Can your merit scholarship pay for study abroad? Check the program type
An approved study-abroad program is not automatically an approved use of every scholarship. The tuition billing route, program type and semester can determine whether your existing merit award follows you.
Before comparing destinations, ask the aid office to identify which of your awards applies to the exact program. A university may offer both programs that accept its tuition scholarship and programs that do not.
The program label can change the funding
On a smaller screen, scroll the table sideways to see every column.
| Program route | Published rule | Next step |
|---|---|---|
| NAU international exchange or eligible Education Abroad | Tuition scholarships can apply to fall/spring programs charging tuition directly through NAU. | Confirm the billing route and term before counting the scholarship. |
| NAU faculty-led or private-provider program | NAU tuition scholarships do not apply under the published guidance. | Look for a separately approved funding source; do not carry over the tuition award. |
| Purdue scholarship guidance | Scholarship use requires full-time enrollment in the program and billing through Purdue. | Get confirmation for the particular program and award. |
Sources: NAU study-abroad aid and Purdue scholarship guidance, checked October 29, 2026. Separate outside or tribal awards have their own sponsor rules. Eligibility for federal aid is also a different question from use of a merit scholarship.
Compare the same net budget
A hypothetical exchange costing $18,000 before a $6,000 eligible scholarship leaves $12,000. A provider program advertised at $15,000 but ineligible for that scholarship leaves $15,000 before other funding. The lower advertised price is not automatically the lower personal cost.
These figures are not estimates for a named program. Include airfare, insurance, visa costs, meals, housing deposits and any home-campus charges that continue. Ask which costs are billed by the university and which must be paid directly.
A scholarship can arrive after the deposit is due
Check the deposit deadline, cancellation terms and aid-disbursement date before committing. Even approved aid may not be available when the first payment is required. Keep the cash-flow problem separate from the final net-price calculation.
NAU’s education-abroad financing guidance directs students to prepare a program financial-information sheet and discuss it with aid staff. It also identifies application and cancellation charges. Use the exact program’s current terms rather than assuming that declining later will be cost-free.
Keep the return-home requirements visible
Ask how enrollment and transferred grades will satisfy renewal, when the overseas transcript must arrive and whether a term abroad consumes a scholarship semester. Get those answers before choosing courses, not after returning with credits the award cannot count.
For finding additional travel-related awards, use the broader study-abroad scholarship guide. This comparison is about preserving an existing award while choosing a program, so record the aid office’s approval beside the program budget.