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Office of Financial Aid & Scholarships

Financial Aid

Study Abroad

When you decide to study abroad, you are embarking on the adventure of a lifetime! Here鈥檚 what you need to know to keep your financial aid on track before and while you are away from the MTSU campus.

Where to start

The MTSU Office of Education Abroad is the starting point for students who want to learn more about their options for studying outside of the United States. You can speak with one of our Education Abroad staff members about the various study abroad programs, destinations and costs. For information, call (615) 898-5179, or click .

Abroad Programs

MTSU Signature Study Abroad Programs are those in which MTSU faculty members take MTSU students abroad on approved international programs for academic credit.  These programs are typically during the Summer semester and aid for these programs for the Summer semester follows the same guidelines as if the student is enrolled in a course on campus. 

MTSU Exchange Programs and MTSUProvider Programs are programs with institutions in which we have a formalized agreement.  If you plan to participate in a study abroad program with an MTSU Exchange Program or an MTSU Provider Program, please contact the Financial Aid Office at [email protected] to discuss the process (i.e. forms required, course registration, etc.). 

Please note: 

Students attending an approved study abroad program for credit will be considered enrolled at MTSU for the purposes of financial aid. The study abroad credit must count towards a degree requirement to be considered an eligible course for federal, state, and MTSU Guaranteed Scholarships. All students receiving financial aid must be maintaining . Students with a Financial Aid status of Suspension cannot receive financial aid funds whether abroad or at MTSU.  

All study abroad participants may not be eligible to receive financial aid for both semesters of a two-semester study abroad program. Also, all students may not qualify for aid the semester after returning from their study abroad program. Please refer to the Study Abroad Financial Aid Statement of Understanding and Financial Aid Status Sheet for further information. 

Confirmation reminders

Students must pay or confirm their classes by the MTSU fee payment deadline or their classes will be dropped. Students may log into PipelineMT to pay or confirm their classes. Confirmation and fee payment instructions/deadlines can be found .

Payment reminders for students who owe fees to a Host institution

Because financial aid funds are not sent directly to Host Institutions, some students are responsible for paying fees to Host Institutions. For information about where to pay fees, contact the Office of Education Abroad at (615) 898-5179 or via the . The earliest MTSU funds can be released is the first day of the student鈥檚 abroad program. 

If the student鈥檚 abroad program begins prior to the start of MTSU鈥檚 semester, the earliest MTSU funds can be released is the first day of MTSU鈥檚 semester in which the credit hours will apply. 

Future Financial Aid funds

Typically, students who begin a study abroad program with a financial aid status of Good Standing can receive aid for one semester after their program ends, provided their program is for one semester. If their program is for two-semesters, they may only receive aid for the two semesters abroad. The semester after their program ends, they may receive a deferment for MTSU charges (if eligible).

The student鈥檚 official study abroad transcripts must be sent to the Office of Education Abroad and the study abroad credit hours must be posted to the student鈥檚 MTSU transcript to receive future financial aid.

NOTE: Provisional Lottery students and students with more than 95 attempted hours before the first semester abroad cannot receive Lottery funds for the second semester but may qualify for a Lottery deferment for MTSU charges.

Don鈥檛 forget next semester! 

While participating in a Study Abroad Program, student鈥檚 may be asked to complete requirements for their next term of enrollment. Beginning in May, fall/spring Email Award Notices will be electronically sent to students with completed Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) results on file in the Financial Aid Office. Electronic award notices will be sent to the student鈥檚 MTSU email address. While studying abroad, students may need to access their PipelineMT account to accept awards and complete any requirements. For confirmation and fee payment instructions/deadlines, refer to this .

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes. A limited number of scholarships are available through the Office of Education Abroad. Students may contact their office at (615) 898-5179 or visit  to learn more about application deadlines and qualifications.

Yes. The student must first complete the FAFSA application to determine if they are eligible for federal and/or state aid. If participating in an MTSU Exchange or MTSU Partner Program, the student must then complete the Financial Aid process for abroad students (i.e. required forms, course registration, etc).  If the student meets eligibility requirements, they can receive lottery funds, scholarships and/or some grant funds. 

Federal Work-Study is not available since the student is not on campus.  Some grants are not available for abroad programs.  Most MTSU academic scholarships require students to be enrolled full-time while studying abroad.

Typically, if the student left in a financial aid Good Standing and the study abroad program was for one semester, they may receive aid for the upcoming Spring semester. However, if the student left in financial aid Good Standing and the study abroad program was for two semesters, they may not receive aid for the upcoming semester. Please refer to the Study Abroad Financial Aid Statement of Understanding and Financial Aid Status Sheet.

The student鈥檚 official study abroad transcripts must be sent to MTSU and the study abroad credit hours must be posted to the student鈥檚 MTSU transcript for them to receive future financial aid.

NOTE: Provisional Lottery students and students with more than 95 attempted hours before the first semester abroad cannot receive Lottery funds for the second semester but may qualify for a Lottery deferment for MTSU charges.

No. Regulations do not allow for the early release of federal funds. Therefore, the student needs to plan on having enough personal funds available or save money from the prior semesters to meet their needs until the MTSU financial aid can be disbursed. 

No. Each student is responsible for paying his/her fees to the appropriate school/program. Any Financial aid refund available will be disbursed directly to the student.

We encourage students to enroll for direct deposit in the Business Office at least one month before they depart. For instructions to sign up for direct deposit via PipelineMT, click .

Typically, study abroad programs require students to pay 鈥減rogram costs鈥�. However, some programs also require students to pay tuition and fees to MTSU. Students need to make sure they understand all of the charges for their program. For more information contact the Office of Education Abroad at (615) 898-5179 or via the .

Federal regulations require students to return a portion of their federal aid if they are unable to complete sixty percent of the term. 乐播传媒入口 Lottery regulations require the suspension of lottery funds for future semesters. However, a student may appeal TELS eligibility based upon extenuating circumstances beyond the student鈥檚 control (e.g., documented medical emergencies or the death of a family member). Please see the MT One Stop webpage pertaining to Withdrawals for additional information.

Yes. A FAFSA form is required annually for Federal and State awards.

Sometimes students are selected for verification by the Federal Department of Education. If a student is selected for verification, we cannot disburse any aid until the verification process is complete.

For MTSU Exchange Programs and MTSU Provider Programs, the Office of Education Abroad notifies the Financial Aid Office of the number of credit hours the student plans to attempt during their study abroad program. This is then verified during the Financial Aid review process.  Contact the Financial Aid Office at [email protected] to discuss the process (i.e. forms required, course registration, etc.).

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