I have NO idea: American Financial Aid at Foreign Universities

Discussion in 'General Distance Learning Discussions' started by NMTTD, Sep 3, 2012.

Loading...
  1. NMTTD

    NMTTD Active Member

    I was asked a question in one of my facebook groups that I have NO IDEA how to answer.

    Let's say an American citizen who lives in America wants to get a DL degree from another country but needs to use financial aid to pay for it. Is this possible? And if so, how do you find out which schools are eligible for US financial aid? Is there a list somewhere? And are DL degrees from foreign universities eligible for financial aid, or is it only for students studying abroad in person?

    I hope you guys can help because I tried looking this up and kind of got confused about everything I was seeing.
     
  2. jaer57

    jaer57 New Member

  3. Steve King

    Steve King Member

    According to the US Department of Education, "Schools must be accredited (as defined by an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education) to be eligible to participate in federal student aid programs." Very few colleges and universities outside the US are accredited by one of the CHEA-approved accrediting bodies. As jaer57 noted, if the school has a FAFSA school code then the school should be good-to-go for US financial aid.

    Private students loans are available for foreign schools. These could be a good option for students attending schools not eligible for US Federal student loans and grants.

    Steve
     
  4. NMTTD

    NMTTD Active Member

    Thanks guys!!! I appreciate the help. I just passed this info along. :D
     
  5. SteveFoerster

    SteveFoerster Resident Gadfly Staff Member

    That's unfortunate, because it's false. You cannot use federal financial aid for distance programs from a foreign university, you can only use it at schools with a FAFSA code if you are a residential student there.
     
  6. NMTTD

    NMTTD Active Member

    Really? Is there anything I can pull up to verify this so I can pass it along?
     
  7. CalDog

    CalDog New Member

    Have you looked at the US Dept. of Education's list of "Foreign Schools Frequently Asked Questions" ?

    To obtain a list of foreign schools that do have eligibility for Title IV funding, see FAQ #3. The reality is that lots of foreign schools are eligible -- just not their DL programs.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 4, 2012
  8. CalDog

    CalDog New Member

    As stated in Post #2 above, you can get a list as follows:

    1. Go to the Federal School Code Database.
    2. Find the search box labeled "State". Select "Foreign Country" from the list in this box.
    3. Hit the button that says "Search".
    4. You should get 453 results, listed over 5 pages.

    But remember, any DL programs offered by these schools are not eligible.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 4, 2012
  9. NMTTD

    NMTTD Active Member

    Thanks. I just sent this on to her. She's really bummed. But it's good to know. Thanks again everyone!
     

Share This Page