Consortium - Study Abroad Agreements
- A Consortium/Study Abroad agreement is a written agreement between two schools. For financial aid purposes, it is done so that the two schools, the home school in this case Columbia, and the host school the abroad or visited school, agree on which school will process and receive financial aid for a particular student. This is important because only one school at a time can receive federal financial aid for a student. This agreement allows students completing a dual enrollment or study abroad program to receive their full aid eligibility.
- Example: A student taking 9 hours at Columbia would receive part-time aid and if they where simultaneously taking 3 hrs at another school they would not receive aid for those three hours. Under a consortium agreement, a student taking 9 hours at Columbia the home school and 3 hours at a host school the student's financial aid eligibility would be determined by the 12 combined hours. A student studying abroad and not enrolled at their home school for any hours also has the option of receiving aid under an agreement.
- In order to set up a consortium agreement a form must be filled out. After the SFS office at Columbia receives the completed form and documentation, SFS will process, receive and distribute a student's aid after deducting any fees that student may have at Columbia . It is the student's responsibility to pay the host institution with the refund check received by Columbia .
- For more information please contact an SFS counselor.