Funding Opportunities for Going Abroad

Awards and financial assistance are available to students to help with the cost of going abroad. Further information, as well as application deadlines and eligibility requirements, can be found in the following sections and on the McGill Abroad website.

Government Student Financial Assistance

Students participating in an official McGill exchange program show as registered full-time on their McGill transcript. As such, Canadian students participating in an official McGill exchange program are eligible to apply for government student financial assistance. American students participating in an official McGill exchange are eligible to apply for their federal aid (Title IV U.S. Direct Loans) within certain constraints and are strongly advised to consult the Scholarships and Student Aid Office for more details.

Students who take part in an Independent Study Away (i.e., “study away on their own”) are not eligible to receive government aid through McGill, as they are registered at their host institution. Students should verify with the institution they will be attending whether or not they will be eligible to receive government student financial assistance.

Scholarships and Awards

Students who hold renewable scholarships and/or awards may retain their award for up to one year if they are registered as full-time students at another university. For further information, please refer to the Regulations for Award Recipients under “Term or Year Award for Academic Reasons”, consult the unit who administers the award, or contact studentexchanges@mcgill.ca.

However, please note that only McGill grades are considered for McGill's annual in-course scholarships and awards. Therefore, students who participate in an exchange program will not be eligible to receive these scholarships and awards in the following year.

Mobility Bursaries for Exchanges

The University recognises that the additional costs of going on an official McGill University exchange may be difficult for some students to assume on their own. Thanks to the Quebec government’s Programme de mobilité international et de courts séjours à l’extérieur du Québec (PMICSE), McGill is able to help defray these costs for students who otherwise could not afford to participate. This program is administered by the Scholarships & Student Aid Office, and is based on demonstrated financial need. The application is available to any undergraduate student approved for an eligible exchange semester abroad. Further information, as well as application deadlines and eligibility, can be found on the McGill Abroad website or at Mobility Bursaries for Exchanges.

Enriched Educational Opportunities (EEO) Bursaries

The EEO Bursary Program is administered by the Scholarships & Student Aid Office, to help defray costs or forgone earnings for students who wish to participate in Field Semesters, Field Courses, as well as unpaid off-campus Internships and Research opportunities. Allocation is based on demonstrated financial need. Further information, as well as application information and eligibility requirements can be found on the McGill Abroad website or at EEO Bursaries.