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Year or Term Abroad

Yale College is committed to making study abroad opportunities available to all students, regardless of their financial circumstances. As part of this commitment, students receiving financial aid at Yale College will continue to receive support for both semester and year-long study abroad programs.

Year or Term Abroad

General Information

For general information on Year or Term Abroad, please visit the following websites:

  1. Yale Study Abroad
  2. Yale College Regulations

Financial Aid Process and Requirements

Students must complete a financial aid application before receiving an adjusted financial aid offer for Year or Term Abroad. In addition to completing a financial aid application, students must complete the following:

  1. The Year or Term Abroad Form for Undergraduate Financial Aid 
  2. Provide a copy of the bill from the program or institution to nicole.rothfuss@yale.edu

If you have questions about the required forms, please e-mail Assistant Director, Nicole Rothfuss, at nicole.rothfuss@yale.edu.

Note: Students in the Yale-in-London program do not need to submit study-abroad budget information. This program has a standardized budget that Undergraduate Financial Aid uses when calculating participants’ financial aid.

Determining your Financial Aid Offer

A student’s need for financial aid is calculated the same way for studying abroad as it is when studying at Yale; the expected family contribution is subtracted from the estimated cost of attendance. 

  • If the study abroad program cost is equal to Yale’s cost of attendance, you will receive the same amount of Yale scholarship that you would have received at Yale. 
  • If the study abroad program cost is less than Yale’s cost of attendance, you will receive up to the same amount of Yale scholarship that you would have received at Yale, while not exceeding the cost of the program. 
  • If the study abroad program cost is more than Yale’s cost of attendance, you will receive the same amount of Yale scholarship that you would have received at Yale, and will be responsible for the excess cost. 

Any merit-based scholarships you receive will follow our outside scholarship policy

Disbursement of Financial Aid

Regardless of where a student studies, financial aid will be credited to YalePay. These funds will be released as follows:

  • If billed by a U.S. organization or institution of higher learning, Undergraduate Financial Aid will authorize a check to the program up to the balance due, based on the submitted copy of the bill. Any remaining funds will be released directly to the student through YalePay
  • Students enrolled directly in a college or university abroad and not be billed by a U.S. organization or institution of higher learning will have all financial aid released to YalePay to be put towards billed expenses.

Financial aid is released no more than 7 days prior to the beginning of classes each term, even if the program begins before that date. It is the student’s responsibility to pay any deposit required in advance of the study-abroad term. Financial aid funds cannot be released to pay deposits or airfare expenses prior to the regular release date. To learn more about Yale’s refund policy, visit the Student Account’s webpage

The quickest and most convenient way to receive funds is via direct deposit to a personal checking account with a bank located in the United States. To set up direct deposit to a U.S. bank account, log into Yale Hub, select the Student Accounts menu, then select Direct Deposit Authorization.

Because some institutions need assurance that you will have aid forthcoming to cover some or all costs, student’s should submit a copy of the financial aid offer letter to them. If additional confirmation of  financial need is required, please provide Undergraduate Financial Aid with the appropriate institution’s form.

Important Note for Families Enrolled in Yale Payment Plan

If enrolled in the Yale Payment Plan, Undergraduate Financial Aid advises families to cancel the plan when abroad. If still enrolled in a Yale Payment Plan, Yale will only refund the actual Yale Plan payments to date. Other financing options, such as loans, may be a good alternative to the Yale Payment Plan. Families may also contact the study abroad institution for payment plans they may offer.