Finances

Drake programs, which are typically faculty-led programs, are held during J-term and tend to be the lowest cost options in the study abroad portfolio. While they are the lowest cost options, they may also be considered an additional expense to the cost of attendance for the academic year. Drake J-term and summer international programs bill students directly for the cost of travel, but not for tuition, since the cost of tuition is included as part of Drake’s spring semester tuition (for students enrolled full-time for the spring term). Students pay the program deposits and program fees through their Drake Student Accounts (online or in-person at the Student Accounts office). Instructions are emailed to students when they are accepted into the program regarding payment amounts, methods, and deadlines.

Students who participate in Drake-led short-term programs see billing costs, schedules, and procedures in their study abroad application. Please also review the full Financial Details for Travel Seminars.

Drake Program bills can be paid using your usual payment method to Drake University, through Drake’s Student Accounts office. Here is an explanation of payment methods for J-term or summer Drake-led programs:

To make a payment online, log into my.drake.edu Student Account portal, and follow these instructions:

1. Go to the “Student Account & Financial Aid” dropdown menu
2. Click “Make a Payment”
3. Click the “Deposits” tab near the top of the screen
4. On the “Select a term” dropdown, choose Spring 202X
5. On the “Select a deposit” dropdown, choose the Study Abroad option
6. Enter the amount you plan to pay (e.g., the $500 deposit or a partial/full program balance payment)
7. Select your payment method:
   1. Electronic check
   2. Debit card (2.85% fee)
   3. Credit card (2.85% fee)
   4. Saved payment methods

You can also mail a check to Drake University. If you mail a check, please include the student's ID number in the memo line, and include some language like, "J-term Travel" so we can credit the correct student account, and apply it to the correct term. Checks should be mailed to:

Drake University
Cashier Office, 104 Carnegie Hall
2507 University Ave
Des Moines, IA 50311

Students who apply to J-term or summer Affiliate or Exchange programs are billed by the Affiliate or Exchange partner. Students will pay the partner directly, and will need to follow their payment deadlines and methods. The exception is that students who participate in a partner program will also be assessed a study abroad fee of $300. Please review the full Financial Details for Short Term Affiliate Programs.

Tuition

For semester programs, students are billed Drake University tuition, so the cost of tuition is the same whether the student is in Des Moines or abroad. Students are able to apply their financial aid packages to approved study abroad programs.

Non-Tuition Fees

While a student's tuition is the same when abroad, the non-tuition fees, like housing and international health insurance coverage, are billed at the rate of the university or program abroad. This means that depending on the city abroad, the housing can be more or less expensive than Des Moines. The university abroad will let us know the cost of the non-tuition fees (like housing, international health insurance, and on-site programming fees). We will add this invoiced amount to the student’s Drake Account.

Study Abroad Fee

Students who participate in an Affiliate program (such as AIFS, SFS, or WorldStrides including ISA and TEAN) are required to pay a study abroad fee in order to "Commit" to the program in the application portal (this occurs after applying, and after being "Conditionally Accepted" to the program). For semester programs, the fee is $500. DU Cohort programs are exempt from this fee.

Payments

The student will pay their Drake tuition, host institution's non-tuition fees, and the semester affiliate international programs fee of $500 through Drake’s Student Accounts office with your usual payment method(s).

Timeline

Students who participate in semester programs abroad are billed according to Drake’s typical billing cycle. The student's billable expenses are due the first day of Drake’s semester.

Full Financial Details

Please review the full Financial Details for Affiliate and Exchange Semester Programs or Financial Details for DU Cohort Programs

Financial aid is generally available to Drake students joining approved international programs. The Office of Financial Aid reviews each student's individual aid package to assess their eligibility and the amounts of aid available to them.

Drake University allows students to take 100% of their loans, grants, and scholarships on approved semester programs. The only exception is that "work study" cannot transfer to international programs.

Generally there is less financial aid available for short-term programs (like J-term and Summer), but you should speak with the Financial Aid Office if you are interested in aid for these terms.

Please see Financial Aid for more extensive details.

The following types of aid may be awarded by the Financial Aid Office:

• Drake Scholarships and Awards
• Drake Grants
• Federal Pell Grant
• Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG)
• Iowa Tuition Grant
• Federal Direct Subsidized and Unsubsidized Loans
• Federal Direct Parent PLUS Loan for Undergraduate Students
• Federal Direct Graduate PLUS Loans for Graduate Students
• Private Student Loans
• Health Professions Loan (HPL)
• Outside Scholarships

Students can also apply for scholarships for education abroad programs through the Drake Global Engagement office or through other external sources for scholarships. See our scholarships in the section below for more resources.

