reach.
You do not need to understand every financial-aid rule or already know how scholarship applications work. This page will help you take the process one step at a time.
Begin Here
Do Not Rule Yourself Out Before You Have the Facts
It is reasonable to be concerned about cost. For many Cal State LA students, studying abroad may involve expenses that are unfamiliar to them or their families. The answer is not to ignore the cost, but it is also not to assume the experience is impossible.
Start by comparing the total cost of a program with the costs you would have during the same period at home. Then identify which expenses may be covered by existing aid, scholarships, savings, family contributions, payment plans, or other approved resources.
Program Price Is Not the Whole Story
Compare tuition or program fees, housing, meals, transportation, airfare, insurance, passport and visa costs, and the expenses you would normally have at Cal State LA.
Your Current Aid May Be Part of the Plan
Some financial aid may be used for eligible study abroad programs. The answer depends on your aid, the program, enrollment, timing, and applicable rules.
Scholarships Reward Preparation
Many awards require essays, recommendations, financial information, or campus certification. Beginning early gives you time to submit a stronger application.
First in Your Family to Study Abroad?
You may also be the first person in your family to navigate international travel, scholarships, passports, program deposits, or financial aid for an experience abroad. You are not expected to arrive knowing how all of this works. Ask questions early, bring a trusted family member into the conversation if that is helpful, and use the campus resources identified on this page.
The Real Cost
Compare the Complete Financial Picture
A program with a lower advertised fee is not always the least expensive option. A higher fee may include housing, meals, insurance, excursions, or local transportation that another program charges separately.
A
Total Program Cost
All required academic, travel, housing, living, health, and administrative expenses.
− B
Confirmed Resources
Financial aid, scholarships, savings, family support, and other verified funding.
= C
Your Remaining Gap
The amount still needing a realistic funding plan before you make a commitment.
Include Every Study Abroad Expense
- Tuition, program fees, and host-university charges
- Housing, deposits, utilities, and meals
- Round-trip airfare and required local travel
- Passport, visa, residence permit, and entry fees
- International health or travel insurance
- Books, materials, phone, and internet
- Local transportation and daily living expenses
- Emergency funds and currency fluctuations
Compare What You Already Spend
- Cal State LA tuition and campus fees for the same term
- Rent, food, utilities, and commuting expenses
- Books, supplies, phone, and personal expenses
- Income you may not earn while abroad
- Expenses at home that continue while you are away
- Costs included in one program but separate in another
- Refund, cancellation, and withdrawal policies
- When deposits and major payments are due
One Step at a Time
Build Your Study Abroad Funding Plan
A strong plan combines several funding sources. Do not wait for one scholarship to solve the entire budget.
Complete Study Abroad 101
Learn how Cal State LA program types, academic planning, applications, costs, scholarships, and preparation fit together before making financial commitments.
Compare More Than One Program
Look at program length, destination, housing, meals, included services, academic fit, financial-aid eligibility, and total cost. The most famous destination is not automatically the best financial or academic choice.
Ask Financial Aid About Your Individual Eligibility
Bring the program name, dates, academic term, estimated budget, enrollment information, and payment deadlines. Ask what aid may apply, when it may disburse, and whether an approved study abroad budget may affect your Cost of Attendance.
Create a Scholarship Calendar
Track each scholarship's eligibility, deadline, essay questions, recommendation requirements, transcript needs, certification process, and notification date. Use the official sponsor website as the final authority.
Plan for Upfront Costs
Passports, deposits, visas, airfare, or housing payments may be due before financial aid or scholarship funds are released. Ask about payment timing before assuming future aid can cover an immediate charge.
Do Not Commit Until the Plan Is Real
Before paying a nonrefundable deposit or purchasing airfare, confirm academic approval, program status, financial-aid expectations, scholarship results or backup funding, payment deadlines, and cancellation policies.
