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Studying abroad or away

Undergraduates

If you wish to spend a term or two studying abroad or away at another U.S. college or university, there are a number of options. MIT undergraduates who study out of residence typically do so sometime in the period from the second semester of their sophomore year through the first semester of their senior year. For details on opportunities, see these sites:

MIT Study Abroad (part of the Office of the Dean for Undergraduate Education)

Global MIT

Section 10 of the Academic Guide for Undergraduates and Their Advisors

SFS works with undergraduate financial aid recipients to enable them to participate in these study-abroad and domestic study-away options. If you’re an undergraduate receiving need-based financial aid and are approved to study out of residence, MIT will meet your full financial need. The program you are attending must be during the fall and/or spring semester and approved for academic credit. There is no MIT financial assistance for study-out-of-residence opportunities during the summer.

Your financial aid decision will be based on the budget for the particular study-out-of-residence program. The budget includes tuition and fees, room and board, and a standard allowance for personal expenses and books. In addition, we’ll include a standard amount for air travel to the location at which you’re studying. Other nondiscretionary expenses, such as visas, passports or medical expenses for required vaccinations, will also be included as part of the budget. If the budget is higher than the on-campus budget for a student at MIT, we’ll meet the difference with additional aid that may include a loan; if the budget is lower than the on-campus budget, we’ll use the same expected family contribution and self-help levels and then adjust any MIT scholarship. Since you’ll probably not be eligible to work for pay abroad, you’d be borrowing your entire self-help amount.

Studying out of residence for a year or even a term takes advance planning, careful thought and close work with your financial aid counselor. Make sure you do the following if you plan to participate in an academic study program abroad.

• Complete your renewal financial aid application by the deadline.
• If you’re receiving federal student assistance, you’ll need to complete either a Consortium Agreement or Contractual Agreement as required by the federal government to ensure that you receive federal aid from only one institution.
• Once you receive a financial aid award decision, meet with your student account counselor and loan counselor to discuss issues associated with disbursement of your financial aid.

Graduate students

The level of support for MIT graduate students to study abroad ranges widely, but each year several MIT graduate students win distinguished international grants to study and conduct research abroad in a wide variety of fields. For information on funding opportunities for graduate students with international study topics, consult the Graduate Students Office or the Center for International Studies.

Graduate students who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents are eligible for federal student assistance to study abroad if they’re receiving academic credit from MIT. Contact your financial aid counselor for more information.

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