Students who study abroad and are enrolled in courses approved for credit at Northern Michigan University may be considered for financial aid provided all other eligibility requirements are met.

Most NMU students will use available federal, state and university funds to help pay for the costs of study abroad.  Many will require additional loans and support from personal resources.  All forms of federal aid may be applied toward a NMU study abroad program.  There are restrictions on some state and institutional aid if you choose to enroll in a non-NMU program.  State aid would include the Michigan Competitive Scholarship, Michigan Indian Tuition Waiver and the Tuition Incentive Program.  Institutional aid would include NMU Foundation awards, awards based on academic achievement, the faculty/staff dependent/spouse tuition benefit and other funds that may have been granted to you directly by NMU.

Students are not eligible to receive the housing portion of any university scholarships for the semester(s) they are studying abroad.  It is meant for students living in our residence halls.  The exception to this is for students receiving the Presidential or Harden Scholarships.  They are eligible to receive the off-campus amount, if they have chosen a NMU program.

If you are uncertain which types of aid you receive, check with the Financial Aid Office.

Please remember:

  1. If you plan to use need-based financial aid toward your study abroad costs, you will need to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
  2. Download and complete the Study Abroad Cost Worksheet and instructions from the International Programs web site - www.nmu.edu/iao.  A designated staff member in their office can assist you with completion of this form.  Costs associated with your study abroad program must be backed up with printed materials which document the source for each item.  Some items on the cost worksheet that do not need to be documented are U.S. Passport, International Student ID Card, and the suggested personal spending allowance.  It was agreed between the International Affairs Office and the Financial Aid Office that we would use $100 per week for personal spending as a standard recommended amount, but it can be increased if the student can provide something in writing from the program saying it should be higher.  The costs for the U.S. Passport and Student ID card will be adjusted when the costs increase.
  3. Please use a currency exchange web site to convert foreign currency to U.S. dollar amounts.
  4. The study abroad coordinator must review and sign your completed cost worksheet.
  5. Schedule an appointment with the designated financial aid officer (906-227-2327).  The financial aid officer can use this form to possibly increase your cost of attendance for your semester(s) abroad and will work with you to determine aid eligibility and discuss funding options.