Financial assistance is available to students who wish to participate in one of Lawrence's affilated off-campus programs and who have demonstrated financial need. Merit scholarships, music scholarships, and tuition exchange benefits will not be applied to off-campus study programs, but need-based grants and loans are applicable to all Lawrence-sponsored and Lawrence-affiliated programs. Typically, all government sponsored grants (e.g., Pell Grants, SEOG, and Wisconsin Tuition Grants) are fully applicable to all such programs. Beginning in 2007-08, students attending Lawrence under Lawrence Tuition Remission or ACM Tuition Remission will be allowed to apply their tuition benefit toward the cost of Lawrence-sponsored programs. These programs include London, Kurgan, and Senegal. These benefits are not applicable to Lawrence-affliated programs.
In 2007-08, the maximum Lawrence grant that may be applied is $5,600 for any one-semester or one-term program and $11,200 for any one-year program. The cost for many off-campus study programs is greater than the cost of studying for the same period of time at Lawrence (particularly after including transportation costs.) Some students have eligibility for additional federal loans to cover this incremental cost, and some programs (e.g., IES programs) offer the opportunity for apply for additional merit-based and need-based scholarship funds to help support the cost.
Any student who will need financial assistance to be able to afford an off-campus study program is encouraged to submit the FAFSA as early as possible during the year preceding their proposed program. Even those not qualifying for need-based aid may wish to absorb the incremental expense through either a Federal Unsubsized Stafford Student Loan, Federal Parent PLUS Loan,or other private educational loan.
Students are encouraged to pursue outside scholarship opportunities to assist with the incremental cost of off-campus programs. Students who receive Federal Pell Grant assistance are eligible to apply for a Gilman Scholarship. Students can also search internationalscholarships.com or http://www.studyabroadfunding.org/ for international scholarship opportunities.