Study Abroad
Students participating in an Exchange or Field School offered through SFU’s International Services for Students (ISS) may be eligible for different types of funding. If you have questions about your Study Abroad experience, please contact a Financial Aid advisor for more information about eligibility for Financial Aid and Awards.
You are encouraged to develop a budget to explore all the costs associated with this opportunity and to understand what resources you will need to secure. This will also help you plan for what your expenses will be for your Study Abroad term.
SFU supports students participating in Study Abroad opportunities with Scholarships, Awards and Bursaries during your Exchange and Field School term. For specific information, see Scholarships, Awards, and Bursaries during your Exchange and Field School term. Please visit our Application deadlines for information on when to submit your application(s).
You can consider assigning a designate who can interact with SFU on your behalf when you are participating in your Study Abroad opportunity. See How to Assign a Designate for more information.
Students Participating in an Exchange Term
Students can potentially receive government-issued student aid including loans and grants, to participate in an Exchange term. Eligible Exchanges must be at least 12 weeks in length, without any significant study breaks. Not all Exchanges will be eligible for student aid. We encourage all students participating in an Exchange term to start this process 6-8 weeks prior to your departure.
Please review these resources prior to submitting your student aid application to your home Province or Territory:
Your Exchange partner institution must be designated for student loan purposes. For BC residents, click here to confirm your partner institution's designation status.
Students participating in an Exchange who require student aid must:
- Submit a Student Aid Mobility Contract with a copy of your SFU Outbound Exchange Student Acknowledgement to Financial Aid and Awards prior to the completion of any student aid documents.
- Submit a completed Student Aid Completion of Studies Contract within 45 days of the end of the exchange study period to Financial Aid and Awards to avoid being reported as withdrawn from full-time studies. This may impact future student aid funding that you may be eligible to receive.
Students Participating in a Field School Term
Full-time students may be able to receive additional funding to assist with the extra costs associated with Field School when they apply for government-issued student aid. For the additional living and educational costs to be considered in your student aid assessment, your Field School must be offered through SFU’s International Service for Students office.
Please review these resources prior to submitting your student aid application to your home Province or Territory: