Off Campus Study Financial Information
Colby offers many opportunities for domestic and international students to study off campus in a foreign country for either a semester or a full year. A wide variety of programs are available directly through Colby, through an agreement between Colby and another institution, or through a 3rd party institution – all of which must be approved through the Office of Off Campus Study before financial aid can be applied. Students are encouraged to connect with an Off-Campus Study advisor in order to determine what program may best suit their academic goals and to begin the application process.
Funding Your Study Away Experience
Financial aid may be applied to both Colby and non-Colby programs as long as the student has completed their financial aid application and their off campus study plans have been approved by the Office of Off-Campus Study. Once a program has been selected, students looking to receive financial aid must complete the off campus study agreement form below and then send it to their program.
2026-27 Off Campus Study Agreement
Student Financial Services aims to keep a family’s out-of-pocket costs similar across semesters and will adjust financial aid accordingly to include tuition, room & board, transportation, and currency exchange rates as outlined on the first page Off Campus Study Budget Agreement. Please be mindful that financial aid can only be awarded up to a maximum of Colby’s cost of attendance. For example: If a program‘s total cost is less than Colby’s cost of attendance, financial aid will be reduced to match the lower costs. If a program’s total cost is more than Colby’s cost of attendance, the student and their family will be responsible for paying the excess amount.
Important Dates:
Financial aid is usually disbursed in late-September for the fall and in late-February for the spring. Students are encouraged to monitor their Colby email leading up to the anticipated disbursement dates as communication will be sent with information about their financial aid funds, and a link to the Online Payment Authorization Form where students can indicate how they would like to receive their financial aid. Colby does NOT send financial aid payments to 3rd party programs. Instead, these funds are paid to the student by direct deposit.
Following disbursement, funds are first applied to the student account before refunds are processed to ensure all prior account charges (including the $1,500 Off Campus Study Fee) are paid in full. Students are then responsible for paying their program invoice separately.
Please Note: Financial aid is not applicable to summer programs or JanPlan experiences. If you are seeking funding for short term experiences and internships, please visit DavisConnects to learn more about their eligibility guidelines and application process. DavisConnects does not provide additional funding for semester or year-long off campus study programs.
Billing & Payments
Off Campus Study with a Colby-Billed Program:
Colby billed programs include Colby in Dijon, Colby in Salamanca, Colby at Bigelow Labs, and the Associated Kyoto Program in Japan. Students can expect to be billed the standard tuition and fees for a semester at one of these programs and payments are due to Colby following our normal billing schedule. However, a non-refundable $500 deposit is required to secure your place in the program and is applied towards the total charges. Students who back out of a program forfeit their deposits.
Note: Deposits made for the Associated Kyoto Program are then provided to the student as a comparable amount in Japanese yen upon arrival at the program.
Off Campus Study with a Non-Colby Billed Program:
All other programs are considered non-Colby billed programs as invoices will come directly from the host institution, not Colby. Payments will be due to the program directly, and are subject to varying due dates/deadlines. Many programs are willing to defer some or all of the outstanding balance if financial aid is set to disburse after their billing due date. It is important to contact the program as early as possible to establish a payment plan that works with Colby’s disbursement dates.
Additionally: All students studying off campus at a non-Colby billed program are assessed a $1,500 Off Campus Study Fee per semester (with the exception of Dartmouth & Columbia). The Off Campus Study Fee is charged to the student’s Colby account and is subject to the normal billing schedule for semester fees.
FAQ
Only direct educational costs can be covered by financial aid. Application fees, immunizations, gym/club memberships, weekend trips, flight class upgrades, souvenirs, etc., are not covered by financial aid.
Airfare to and from the program is factored into the study away budget. However, financial aid does not disburse until after the start of the fall or spring semester, so students will need to cover this expense out of pocket as they wait for financial aid to disburse.
Students must notify Student Financial Services and the Office of Off Campus Study immediately if their enrollment status changes. Students may be responsible for repayment of aid received for the semester in accordance with Colby policy and federal regulations.
Yes! All students have an expected contribution, even if they are planning to study away for a semester or a full year. Additional Colby grant is not awarded to cover this contribution. Students are encouraged to plan ahead in order to ensure they can meet their expected contribution.
Students are advised to contact the program and see if payment can be deferred until financial aid disburses. Many programs are understanding of the situation, but may ask to have SFS verify your financial aid figures.
Please reach out to [email protected] Your study away budget may be adjusted depending on the nature of the charges.
Students in either program are not assessed an Off Campus Study Fee.