Financial Aid
If you currently receive federal, state, or institutional financial aid, you may be able to use some or all of your aid toward the cost of your Study Abroad Italy (SAI) program. This includes, but is not limited to: scholarships, grants and personal loans.
Students using financial aid to fund their study abroad program have two options:
- SAI allows Fall and Spring semester students using financial aid to defer their program cost balance (i.e. the amount that aid will cover) as long as financial aid verification is received by the following due dates (listed below).
NOTE: Students attending Summer Session and receiving financial aid are required to make payments by their regular due dates. SAI will sign Consortium Agreements, allowing the use of financial aid funding, however Summer Session students are not permitted to defer payment until after receiving financial aid monies. Summer Session students planning to use financial aid to cover costs must pay all program costs when due, and will receive reimbursement to themselves when financial aid monies arrive.
- Students have the option of paying in full for their SAI program and reimbursing themselves when their financial aid is disbursed. In that case, it is not necessary to complete and return the Financial Aid Verification forms.
It is the student's responsibility to check with their home University to see if their current financial aid can be used to fund the Study Abroad Italy program. SAI cannot guarantee that the student's current financial aid package is applicable to the program. SAI can assist with obtaining a private loan if the student is unable to use their current financial aid package or if they need additional monies for the program.
Students using financial aid are required to pay; Application Fee, Program Deposit, Security Deposit, and Single Room Housing Fee (if applicable). Please note: Deposits required may vary with different affiliate schools. Check with SAI Finance Department for further details.
A financial aid award letter MUST be sent to the California office in order to determine how much will apply to the Program Cost balance and before your application is considered complete. If your financial aid award is not sufficient to cover all Program Costs, the remainder must be paid by the regular payment deadline dates.
All application materials and payments should be sent to the SAI office in California, including consortium agreements or other financial aid documents.
Financial Aid students are responsible for insuring that all forms and any amount not covered by financial aid are submitted to SAI by the following due dates:
Fall: July 1
Spring: November 15
Below is a step-by-step guide for students who plan on using financial aid to help pay for their program at SAI:
Step 1: Contact your university’s financial aid and study abroad office to determine if it is possible to use your financial aid toward your SAI program costs.
Step 2: Submit your application to SAI along with the application fee.
Step 3: Follow the instructions included in your SAI acceptance email asking you to make the following payments:
- Security Deposit
- Confirmation Deposit
- Optional Single Room Housing Fee (if applicable)
Step 4: Find out if a Contractual Agreement, sometimes referred to as a “Consortium Agreement”, will be required between your school and SAI. If so, have the form sent to SAI via fax to: 707-824-0198 as soon as possible so that it can be completed and returned to your university.
Step 5: Shortly after paying your confirmation deposits (step 3), you will receive an email from the finance department confirming your payment was received. Attached to the email will be the three SAI Financial Aid Verification forms:
- Page 1: Checklist. Print this and follow all directions.
- Page 2: Consent for Release of Financial Aid Information form.
- Print this form and take it to your Financial Aid advisor to fill out as soon as possible. Be sure to make a copy of the completed form for your records.
- Page 3 – Responsible Third Party and Agreement to Pay form.
- Your financial aid monies will not automatically be sent to SAI and in most cases will be disbursed directly to you.
- If your aid is released AFTER you have already left for Italy/London, it is your responsibility to make arrangements for payment to be sent to our office; this may require the assistance of a third party (e.g. your parent(s) or financial aid advisor).
Step 6: Fax the completed Consent for Release of Financial Aid Information (page 2) and Responsible Third Party (page 3) forms to: 707-824-0198.
Deadline
Fall: July 1
Spring: November 15
NOTE: Financial Aid students remain responsible for all cancellation penalties that apply, even if program fees have not yet been paid. Failure to pay cancellation obligations will result in referral to a Collection Agency.