Whether you are studying off campus today, next semester, or next year, the Financial Aid Office is happy to answer your questions about financial aid for off-campus study.

Please read the information on this page.  If you have questions after reviewing our FAQs, feel free to contact Assistant Director of Financial Aid Brandee Norwood at financialaidoffice@davidson.edu or at 704-894-2232.

Important Deadlines

Regardless of the other deadlines that may apply to your specific program, or to your application with the Office of Education Abroad and Away, please be sure to complete your financial aid application by the priority, returning-student deadline of February 15, as well as our electronic Off-Campus Financial Aid Agreement by the relevant deadline noted below:

TERM OFF CAMPUS AGREEMENT DUE DATE
Fall & Both Terms  March 15
Spring  November 15

Also, please be sure that your bank account information is updated with the Controller's Office prior to your departure, as any credit refunds will be deposited into the bank account on file.

Continue reading for more information about how financial aid works for off-campus study.

All Students: What to Know Before You Go

No matter where you choose to study, you're bound to have an amazing educational experience.  Being prepared, by reading the information here and on the Education Abroad website, will help you make the most of your study-away opportunity while minimizing any "bumps in the road"!

Are You Receiving an Athletic Scholarship?

If so, please contact Davidson’s NCAA Compliance Director Katy McNay (kamcnay@davidson.edu) about your off-campus study plans.

Home Tuition Policy

In order to remain continuously enrolled at Davidson, even when studying off campus you will pay the “home tuition” to Davidson ($29,755/semester for 2023-2024). The Controller's Office will coordinate with the Office of Education Abroad and Away to pay the host program’s tuition on your behalf. No refund will be issued for any difference that may exist between Davidson’s tuition and the off-campus program’s tuition, as Davidson’s tuition is factored into your full cost of attendance, and your aid is based on that figure. You should expect to receive two billing statements: one from Davidson’s Controller's Office (for tuition) and another from your off-campus study program (for all non-tuition/transcript costs).



If you are not currently receiving financial aid that exceeds the cost of Davidson's tuition, the non-tuition/transcript costs of your program (i.e., housing, food, transportation, and miscellaneous or personal expenses) will be covered by your family contribution. If you are currently receiving financial aid that exceeds the cost of Davidson's tuition, any "excess" aid may be refunded to you to help cover the other, non-tuition costs of your program.  If you will be relying on financial aid to pay a partner program’s non-tuition charges, please be aware that many programs will defer your payment for housing and food charges until your financial aid is disbursed and any credit refund can be issued to you.  In such cases you would request the program’s payment deferral form and forward it directly to Brandee Norwood at financialaidoffice@davidson.edu.  If it is needed, a payment deferral form should be requested as early as possible—potentially even before the partner program's bill is issued—as that will help you avoid any last-minute issues or delays that might affect your participation in the program.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much aid should I expect to receive?

  • Federal, State, and Davidson College need-based aid: As in any year, your eligibility for need-based aid is determined based on the FAFSA and/or CSS Profile. Once your Expected Family Contribution (EFC) has been calculated, and a financial aid offer issued, need-based aid that's not needed to pay the cost of Davidson's tuition may be transferred toward the cost of an off-campus study program. If your program—including the cost of Davidson’s “home tuition”—is more expensive than Davidson’s on-campus cost, you will be responsible for paying the difference. However, if your program cost is less than or equal to Davidson’s on-campus cost, your EFC would remain the same as if you were on campus. Because the EFC remains constant, if your program cost is less than Davidson’s on-campus cost, your aid will be reduced.
  • Federal or Private Loans: Regardless of whether or not you receive other aid, you may have eligibility to use federal and/or private loans for your off-campus study program during the academic year.
  • Federal Work Study: Students will not be eligible to participate in the work study program when studying off campus, so no work study award will be included in an aid offer for a semester off campus.  Davidson will not increase other aid to make up for this loss.

What if I’m participating in a Davidson scholarship program that covers specific costs?

