IHP recommends that all students discuss their study abroad plans with their study abroad and financial aid advisors at their home schools. Policies regarding the transfer of institutional aid vary from school to school. Some colleges and universities permit students to use their full financial aid packages for study abroad programs; others will only permit students to use their state or federal financial aid (e.g., Stafford or PLUS loans or Pell Grants) for IHP programs.
IHP Grants
Each semester, the International Honors Program offers a limited number of grants to eligible students. These grants are awarded based on financial need. The grant funds are administered and made possible by IHP. Unfortunately, IHP is unable to provide full financial support to students. IHP grants, which generally range from $500 to $8000, with average awards at $2000, are meant to help defray the costs of international study and to assist students for whom a small amount of aid may mean the difference between studying abroad and staying home.
Eligibility Guidelines
- In order to be awarded a grant, you must be accepted into a program offered by the International Honors Program. You should submit your grant application at the same time as your program application. Grant and program application deadlines are the same.
- IHP Grants are need-based and are distributed only to students who demonstrate significant unmet financial need
How to Apply
- Complete the Grant Application (3 pages). You must complete the first page yourself, then fill out the top portion of page 2 and submit pages 2 and 3 to your institution’s financial aid officer. It is your responsibility to make sure all pieces of the grant application are submitted to IHP.
- Submit copies of your and your parents' or guardians' most recent income tax return forms.
- If you do not file taxes, please make a note on your application.
- Include a brief (250-word) statement explaining your financial circumstances and any special circumstances.
- Incomplete applications will not be considered.
- Late applications will be considered depending on the availability of funds.
IHP will award grants on a rolling basis as applicants are accepted. Therefore, we recommend submitting your application early if you wish to apply for a grant, as the limited financial aid funds may be distributed before the deadlines. The IHP office will notify students of their grant award typically at the same time of the admissions decision. Notification is also sent to World Learning/SIT, the administrators of IHP’s billing and transcript processing. IHP grant awards are credited directly to the recipient’s IHP student account through World Learning/SIT.
Federal and State Financial Aid
The only source of federal or state financial aid for IHP is your home college or university. Federal aid includes the Federal Stafford Loan and the Federal Parent Loan (PLUS). You cannot apply for these funds through IHP, and IHP cannot certify those applications because you will not be enrolled in a degree program at IHP.
Your home college or university has the authority to facilitate the provision of federal and state aid for approved semester abroad programs if certain conditions are met. These decisions are made by your home institution.
It is your responsibility to understand the requirements and the deadlines of your home institution regarding financial aid for study abroad. Only your home school financial aid officer can tell you what types of aid (if any) your school will provide for an IHP program and what you need to do to receive it.
Be sure to discuss your plans with both your academic advisor and your financial aid officer well in advance of the semester during which you wish to study abroad. Do not wait until you are accepted for admission to IHP to investigate your financing options or it may be too late to apply for aid or to plan other ways to finance your educational costs.
Additional Funding
IHP strongly encourages students to pursue additional funding opportunities through outside sources. The process requires patience and persistence but many IHP students have been successful in procuring additional aid. For a list of suggestions, students may email info@ihp.edu and should also visit their home institution’s financial aid and study abroad offices.