Chapter:
4 - Money Matters

Money Matters

UCEAP ACCOUNT

HOW TO VIEW ACCOUNT ACTIVITY

UC Education Abroad Program (UCEAP) financial account activity is available in your UCEAP Portal. Your UCEAP account is separate from your UC campus account—they are not linked. Through the UCEAP Portal, you can view your UCEAP program fees, reported financial aid, payments, disbursements/refunds, and account balances. To view your account activity, navigate to the Finances section within your UCEAP Portal account.

To receive checks, notifications, and direct deposits —please maintain your current contact information in your UCEAP Portal and sign up for eRefund. If you are signed up for eRefund on your UC campus, you still must sign up with UCEAP—UC campus eRefund is not linked to your UCEAP account.

Even if you do not expect to receive a disbursement, it is highly recommended that you sign up for eRefund.

If you are not enrolled in eRefund, your disbursements are mailed to your financial address on file as a paper check, and you will need to arrange for someone to check your mail and deposit your disbursement checks while you are attending the UCEAP program. To ensure you receive disbursements, update your US financial address and email in your UCEAP Portal. Do not use your campus mailing address.

Electronic Notifications

UCEAP will email you a courtesy billing notice before the final payment due date and it is sent to the email address you enter in your UCEAP Portal. You will not receive a paper billing statement. Check your email and UCEAP Portal accounts regularly for notifications and account balance. For more information on payment due dates, check below your account information on your UCEAP Portal Fees and Payments page.

Third-Party Release of Financial Information

If parents, guardians, or anyone else in your support network would like to discuss your UCEAP billing account status, you will need to set them up as an authorized third party. Find instructions for third-party setup in the Predeparture section of your UCEAP Portal (Predeparture > Requirements > Finance Authorization Forms).

UCEAP requires your permission to discuss your account with others. By law under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), UCEAP staff cannot discuss your financial information with anyone other than you—not even your parents—without your written permission.

PROGRAM COSTS

Understanding the Estimated Budget

The UCEAP Estimated Budget outlines both your program fees and personal expenses. It is a valuable tool to help you calculate anticipated program costs, ensuring that you are financially prepared to attend your program. You can find the Estimated Budget in your UCEAP Portal account under the Finances section.

The Estimated Budget is divided into three sections:

SECTION 1: ESTIMATED BUDGET

  • Miscellaneous Campus Fees: These campus fees are set by your home campus. UCEAP collects them on behalf of your campus and returns the funds to your campus. Please contact your campus for questions regarding these fees.
  • UCEAP Fees: Fees related to your participation in a UCEAP program, including the UCEAP Participation Fee and Program-Specific Fee. This section may also contain UCEAP Mandatory Travel Insurance, Student Services and Activities, housing, meals, lab fees, and internship, depending on the program.
  • UC Fees: UC Tuition, Student Services, Nonresident Supplemental Tuition (NRST), and Graduate Fees.
  • Note for NRST: If you are typically assessed NRST while attending your home UC campus, UCEAP will collect these fees while you are on the program and return them to your UC campus. NRST is based on the UCEAP term you are attending (semesters or quarters), not the terms of your home campus. For example, if you attend a quarter-based UC campus but participate in a UCEAP fall semester program, you will be assessed UC NRST based on the semester UC fee schedule.
  • Note for NRST and Graduate fees: UCEAP collects these on behalf of your home UC campus and returns the funds to them.
  • Changes in Fees: The tuition, fees, and charges posted to your UCEAP Portal are estimates based on currently approved amounts. These figures may not be final. Actual tuition, fees, and charges are subject to change by the Regents of the University of California and could be affected by state funding reductions. Final approved tuition and fee levels (and thus your final balance due) may differ from the amounts shown. You will be notified via email if a change in fees occurs, and you will have 30 days from the date the email is sent to bring your UCEAP account balance current.
  • Cohort Fee updates: UCEAP applies UC Tuition, Student Services, and NRST fees based on the date information you enter on your UCEAP application in the Academic Information section (term and academic year entered UC). At a later date, UCEAP will update the amount assessed when your home campus registrar confirms your tuition cohort. Updates may occur after the final payment date.
  • Estimated Personal Expenses: These expenses are paid directly to outside providers or host institutions—they are not collected by, or paid to, UCEAP.
  • The estimate for personal expenses is crafted with a conservative student lifestyle in mind, aiming to offer a practical minimum projection of the personal costs linked to the program. To facilitate the financial aid process, UC Financial Aid mandates a comprehensive budget that enables the packaging of financial aid for the entire estimated program expense. Notably, this estimate excludes costs related to recreational travel, entertainment, and alcohol.
  • The UCEAP Estimated Budget costs are calculated using an exchange rate based on the economic forecast for the program term. You may want to do your own research into current exchange rates.
  • The Estimated Airfare is based on the cost of a round-trip plane ticket. UCEAP does not recommend purchasing a one-way ticket.
  • If you receive financial aid, you will need to purchase a plane ticket and pay other predeparture expenses, such as housing deposits, visa fees, passport, and required medications before you receive a financial aid disbursement. Please plan to have enough funds to cover these expenses.

