How to Study Abroad for Free or Cheap

Studying abroad can be the experience of a lifetime but it can also come with a hefty price tag. Luckily, there are more than a few options to cut costs and bring down your overall expenses making study abroad more accessible.

If you've ever wondered, "How can I study abroad for free?" then read on to find out how!

A completely free study abroad experience is possible with hard work and planning. There are indeed countries that offer free tuition to international students but you’ll still need to cover living costs. By combining several of the methods explained below, or winning a full-ride scholarship or grant, you can ensure all your costs are totally covered.

Keep in mind, funding is often very competitive and you’ll need to invest a lot of time and effort into completing applications. Perseverance pays off!

It may come as a huge surprise but there are countries that offer free tuition – even for international students! Free tuition is usually associated solely with public universities. These institutions sometimes charge a few hundred dollars a semester or year in fees to cover administrative costs or amenities. For example, in Germany, your semester fees generally cover a bus pass for the city or region.

Some countries to consider that offer free tuition to international students include:

• Germany
• Argentina
• Brazil
• Panama
• Iceland
• Greenland

Before you consider a tuition-free university abroad, make sure that you:

• Enroll directly: To study abroad for free, you’ll need to enroll in the university directly. This means applying to the university, getting a visa, and securing your own housing abroad. This path takes a considerable amount of legwork but if you’re on a tight budget, it can save you some serious cash.
• Confirm that the credits will transfer: Go over your plans in detail with your university’s study abroad advisor. You don’t want to come back from your study abroad only to realize none of your credits were accepted at your home university.
• Speak the language at the level required: Some universities in non-English speaking countries offer undergraduate programs partially or completely in English but many don’t. If you’re a language student wanting to fulfill some language credits abroad, then this might be the perfect fit!
• Have enough money for living costs: The tuition may be free but everything else is not (unless you snag outside funding). Most countries will require international students to demonstrate they have a minimum bank balance to support themselves for the length of their study.

You don't have to break the bank just to continue your studies overseas. By setting a clear budget, picking an affordable study abroad program, and opting for a destination with a low cost of living, you can make your study abroad dreams a reality!

Get started by exploring some of these popular and affordable study abroad regions and countries, based on the average monthly cost of living and average tuition fees per semester for direct enrollment.

Latin America is an all-around fantastic choice to find numerous countries with a low cost of living and free or cheap tuition costs. A good reason to brush up on your español!

You may not think "cheap" when you think of Europe but there are indeed a handful of countries with affordable costs of living and low tuition costs when compared with the US.

Studying abroad in Asia can be very affordable if you know where to look! Here are three fabulous countries where you can make your money go far as a study abroad student.

Many African nations have an affordable cost of living. This paired with reasonable tuition fees makes Africa a great place to study abroad for budget-conscious students.

Source for cost of living figures: Numbeo

Governments around the world offer funding opportunities to students. Your country of citizenship is a good place to start looking for scholarships, but foreign countries have scholarships for international students, too!

• DAAD: Scholarships and grants for international undergraduates and graduate students in Germany. Tuition is already mostly free in Germany so a scholarship can help cover other associated costs.
• Swedish Institute: Fully-funded scholarships for international students interested in earning a master’s degree in Sweden.
• Boren Scholarships: Funding for US students enrolled in an associate’s or bachelor’s degree program to study critical languages abroad for a minimum of 12 weeks.
• Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program: Study abroad funding for US undergraduates demonstrating financial need through the US Department of State.
• Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters: European program extended to US master's students who want to study both in the US and Europe. This competitive program provides scholarship money for travel, visas, and a living allowance to the most qualified applicants.

This list isn’t exhaustive so be sure to research the opportunities available to international students through the government in your study abroad destination!

Individual universities abroad often offer merit-based or need-based financial aid to attract international students. Check with the universities you’re interested in to see if funding is available.

A good place to start if you’re interested in studying in Europe is this resource from the European Commission. Here you can find links to over 100,000 country-specific scholarships for international students to universities across the continent.

Study abroad third-party providers also give out millions of dollars to students each year who go abroad with one of their programs. Some of these opportunities include:

• API
• CEA CAPA
• AIFS Abroad
• TEAN full-ride scholarship

If you’re a member of a historically underserved group in education abroad, diversity and inclusion scholarships exist to level the playing field in international ed. These are available through universities, government, or third-party program providers like AIFS who offer a Diversity Achievement Scholarship.

