Study abroad and exchange students
Many different arrangements exist for the payment of bills, depending on various factors:
- whether you are a participant in a reciprocal exchange program between your university and Lancaster,
- if so, which costs (tuition, room, food) are included in the exchange,
- whether your home school has an arrangement through which they will be billing you for your study abroad program and then paying Lancaster directly,
- if so, which costs (tuition, room, food) are included in the arrangement,
- whether any part of your Lancaster costs will be covered by financial aid which will be sent directly to Lancaster.
It is your responsibility to find out which payment arrangements apply to you, to make sure that you understand how these work and to be prepared to pay directly to Lancaster when billed for any charges which are not covered by other arrangements.
- Billing: You will not receive any bills from Lancaster before you leave home. Unless other special arrangements have been made such as those listed above, you will be billed for tuition and residence during your first month at Lancaster. You will need to have enough money with you to cover these costs, or to have made other documented arrangements to do so.
- Special Payment Arrangements: Contact the study abroad advisor at your home school to find out whether any special arrangements exist for your school to be billed by Lancaster for your tuition and/or residence and food. Many North American institutions already have such an arrangement. If your school does not, but wishes to establish one, your advisor should contact the International Office.
- Tuition: Tuition for the entire period you will be at Lancaster is payable in full two to three weeks after registration. Unless your home school has an arrangement for paying your tuition, or you are on a reciprocal exchange programme, you will receive a tuition bill through the campus mail. Pay at the Finance Office on B floor in University House as soon as you are billed.
- Residence: Unless your home school has an arrangement for paying your residence, or you are on a reciprocal exchange programme which includes residence, you will be billed for residence in January for Lent term and in April for Summer term rents. The bill will be sent to you through the campus mail during the first few weeks of each term. Pay as directed by your College Residence Officer. Precise residence costs cannot be listed here because room charges vary slightly based on the type of room provided.
North American Study Abroad Students - Financial Aid
Financial Aid: If you expect any part of your Lancaster fees to be covered by financial aid, be sure to obtain information in writing from your school’s financial aid advisor or study on how and when this aid will be provided. Inform Lancaster in advance about these arrangements and bring all relevant information with you, including the name, title, address, phone number and e-mail address of your financial aid adviser. In the past, some students have experienced problems with the aid not arriving early enough. This has caused a great deal of stress for students, parents and advisers. Make sure you know when your aid will be arriving so that you can make contingency plans to pay your bills and cover your expenses if necessary.