SECTION 2: PAYMENT SCHEDULE

Your payment due dates and amounts are in this section.

SECTION 3: WITHDRAWAL FEES

Any predeparture withdrawal fees associated with your program will be in this section. Please pay careful attention to the deadlines and amounts. Most third-party fees are nonrefundable—regardless of your reason for withdrawal.

PAYMENTS

Making Payments

Check the payment schedule in your UCEAP Portal for details on how much to pay, when it is due, and how to pay. Monitor your account balance and make payments anytime through your UCEAP Portal.

For summer, fall, and spring programs, there are two payment deadlines. Look up the deadlines on your payment schedule in the Estimated Budget on your UCEAP Portal account under Finances. Remember to share these dates with the person handling your UCEAP fee payments. After program fees are posted to your Fees and Payments section, you can log in to your UCEAP Portal to check your balance.

UCEAP will send you an email before payment deadlines, but remember, it is your job to pay on time, even if you do not get a reminder. UCEAP uses the email address you provide in your UCEAP Portal, so make sure it is one you check often or have your UC email forwarded to an address you keep an eye on. As a participant, make sure you stick to the UCEAP payment deadlines.

If there are any fee changes after the payment due date, UCEAP usually sends you an email. You will have 30 days from that email to get your UCEAP account balance up to date.

FIRST PAYMENT

  • The first payment is $950 and is due to the UCEAP Systemwide Office by your predeparture withdrawal deadline. See your UCEAP Portal Estimated Budget for the first payment due date.
  • You are responsible for the first payment unless you are a financial aid student expecting any grants, scholarships, or loans to be sent to UCEAP. Your UCEAP Portal will automatically be assessed a late payment fee for the first payment, which will be reversed when UCEAP receives your financial aid.

FINAL PAYMENT

The final payment amount may vary for each student depending on payments received, financial aid transactions, and program fee adjustments. Please check your UCEAP Portal Fees and Payments for the balance due. If all fees are not assessed on your account on the date your final payment is due, an additional notification will be sent once all fees have been applied. You will have 30 days from the date the email is sent to bring your UCEAP account balance up to date.

Please contact your campus financial aid office if your expected financial aid has not been posted to your UCEAP Portal before the final payment due date. If your expected financial aid covers the balance due, no payment is required by the due date. If your expected financial aid only partially covers the balance due, you must make a payment for the difference by the final payment deadline—even if your financial aid has not been posted to your UCEAP Portal.

If some or all of your aid is sent directly to you and is to be used toward your UCEAP balance due, then you will need to submit payment by the due date or enroll in an Extended Payment Plan.

Debts While Abroad

You are responsible for paying your debts while on the program. Registration holds or blocks will be issued at your UC campus if you do not meet your financial obligations. Leaving unpaid debts while on the program reflects poorly on the University of California. If you leave unpaid charges to a host university, you are also subject to disciplinary, financial, and academic penalties imposed by the University of California.

Extended Payment Plan

The UCEAP Extended Payment Plan (EPP) allows you to pay your UCEAP program fees over an extended period without interest.