Your Individual Aid Package
How Financial Aid May Support Study Abroad
Financial aid may be available for eligible students participating in qualifying, credit-bearing study abroad programs. The amount and type of aid that can be used depend on the program, academic term, enrollment, your individual eligibility, and federal, state, CSU, and University requirements.
Ask These Questions
- Is this specific program eligible for my financial aid?
- What enrollment level must I maintain?
- Which grants, scholarships, or loans may apply?
- Will my aid change if the program spans a different academic calendar?
- When will funds be released?
- Could an outside scholarship change another part of my aid package?
Bring This Information
- Program name, sponsor, country, and dates
- Academic term and expected number of units
- Complete program budget and included expenses
- Deposit and payment deadlines
- Expected scholarships or outside funding
- Any expenses due before the normal aid-disbursement date
Important: Do not assume that your current aid will automatically transfer to every program. Cal State LA Financial Aid and Scholarships must determine how aid rules apply to your individual situation. All scholarships and other educational funding should be reported as required so your complete aid package can be coordinated correctly.
Who Helps With What?
Use the Right Campus Resource
You may need help from more than one office. That is normal. Each office has a different role in helping you build a responsible plan.
Office of Study Abroad
Program options, program budgets, application processes, scholarship leads, sponsor requirements, timelines, and general planning for studying abroad.
Financial Aid and Scholarships
Your individual aid eligibility, Cost of Attendance questions, aid adjustments, disbursement timing, enrollment requirements, and how outside awards may affect your package.
National & International Scholarships and Fellowships Program
Guidance on competitive external awards, personal statements, application materials, and preparing for national-level scholarship opportunities.
Academic Advisor
How proposed courses abroad may apply toward your degree, course sequencing, prerequisites, expected graduation timeline, and whether the program fits your academic plan.
Scholarship Starting Points
Find Awards That Match Your Eligibility and Program
Use this list to begin your research. Some scholarships are based on financial need, destination, language, academic interest, military-family status, or participation in a specific program. Eligibility and deadlines change, so always verify the current rules on the official scholarship website.
A Strong First Stop for Pell Grant Recipients
Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship
The Gilman Scholarship supports eligible U.S. undergraduate students who receive a Federal Pell Grant and are participating in an approved credit-bearing study or internship program abroad. The application includes essays and requires certification by study abroad and financial-aid advisors.
Military Families
Gilman-McCain Scholarship
Provides $5,000 awards to eligible undergraduate child and spousal dependents of active or activated U.S. military personnel who receive qualifying Title IV federal financial aid and participate in a credit-bearing program abroad.
Financial Need and Access
Fund for Education Abroad
FEA provides scholarships and support to eligible U.S. undergraduate students with financial need, with a mission centered on expanding access to education abroad.
East and Southeast Asia
Freeman-ASIA
Offers need-based awards for eligible U.S. undergraduate students studying abroad in East or Southeast Asia. Current maximum awards vary by summer, semester or quarter, and academic-year program length.
Language and Global Regions
Boren Scholarships
Supports eligible U.S. undergraduates studying languages and world regions important to U.S. national security. Boren Awards include a federal service requirement, so review the commitment carefully.
CSU International Programs
CSU IP Scholarships
Students accepted into CSU International Programs may be eligible for scholarships administered specifically for CSU IP participants. Award availability and requirements can change by cycle.
Cal State LA
University Scholarship Opportunities
Cal State LA offers hundreds of institutional scholarship opportunities through its general scholarship process. Review eligibility and ask how an award may coordinate with your overall aid package.
Program-Specific Funding
Provider and Host-University Scholarships
Some approved program providers and host universities offer need-based, merit-based, identity-based, destination-specific, or program-specific awards. Review the scholarship section of the program you are considering.
Broader Search
IIE Scholarship and Program Directory
The Institute of International Education manages and highlights international scholarship programs with different destinations, academic interests, and eligibility requirements.
Use official sources. Scholarship amounts, eligible destinations, program dates, and deadlines can change. Never pay a fee simply to apply for a scholarship, and be cautious of organizations that promise an award or request unusual financial information.
