Using U.S. Federal Financial Aid to Pay for Degree Studies Outside the States

One of the best kept secrets about U.S. Federal Financial Aid is that it can often be used to fund studies outside the United States. Hundreds of universities around the world participate in the program. These universities accept federal financial aid from American students, in the form of Stafford Loans and PLUS Loans.

Note: students attending a foreign university are not eligible for Pell Grant funding.

American students who are considering attending a university outside the States and want to pay for some of their expenses via Federal Financial Aid need to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), just as they would if they were planning to attend an American university.

See this U.S. Department of Education website for a comprehensive list of universities outside the United States that accept federal aid from American students. Below are universities on that list in Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom – among the leading destinations for American undergraduate degree-seeking students.

Australia

• Australian National University
• Bond University
• Flinders University
• Griffith University
• James Cook University
• La Trobe University
• Macquarie University
• Monash University
• Murdoch University
• RMIT University
• Southern Cross University
• University of Adelaide
• University of Canberra
• University of Melbourne
• University of New South Wales
• University of Queensland
• University of Sydney
• University of Technology, Sydney
• University of Western Australia
• University of Wollongong

Canada

• Acadia University
• Bishop’s University
• Booth University College
• Brandon University
• Burman University
• Canadian Mennonite University
• Cape Breton University
• Carleton University
• Concordia University
• Concordia University of Edmonton
• Crandall University
• Dalhousie University
• Emily Carr University of Art and Design
• King’s University College
• Kingswood University
• Kwantlen Polytechnic University
• Lakehead University
• McGill University
• Memorial University of Newfoundland
• Mount Allison University
• Mount Saint Vincent University
• Queen’s University at Kingston
• Quest University Canada
• Redeemer University College
• Ryerson University
• Saint Mary’s University
• Saint Paul University
• Simon Fraser University
• St Thomas University
• St. Francis Xavier University
• St. Stephen’s University
• Trinity Western University
• Tyndale University College & Seminary
• Universite de Montreal
• Universite Laval
• University of British Columbia
• University of Calgary
• University of Guelph
• University of King’s College
• University of Manitoba
• University of New Brunswick
• University of Northern British Columbia
• University of Ottawa
• University of Prince Edward Island
• University of Saskatchewan
• University of Toronto
• University of Victoria
• University of Western Ontario
• University of Windsor
• University of Winnipeg
• Wilfrid Laurier University
• York University

Ireland

• Dublin City University
• Maynooth University
• National University of Ireland, Galway
• Trinity College
• University College Cork
• University College Dublin
• University of Limerick

New Zealand

• Massey University
• University of Auckland
• University of Canterbury
• University of Otago
• Victoria University of Wellington

United Kingdom – England

• Anglia Ruskin University
• Arts University College at Bournemouth
• Aston University
• Bath Spa University
• Birmingham City University
• Bournemouth University
• Brunel University London
• City University
• Cranfield University
• De Montfort University
• Falmouth University
• Goldsmiths College – University of London
• Guildhall School of Music & Drama
• Heythrop College, University of London
• Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine
• Kingston University
• Leeds Beckett University
• Liverpool Hope University
• Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts
• Liverpool John Moores University
• London Academy of Music & Dramatic Art
• London Metropolitan University
• London South Bank University
• Loughborough University
• Manchester Metropolitan University
• Middlesex University
• Middlesex University National Film & Television School
• Newcastle College
• Norwich University of the Arts
• Nottingham Trent University
• Oxford Brookes University
• Ravensbourne
• Regent’s University London
• Richmond, The American International University in London
• Roehampton University
• Rose Bruford College
• Royal Academy of Music
• Royal Central School of Speech and Drama
• Royal College of Art
• Royal College of Music
• Royal Northern College of Music
• Royal Northern College of Music
• Royal Veterinary College, University of London
• Sheffield Hallam University
• Southampton Solent University
• St George’s Hospital Medical School
• St Mary’s University Twickenham
• Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance
• University College Birmingham
• University for the Creative Arts
• University of Bath
• University of Birmingham
• University of Bradford
• University of Brighton
• University of Bristol
• University of Buckingham
• University of Cambridge
• University of Central Lancashire
• University of Chester
• University of Chichester
• University of Derby
• University of Durham
• University of East Anglia
• University of East London
• University of Essex
• University of Exeter
• University of Gloucestershire
• University of Greenwich
• University of Hertfordshire
• University of Huddersfield
• University of Hull
• University of Keele
• University of Kent
• University of Lancaster
• University of Leeds
• University of Leicester
• University of Lincoln
• University of Liverpool
• University of London
• University of Manchester
• University of Newcastle Upon Tyne
• University of Northumbria at Newcastle
• University of Nottingham
• University of Oxford
• University of Plymouth
• University of Portsmouth
• University of Reading
• University of Salford
• University of Sheffield
• University of Southampton
• University of Sunderland
• University of Surrey
• University of Sussex
• University of the Arts London
• University of the West of England, Bristol
• University of Warwick
• University of West London
• University of Westminster
• University of Wolverhampton
• University of Worcester
• University of York
• Writtle Agricultural College
• Writtle University College
• York St John University

United Kingdom – Northern Ireland

• Queen’s University of Belfast
• University of Ulster

United Kingdom – Scotland

• Edinburgh Napier University
• Glasgow Caledonian University
• Glasgow School of Art
• Heriot-Watt University
• Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh
• Robert Gordon University
• Royal Conservatoire of Scotland
• University of Aberdeen
• University of Abertay Dundee
• University of Dundee
• University of Edinburgh
• University of Glasgow
• University of Saint Andrews
• University of Stirling
• University of Strathclyde, Glasgow

United Kingdom – Wales

• Aberystwyth University
• Bangor University
• Cardiff University
• Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama
• Swansea University
• University of South Wales
• University of Wales – Lampeter
• University of Wales Trinity Saint David