Students should begin the study abroad process by outlining and ensuring that expected funding streams can be used for study abroad. This includes determining financial aid eligibility, scholarship eligibility, and any available personal funding or tuition remission (if applicable). As the cost of most study abroad programs are considerably higher than a normal semester on Pitt's campus, students may submit a Cost of Attendance Increase Form as an appeal to maximize borrowing capacity for that particular term.

Financial Aid Eligibility
State, Federal, and campus-based financial aid, with the exception of Federal Work-Study, will in most cases, apply to a student's study abroad experience. In order for a student's financial aid to apply, s/he must complete the Study Abroad Contract. Once a student speaks to a financial aid represented, that representative will sign the student's contract. At this meeting, students should be preprared to discuss the Cost of Attendance Increase Form.

The Office of Admissions and Financial Aid & Student Payments Center
You should meet with a financial aid counselor immediately to discuss your situation. Appointments are made by calling 412-624-7488. The Office of Admissions and Financial Aid in Alumni Hall, is open M-F, 8:30am to 4:45pm. Please also visit the Student Payment Center regarding procedures for receiving your current financial aid for the time you are abroad.

Cost of Attendance Increase for Study Abroad Form
You can also submit a completed Cost of Attendance Increase for Study Abroad from the Applications and Forms Page or the Office of Admissions and Financial Aid in order to accurately reflect your study abroad costs.

Study abroad expenses, which are incurred by a student as a result of participation in a Pitt-Recognized or sponsored study abroad program, should be reported to the extent that they exceed regular, average expenses for items directly related to the educational experience. Please be advised that an increase in the cost of attendance will not increase the student's eligibility for grants or campus based funds. It will, however, enable the student to borrow the maximum amount through the Stafford Loan Program and/or increase the student's loan eligibility for the Parent PLUS loan or other alternative loans.

In order for these expenses to be reviewed, please complete the Cost of Attendance Increase for Study Abroad and return it with the appropriate documentation to your Study Abroad Advisor.

The Cost of Attendance Increase for Study Abroad can be submitted at any time, but you must complete a financial aid application before it will be processed. Meeting this deadline will ensure that you can receive full consideration for as many sources of financial aid as possible. Missing this deadline will greatly reduce the amount of aid you can receive. During the summer months, financial aid is limited to Stafford Loan funds and depends on how much you have borrowed during the Fall and Spring terms of the same academic year.

Students who have one or more parent or guardian employed by the University of Pittsburgh or UPMC are only permitted to apply tuition remission benefits to certain programs. Please download the Tuition Remission Applicable Programs brochure for a complete list.

Once a student has identified an applicable program, the faculty or staff member through whom the student will receive the tuition remission benefit should speak with their respective Human Resources Department to have the benefit applied to the student's account. The SAO is unable to ascertain this information on behalf a student, faculty or staff member.