Carpe Diem Financial Aid for Study Abroad

Study abroad financial aid and loans are available for all of Carpe Diem's programs through the more traditional sources, but also through some less traditional methods. In most cases, students wanting financial aid for their Carpe Diem program will use only the traditional sources: FAFSA Funding in partnership with Portland State University (PSU); Carpe Diem's own needs-based discounts; and private student loans. While these will all net you at least some positive funding, they are really only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to receiving student loans for study abroad opportunities. Perhaps the most reliable and easiest out-of-the-box method is to write letters to friends, family, and co-workers of your parents asking for financial support to get you overseas and contribute to a pretty amazing cause.

Over the years of working with students to secure study abroad student loans, we've seen some pretty inventive ways to go about funding their programs; some are more time-consuming than others, but many are fairly straight-forward and would be a great starting point to begin your funding search. However, in all cases, we highly recommend starting with FAFSA through PSU if you are a needs-based applicant.

Cool, thanks Nanette. Looking forward to wrapping this up. It will come down to the wire. Liv has calculated her payments to correspond with her paychecks. I'll be helping her finish it up too.

Olivia is beside herself with excitement. She has immersed herself in studying India. It's the topic of almost every conversation we have. Through this process she has displayed dedication, vision and joy. Her guides and fellow travelers will get to see her reaction and the reward for all the hard work she has put into this project. It will probably hit her halfway across the Atlantic.

It's going to be an incredible life-changing journey for her.

Thanks for opening the door!

gloria :)

If you are seeking a student loan to study abroad, you will find many options listed below. We've gone through some of these more ingenious methods as well as attempted to clearly lay out the traditional sources in this handy Carpe Diem Financial Aid Manual. We encourage you to read this thoroughly, but of course, if you have any questions please feel free to call our office.

Financial Aid through Portland State University

  • Disclaimer: always defer to PSU's materials regarding FAFSA. These are intended as a rough guide for students new to their processes.
  • How to enroll and become eligible for needs-based Financial Aid using FAFSA and PSU
  • Information you should know about FAFSA and the PSU Financial Aid process

Fundraising Packet

  • Non-traditional methods that have worked for past students
  • Sample letters and forms that past students have actually used to raise money

Now that you've enrolled at PSU ...

  • Disclaimer: always defer to PSU's materials regarding FAFSA. These are intended as a rough guide for students new to their processes.
  • Managing your account online and tracking your award
  • Transferring credits

How to use the PowerPoint presentations

  • Detailed instructions for the novice on how to manipulate and put your personal touch to the PowerPoint presentations we've created for you

 

 

PowerPoint & Slideshow Presentations

For those students that are interested in a little proactive fundraising, we've had an informational PowerPoint presentation and slideshow put together to help you through the fundraising process - trust us, we've all been there and hopefully having a near-finished and professionally done presentation will help with the process. You'll have to change a few elements to suit your target audience as well as personalize some of the details of the volunteer sites (websites are given for you to reference). See below to find your particular semester.

AFRICA PowerPoint & Slideshow

INDIA PowerPoint & Slideshow

CENTRAL AMERICA PowerPoint & Slideshow

SOUTH AMERICA PowerPoint & Slideshow

SOUTHEAST ASIA Powerpoint & Slideshow ... coming soon

SOUTH PACIFIC (Fiji, NZ, Australia) PowerPoint & Slideshow

 

 

GRANTS & SCHOLARSHIPS

Many scholarships have certain requirements, or must be used at specific schools/programs, so be careful to read the “Requirements” section of each scholarship carefully. The deadlines for submitting scholarship applications are usually far in advance of the time you will go abroad. Some scholarships have only one deadline a year but others have more than one depending on the time of year you want to study abroad.

Some scholarships are connected to your cultural/racial heritage – Italian American, Native American, Hispanic American, African American, etc. On a search engine, type in words such as ---- (your heritage) American scholarships ---- and see what happens. There are many cultural organizations supporting students of a particular background.

Explore the possibility that your place of worship, your parents’ club or their company may offer scholarships. Ask everyone about scholarships -- your family, your friends, your friends’ older siblings who went to college, anyone who may be of help to you!

Here is a short list of some of the places you can search for scholarships. But this is only the beginning – keep looking!!

RESOURCES FOR YOU:

Loans for study abroad:

IEFC Study Abroad Loan: This organization offers loans to cover most education-related expenses for students in semester or year-long study abroad programs. This loan is available regardless of other financial resources or aid. www.iefc.com or 1-866-761-4680