Scholarships

Maymester participants secure funding from a variety of sources, including many of the scholarships listed in the on the Scholarships page. Examples of scholarships awarded to Maymester participants include:

• SAO Maymester Scholarship. For undergraduate students participating in Maymester programs administered by the Study Abroad Office. Approximately 12 awards of $2000. Deadline December 9. Apply via GLOBAL ASSIST. Application requires two essays and financial need.
• 25th Anniversary Scholarship. For undergraduate students participating in Ghana and Hong Kong Maymesters. Six awards of $2000. Deadline October 1. Apply via GLOBAL ASSIST. Application requires one letter of reference. Financial need.
• International Education Fee Scholarship. Any UT student. Number of awards varies. Typically $1200-$1800. Deadline October 1. Apply via GLOBAL ASSIST. Application requires two letters of reference. Merit and financial need.
• Benjamin A Gilman Awards. National competition for Pell Grant recipients. Number of awards varies. Amounts up to $5000. Deadline March 1. Online application. Follow summer timeline.

Using Financial Aid

Financial aid is typically available for the Maymester program fee and associated estimated expenses. The amount and type of funds is based on each student's individual eligibility amount as determined by the Office of Student Financial Services (OSFS).

How to Apply for Maymester Financial Aid

• Students not on financial aid should submit a FASFA. See: Office of Student Financial Services (OSFS).
• On the Maymester application, indicate you intend to use financial aid. (If you missed this step, call the SAO front desk for assistance at 512-471-6490).
• After acceptance, complete the Online Financial Aid Counseling Module via MySAO.
• Follow OSFS instructions.
• You may want to ask the following questions for your OSFS counselor.

For a general overview of Study Abroad and Financial Aid, click here.

Financial Aid Disbursements for Maymester Abroad Programs

Aid-eligible recipients receive two financial aid disbursements in the spring semester: the regular spring disbursement and a second disbursement for the Maymester Abroad. The second disbursement is generally released in February  any student who have not received his/her revised aid package (by e-fan) and second disbursement by Feb 15th should:

1. Make sure they have completed the Online Financial Aid Counseling Module via MySAO

2. Check their CASH and/speak with their Office of Student Financial Services (OSFS) counselor to see if there are any unmet requirements for aid to release.

3. Notify their study abroad program coordinator that the aid may release late.

Deferring the Program Balance to Financial Aid

The program balance (excluding the $300 non-refundable deposit) may be deferred to financial aid. See: https://utdirect.utexas.edu/io/bus/bill/student_deferral.WBX. Deferring the program balance does not remove the charge from What I Owe. It changes the balance due date to when aid is released. If there is a difference between what financial aid will cover and what the student owes, the students should pay the difference by February 20th.

Payment Overview

When planning for your time abroad, there are three basic categories of expenses:

• Fees payable to UT (e.g. application fee, program fee, tuition)
• Pre-departure expenses (e.g. airfare, passport and visa)
• On-site expenses (e.g. food, local transport)

A breakdown of estimated expenses can be found in the program search.

Fees Payable to UT

• Application fee $50. Payable via What I Owe within 10 days of starting an application.
• Program fee $3000-$5000 (Varies by location)
  • $300 non-refundable deposit due December 10th
  • Program balance due February 20th
• UT Tuition
  • Undergraduate tuition is included in flat-rate tuition for the spring semester
  • Graduate students should refer to the UT tuition schedule

Withdrawal Information

Depending on the date of withdrawal, students may be held financially responsible for some or all of the program fee. Please refer to the program’s financial responsibility policy. Please note that students are also responsible for dropping their classes in accordance with UT registration procedures. Students may withdrawal by e-mailing the program coordinator or at: https://utdirect.utexas.edu/io/bus/bill/student_withdrawal.WBX (not available for all programs).