Read more: 11 Secrets to Winning Study Abroad Scholarships

If you’re a US student who’s a recipient of a Pell Grant, you may be able to put some of this money toward study abroad. Your university’s financial aid office can help guide you through the process.

Third-party providers are also happy to work with students to make sure their Pell Grant helps cover study abroad. Some even provide additional money! SIT Study Abroad has a Pell Grant Match program that matches up to $2,500 for semester programs or $1,000 for summer. If you find a third-party program you’re interested in, be sure to inquire about opportunities for Pell Grant recipients.

Graduating undergraduate seniors and graduate students with focused research interests can consider applying to a fellowship program. One of the most prestigious and competitive is the Fulbright US Student Program. Fulbright awards are available for most countries worldwide.

Applications require a detailed research or study plan. Because Fulbrighters are considered cultural ambassadors, projects often need to demonstrate their relevance or potential contribution to strengthening ties between the US and the destination country.

In the Fulbright program, you’ll receive health insurance and a grant to cover living and research costs while abroad. Depending on the country, you may also receive funding for language study, books and materials, and tuition. At the end of your fellowship, you’ll be granted a year of Non-Competitive Eligibility (NCE) hiring status, making it potentially easier to land a job in the federal government.

Some other Fulbright fellowships to explore include the Fulbright-John Lewis Civil Rights Fellowship and the Fulbright-Fogarty Fellowships in Public Health.

Exchange programs give you a chance to go abroad during your undergraduate study while paying the same tuition as usual to your home university. This slightly limits your choice based on the universities your institution partners with, but it’s a great opportunity to make study abroad more accessible (and covered by your financial aid if you have it).

• ISEP (International Student Exchange Programs): If your university is partnered with ISEP, you can study abroad at any university in their network located in over 40 countries.
• Semester exchange at your university: University exchange programs allow students to pay their normal university tuition while swapping with a foreign student at a select partner university. For students who pay in-state tuition, this can be a great value.

Although it can be complicated for international students to work while studying abroad, many popular destinations do allow employment part-time. These countries include Canada, the UK, Ireland, Spain, France, Germany, Australia, New Zealand, and more. Generally, students are allowed to work up to 20 hours a week during term time and 40 hours a week during school holidays.

Although you shouldn’t go abroad with zero savings and try to support yourself entirely with a part-time job, your earnings can be a great supplement to everyday living costs.

Alternatively, working holiday visa countries generally allow study alongside full-time or part-time employment. These programs usually last for a year and can be a good gap year year option.

Are you part of a supportive community? Do you belong to any faith-based or cultural groups? Do you have a large but close extended family? If you answered yes to any of these things, crowdfunding may be a good avenue to explore to raise some funds for your study abroad experience.

If you can market your summer, semester, or year abroad as part of a greater plan, others will be more likely to contribute. Think about highlighting the following ideas:

• Volunteering: Lay out any plans to serve the local community in your study destination overseas. Show potential donors that you’re not just there to party!
• Interning: Getting a leg up in this job market is crucial! Explain how study abroad can contribute to your professional success.
• Language learning: Even if you’re not focusing on foreign language during your study abroad, language learning goals are a great addition to enhance immersion and impact.
• Being the first: Whether you’re the first in your family to go to college or the first person in your town to study abroad, you’re doing big things!

People like to be generous when they believe their donations make an impact. Regardless of how much money you raise, it’s a good idea to start a blog or post updates on social media to show donors how meaningful their contribution was.

If studying abroad is a nonnegotiable part of your college experience, start planning in advance. Make a list of your dream destinations and their associated costs. This will give you an idea of a rough monetary goal.

Create a spreadsheet to track both spending and savings. Cutting out things here and there to save more for study abroad may be a bummer in the moment but I can guarantee you’ll have no regrets while sipping a coffee in a Parisian cafe or belting out that T. Swift song with new friends in a Seoul karaoke bar.

Even if you only work summers or part-time, set aside whatever money you can – every little bit helps!

While financial aid isn’t free money and does need to be paid back (with interest), it can be money well-spent if carefully planned and used on a low-cost program.

The majority of study abroad programs run by third-party providers accept federal student loan money. If you’re wary about enrolling directly in a university abroad including handling all of the paperwork on your own, you can always simply opt for a study abroad program on the less expensive side.

Prices are also lower overall for short-term and summer study abroad programs so don't forget to consider those when researching your options.

Whichever free or cheap way you choose to study abroad, taking full advantage of the opportunities afforded to you is the best way to offset the cost. The memories you make overseas will be priceless!