Using Federal Financial Aid for Study Abroad

If you would like to utilize federal financial aid, you will need to fill out your FAFSA & apply to a study abroad program. If you have not done so already, you must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Contact the Financial Aid Office if you have any questions about completing the FAFSA, and to ensure you have a complete financial aid application.

Financial Aid for the Year Following Study Abroad

Students who want to receive financial aid for the academic year following study abroad may be required to apply while they are abroad. The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) must be completed every year, even if you received Financial Aid during the previous year.

These scholarships are designed to enable students to reach their full potential as responsible global citizens. Most scholarships are financial need based but have slightly different selection criteria.

In the online application, students are prompted to write up to two essays, if they are interested in applying for a Global Learning Scholarship. The first essay question is, "How will the program support you in reaching your academic, personal, and professional goals?" The second essay question is specifically for students interested in applying to the Levin Scholarship (see below), and that essay question is, "How will the program enhance your understanding between persons of different faiths?" When a student writes one or both essays, our office evaluates which of the scholarships listed below the student is eligible for.

Apply for a Drake Global Learning Scholarship through your online education abroad application!

• Burmeister Scholarship for Uganda Summer Travel Seminars
• David Wright Scholarship for the School of Journalism and Mass Communication Majors
• Gendron Scholarship for Non-European Programs
• Johansen Scholarship for Pharmacy and Health Science Majors
• Levin Scholarship for Promoting Better Understanding Between Persons of Different Faiths
• Nelson Scholarship for International Relations, International Business, Language minors, East Asian Studies, Latin American Studies, and Global and Comparative Health
• Olson Global Service-Learning Scholarship
• The Pravara Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) Scholarship
• Thibodeau Scholarship for Global Citizenship
• Zimpleman Scholarship for Global Experiential Learning

If you are applying to an Affiliate program, you are likely eligible for their scholarships and grants. These may be need or merit-based awards and require a separate application directly with the Affiliate partner. Scholarship deadlines may be earlier than the study abroad program deadline, therefore, early planning can pay off! Check out other sources for study abroad scholarships:

• Boren Scholarship is sponsored by the National Security Education Program and provides up to $20,000 to study a language or area that has been deemed critical to U.S. foreign interests. See more details below about the application timeframe and deadline.
• Critical Language Scholarship is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, and is a government effort to increase American citizens mastery of critical foreign languages, frequently those that are less commonly taught in the U.S.
• Fastweb College Scholarships
• Freeman Asia Scholarship
• Fund for Education Abroad
• GoOverseas.com Scholarships
• International Scholarships
• Rotary International Scholarships
• StudyPortals Scholarships
• Scholarships.com
• StudyAbroad.com Scholarships
• Scholarships to study in Australia
• Tortuga Study Abroad Scholarship
• Bridging Scholarships for study in Japan
• Mext Scholarships for study in Japan
• DAAD, German Academic Exchange Service is administered by the German Government, this program provides short and long-term scholarships for Americans wanting to go to Germany. This includes internship exchanges in science labs, the German Bundestag (Congress), and journalistic areas.
• Fulbright United Kingdom (U.K.) Summer Institutes are intended for academically distinguished U.S. students (3.7 GPA or higher) who are Freshman or Sophomores, and have little to no travel experiences abroad.

Tuition Exchange or Tuition Rebate

These programs cannot be applied toward study abroad. Students on the tuition exchange or rebate programs can typically receive Drake financial aid to assist with studying abroad. Please meet with the Financial Aid Office if you have questions.

Study Abroad Travel Advisory Policy

In some cases, Drake University financial aid cannot be used to support study in a country where the U.S. Department of State has issued a level 3 or level 4 advisory. Exceptions may be granted by the Provost after consultation with the Risk Assessment Committee.

Students who participate in an Affiliate program (such as AIFS, SFS, or WorldStrides including ISA or TEAN) are required to pay a Study Abroad fee once they are conditionally accepted in order to "Commit" to the program in the application portal.

For short-term partner programs, such as J-term and summer, students pay a $300 study abroad fee in order to Commit. For academic year, quarter, and semester partner programs, students pay a $500 study abroad fee in order to commit. Drake University programs and Exchange programs are not impacted by the study abroad fee.

The Study Abroad Fee is in place because there is a lot of support that goes into providing Drake students with a positive study abroad experience. This includes advising on programming (from program selection to financial aid to course approvals, and more), technological services (including our application software that assists with risk management, as well as continued student access to Drake services while you are abroad, like the online library), assistance from the institution in the event of an emergency abroad, and re-entry support like processing the transcript after the student studies abroad.