Application Coaching
Build a Stronger Scholarship Application
A strong application is specific. It connects the program to your education and future, explains why funding matters, and shows how the experience will benefit more than just you.
Before You Begin Writing
- Read every eligibility rule and essay prompt carefully.
- Research the program, courses, community, and destination.
- Identify specific academic, career, language, or personal goals.
- List experiences that show initiative, resilience, service, or growth.
- Ask for recommendations early and provide your recommender with useful context.
- Leave time for feedback, revision, proofreading, and required certification.
Start Earlier Than You Think
A Practical Funding Timeline
Your program and scholarship deadlines may differ. Use this sequence as a planning guide, then follow the dates published for your specific opportunity.
9–12+ Months Before
Explore and Compare
Complete Study Abroad 101, compare programs, review academic fit, estimate total cost, and identify major scholarship cycles.
6–9 Months Before
Confirm and Prepare
Meet with advisors, confirm financial-aid questions, request recommendations, draft essays, and build a funding tracker.
3–6 Months Before
Apply and Build Backup Plans
Submit applications early, verify certifications, compare award notification dates with deposits, and identify a realistic backup plan.
After Awards
Reconcile the Full Budget
Report required awards, confirm your updated aid package, review payment timing, and make commitments only when the plan is workable.
Questions Students Ask
Funding Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use financial aid to study abroad?
Possibly. Financial aid may be available for eligible students participating in qualifying programs. It depends on the program structure, academic credit, enrollment, term, your individual aid package, and applicable rules. Ask Financial Aid and Scholarships about the specific program before making a financial commitment.
Can study abroad expenses be considered in my Cost of Attendance?
Cal State LA identifies reasonable expenses for approved credit-bearing study abroad, including costs such as travel, visas, and passports, as expenses that may be considered on a case-by-case basis. Financial Aid and Scholarships determines whether and how a Cost of Attendance adjustment applies to your individual situation. An adjustment does not automatically create additional grant funding.
What if I cannot pay a deposit before my aid is released?
Ask early about the deposit deadline, refund policy, payment plan, and when your aid or scholarship would be available. Some expenses are due before normal aid disbursement. Do not assume that anticipated aid can be released early or that a deposit will be refundable.
Will a scholarship change my financial aid?
It may. Financial aid and scholarships must be coordinated within applicable Cost of Attendance and financial-need limits. Report outside awards as required and ask Financial Aid and Scholarships how a specific award may affect your overall package.
Can undocumented, DACA, international, or other non-U.S.-citizen students receive scholarships?
Eligibility varies. Some federal programs require U.S. citizenship or nationality, while some institutional, provider, host-university, private, or destination-specific awards use different criteria. Do not assume that you are ineligible for every opportunity. Review each award's official requirements and ask for help identifying options that match your circumstances.
Should I choose a program only because it is less expensive?
Cost matters, but it is not the only factor. The program should also fit your degree, academic calendar, support needs, goals, and readiness. Compare the total cost and academic value rather than selecting by advertised price alone.
What if I do not receive the scholarship I expected?
Scholarships are competitive and should not be treated as guaranteed funding. Before committing, identify which parts of your plan are confirmed, which are pending, and what you will do if an expected award does not come through. A different program, destination, term, or length may produce a more manageable budget.
Funding Tips and Student Stories
See How Cal State LA Students Make Study Abroad Work
Follow Cal State LA Study Abroad for scholarship reminders, affordability guidance, student experiences, application tips, and upcoming opportunities.
Follow Cal State LA Study Abroad on Instagram
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Your Next Step
Start Planning Before You Start Paying
Begin with Study Abroad 101 and identify one or more programs that may fit your academic goals and budget. The Office of Study Abroad can help you understand program costs, scholarship opportunities, and application steps. Financial Aid and Scholarships must answer questions about your individual aid package.
Office of Study Abroad
California State University, Los Angeles
Library Palmer Wing, Room 4053
Email
[email protected]
Phone
323-343-3170