Below are details about some of our scholarship programs. If you have questions about a scholarship not listed, please contact Brandee Norwood at financialaidoffice@davidson.edu.

  • Belk, Charles, Duke, and Terry Scholars: Students receiving these non-need-based awards will continue to have their "home tuition" covered by their scholarships.  Other, non-tuition costs (i.e., housing, food, transportation, books/supplies, personal expenses) will be covered to whatever extent they would have been covered on campus, up to the total of Davidson's usual (on-campus) allowances for those same expenses. No refunds will be issued based solely on off-campus costs being less than on-campus allowances, and off-campus costs greater than on-campus allowances will be the student's responsibility. For more information, contact scholarships@davidson.edu.
  • Bonner Scholars: If they are able to continue to meet Bonner program requirements, Bonner Scholars may continue to receive their stipends while studying off campus. To learn more, contact Christina Eggenberger (cheggenberger@davidson.edu).
  • QuestBridge Match Scholars: QuestBridge Match Scholars will continue to have their "home tuition" covered by their scholarships. Other, non-tuition costs (i.e., housing, food, transportation, books/supplies, personal expenses) will be covered up to the total of Davidson's usual (on-campus) allowances for those same expenses. No refunds will be issued based solely on off-campus costs being less than on-campus allowances, and off-campus costs greater than on-campus allowances will be the student's responsibility. Scholars should contact financialaidoffice@davidson.edu if they have questions.
  • Posse Scholars: Posse Scholars will continue to have their “home tuition” paid when studying off campus. Other, non-tuition costs (i.e., housing, food, transportation, books/supplies, personal expenses) will be covered to whatever extent they would have been covered on campus, up to the total of Davidson's usual (on-campus) allowances for those same expenses. No refunds will be issued based solely on off-campus costs being less than on-campus allowances, and off-campus costs greater than on-campus allowances will be the student's responsibility.  Please contact financialaidoffice@davidson.edu with questions.

When will I receive my financial aid offer?

To assist students as they finalize their travel plans, the Financial Aid Office works to expedite financial aid offers for all students studying off campus. However, we can only prepare an aid offer if a student’s financial aid application is complete. Students should check their Davidson College applicant portal to verify that all required items have been submitted. Students with complete applications will receive their offers by June 1. Students will receive an e-mail notification when their aid offers have been prepared.

How and when will my aid disburse to my tuition account?

Once students arrive at their host program and the add/drop period ends, each student is responsible for having their program administrator submit verification of enrollment. We will send a reminder near the time of the add/drop deadline.  If your aid exceeds the charge for Davidson's tuition, you may request a refund from your tuition account through Banner Self Service.  The credit refund may then be used to cover your non-tuition-related expenses.  Funds may take 7-10 business days to disburse, so it will be important that your verification of enrollment is submitted timely.

What if I receive an outside scholarship?

Davidson’s outside resource policy remains largely the same for students who are participating in off-campus study programs. Students will generally receive direct benefit of up to $5,000 from outside resources in any year in which such external funds are received. Outside resources first reduce any work Student Employment award, then the Expected Family Contribution, before Davidson aid would be reduced.  If your off-campus study costs are greater than costs on campus, and if you have outside resources totaling more than $5,000, any "excess" resource may be applied toward the greater-than-usual costs for your program.  It is still the case, though, that any funds that cannot be expended in the manner outlined above would reduce Davidson College aid, and all sources of aid together may not exceed a student's total cost of attendance.

What if I can’t afford the program deposit or airfare?

As a general rule, Davidson does not provide financial aid advances. Students should first contact their program provider to see if the deposit may be deferred or waived. If not, or if covering the cost of airfare is problematic, please contact Donna Baysinger in the Controller's Office (dobaysinger@davidson.edu).

Contact

Brandee Norwood is the primary Financial Aid Office contact regarding off-campus study. If you have additional questions after reviewing the information found here, please feel free to reach out to Ms. Norwood at financialaidoffice@davidson.edu or at 704-894-2232.