CEECE & Financial Aid 

CEECE is committed to delivering our program at a reasonable fee that can be thousands of dollars less than comparable programs.  We are also committed to helping students use their financial aid to study abroad.  In many cases we will have to certify the number of credits you are taking and your full-time status to your financial aid or study abroad office.  This is normally done with a Consortium Agreement between CEECE and your institution.  We encourage students to be patient and fulfill all the requirements of your institution so you receive the aid you are entitled to!

CEECE Scholarships 

CEECE has scholarships for students with GPA's of 3.30 or higher.  To apply please send a two page typed essay to admissions@ceece.org or to our postal address, postmarked by the due date. The scholarship deadline is the same as the regular application deadline. The essay topic for this season is "Discuss how studying abroad may influence and develop leadership skills.  Do you think there is a difference in leaderships skills and style between someone who has studied abroad and someone who has not? How do you expect that studying abroad will effect your leadership skills and your career plans?" To qualify you must have applied to the program, have a GPA of 3.30 or higher,  paid your deposit,  and sent in your essay by the deadline.  In order to earn a scholarship, your essay must be two typed pages and you must address the themes of the essay topic.  

-Fall or spring $500

-Summer $200

-Prague Winter Intersession $100

Referral Program 

We spend a significant amount of time and effort recruiting students. We would like to reward students who assist in this effort with a referral. Before you can earn a referral you must be a current student or a former student. In order to receive the referral an applicant must put your name on the line of the application that says "Please tell us how you first found out about us" It is that simple!  Referrals are payable after the application deadline and after the student is accepted to the program.

Referrals:

-Fall, Spring, Academic year- $300 

-Summer or Prague Winter Intersession $150  

Financial Aid   

Financing your study abroad experience can be an important part of your study abroad selection process. If you currently receive Financial Aid it should be transferable to our program. Federal law requires that all federal financial aid be transferable for study abroad. Also, if the cost of our program is greater than the cost at your current institution then your financial aid may be adjusted. This may increase the amount of aid you receive or make you eligible for aid in the first place. Students should apply for financial aid through their home institution.

Federal Financial Aid for U.S. citizens and eligible non citizens. 

The U.S. Department of Education's (ED's) Student Financial Assistance (SOFA) programs help students meet postsecondary education costs. They include Stafford Loans • PLUS Loans • Pell Grants • Perkins Loans FSEOG Program and others. Many students do not know that they can use their regular financial aid to study abroad! Federal law states that a student participating in a study abroad program approved by the student's home school is eligible for SFA funds, regardless of whether the program is required for the student's program of study, as long as the student is an eligible regular student enrolled in an eligible program at the home school. All schools participating in SFA's programs are required to establish procedures that ensure that students participating in study-abroad programs receive the SFA funds to which they are entitled! This information can be verified at the U.S. Department of Education's SFA's Information for Financial Aid Professionals (IFAP) web page at http://ifap.ed.gov/IFAPWebApp/topicListPag.jsp?p1=Institutional+Eligibility+And+Participation&p2=Study+Abroad 

If you receive a Pell Grant you are eligible to apply for the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship. This congressionally-funded program is sponsored by the US Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. The program awards grants of up to $5,000 for US-citizen, undergraduate students to pursue study abroad opportunities worldwide. The Gilman Scholarship Program aims to diversify and expand participation in international education by assisting those students who have been traditionally under-represented in US study abroad. This includes, but is not limited to students studying in non-traditional locations outside of Western Europe and Australia, students with high financial need, community college students, students with diverse ethnic backgrounds, students with disabilities, and students of non-traditional age. http://www.iie.org/gilman 

Institutional Aid 

Institutional Aid is money from non-government sources in the form of grants, scholarships or loans; that your college or university administers or controls. Each institution has its own policy on whether you can use your institutional aid to study abroad. Many institutions allow students to use all of their institutional financial aid to study abroad. Others go a step further and have special scholarships or grants for study abroad! This is what progressive institutions do. Some institutions allow institutional aid to be used only on programs that they sponsor or run, which helps them keep their study abroad programs full. A few institutions do not allow any institutional aid to be used for study abroad. Its a sad situation, but it depends on the institutions priorities for study abroad. Remember, your institution can deny the use of your institutional aid for study abroad, but they can not deny the use of your Federal Financial Aid for study abroad. 

Other Financial Aid and Scholarships There are many other sources of private financial aid available. Student are encouraged to search the Internet and contact local community organizations for other financial aid opportunities. Here is a link to some other opportunities at studyabroad.com http://www.studyabroad.com/forum/financial_aid.html