Study Abroad Loans

Loans are available for US students studying abroad, and are becoming incredibly important in meeting the demand for international education. US students studying outside the US fall into two categories for student loans, Study Abroad Loans for short-term foreign study and Foreign Enrolled Loans for direct enrollment overseas.

Study Abroad Loans
Study Abroad Loans are for those enrolled in a US school and studying abroad on a short-term program. You must be receiving credit at your home school for your study abroad, and your home school also must be approved. If so, your program can be located anywhere in the world. Of course, although you can apply on your own, you are much more likely to be approved and to get better rates with a qualified co-signer. We partner with two programs for Study Abroad Loans, each of which offer very similar and competitive products with different strengths:

> Study Abroad Loan from InternationalStudentLoan.com - offers competitive rates, online application and fast funding directly to the student. There are thousands of approved schools, and annual loan limits are the lower of $30,000 per year ($40,000 at certain select schools) or the maximum amount calculated for your school.

> Study Abroad Loan from StudyAbroadLoans.com - offers competitive rates, online application and fast funding directly to the student. There are a large number of approved schools, and student can obtain up to $50,000 per year for their study abroad program.


Which program is better for studying abroad?
In most regards the loans are very comparable from the two providers. However, StudyAbroadLoans.com will lend up to $50,000 per year for study abroad, so it's a good choice if you need a large loan. The StudyAbroadLoans.com program does not have as many approved schools, so if you do not see your school listed on that site, check out the InternationalStudentLoan.com study abroad loan program described above.

Foreign Enrolled Loans
Foreign Enrolled Loans are for US students directly enrolled and working towards a degree or certificate at a non-US school. There are over 400 approved schools around the world. With the Foreign Enrolled Loan, you can borrow up to $50,000 per year for undergraduate programs, and up to $70,000 per year for medical, dental, law or business school. A qualified US co-signer is strongly encouraged, though you can apply without one if you have built up good credit history. The high loan limits are helpful, especially if you choose to study in the UK, Western Europe or other areas with a high cost of living. You can find more information about loans for foreign enrolled students at InternationalStudentLoan.com.

Stafford and Plus Loans
As a US citizen or permanent resident, you have access to an excellent government-backed funding resource in Stafford and Plus loans. Before maxing out your private loans, make sure you start early, complete your FAFSA and apply for as much as possible through a Stafford loan; then get the remainder through a private loan described above.