Email studentfinance@uceap.universityofcalifornia.edu to sign up for an EPP.

A nonrefundable EPP fee of $25 will be assessed to your UCEAP student account upon enrollment in the EPP.

An EPP requires a first payment of at least 50 percent of the balance due, with two additional payments of 25 percent each before the program ends. Each payment must be made according to the due dates reflected on the EPP and be paid in full by the end of the program. Signing an EPP does not fulfill your program financial obligations until the outstanding balance is paid in full. A student is only eligible for participation in a subsequent UCEAP program once outstanding balances are paid in full. Failure to make payments per EPP terms will result in a hold being placed on UC registration and services. A $50 late payment fee may be assessed for late EPP payments. One overdue payment may affect eligibility for future participation in a payment plan. Two overdue payments may cancel the EPP, and the balance must be paid in full.

FINANCIAL AID

Working with the Financial Aid Office

Contact your campus financial aid office for scholarship/loan requirements and procedures. Because you remain enrolled at UC while you are on UCEAP, you retain eligibility for both Federal and UC financial aid.

For financial aid application forms (FAFSA), scholarship and loan applications, procedures, academic requirements, and deadlines for the following year, contact your campus financial aid office.

The current academic requirements for financial aid are to carry a minimum load of 36 quarter/24 semester UC units as an undergraduate or 24 UC units as a graduate student during the academic year. Each UC campus or department may have additional requirements.

If you do not have the financial resources to participate in UCEAP, visit your campus financial aid counselor in charge of UCEAP students.

Inform the financial aid counselor that you are a UCEAP participant. Ensure that all the financial aid files and documents you submit indicate your UCEAP status, including reference to the correct UCEAP program. The campus financial aid office will determine your financial aid eligibility. If financial aid is granted, you are responsible for completing all procedures required by the financial aid office before departure.

File all financial aid forms by the early deadlines as if you were going to remain at your home UC campus. Your campus financial aid office will package your financial aid according to the UCEAP Estimated Budget. You will need to accept the aid you choose on your home UC financial aid account. Your campus financial aid office will send your financial aid information to UCEAP once you have done so, and UCEAP will apply the aid to your UCEAP account.

Travel Costs

The estimated round-trip airfare amount is based on the cost of changeable airfare to your program destination. If your independent travel costs are greater than the travel estimate in the UCEAP Estimated Budget, notify your financial aid counselors. Neither UCEAP nor your campus financial aid office can guarantee the additional cost will be funded by financial aid.

If you receive financial aid, you will need to purchase your tickets before you receive a financial aid disbursement.

UCEAP strongly recommends purchasing changeable round-trip fares. Carefully research airfare rules before buying a ticket and plan for this expense. Neither UCEAP nor the financial aid office will reserve or pay for your ticket.

Late Payment Fees

If your first payment is deferred because you receive financial aid, you will automatically be assessed a late payment fee for that payment, which will be reversed when UCEAP receives your financial aid.

If the financial aid reported to UCEAP by your campus financial aid office covers the amount of the first and second payments by the second payment due date, you will not be assessed a late payment fee for the second payment.

If some or all of your financial aid is sent directly to you, for example a Parent Loan for Undergraduate Student (PLUS) or an outside agency scholarship/grant, and is to be used toward your balance due, then you’ll need to submit payment by the due date or enroll in an EPP by the final payment due date or you’ll be assessed a late payment fee.

If your financial aid reported to UCEAP by your campus financial aid office does not cover the amount of the entire student account balance, you will need to make a payment to cover the difference by the final payment due date. If you do not make that payment, you will be assessed a late payment fee for the final payment. You are responsible for calculating the difference between your financial aid and the total amount due to UCEAP.

If your financial aid is reported to UCEAP after the final payment due date, and satisfies the balance due, the late payment fee for the final payment will be reversed.

If your financial aid is revised, resulting in a balance due to UCEAP, you will be notified by email and will have 30 days from the date the email is sent to pay the balance. If you do not make the payment by the due date, you will be assessed a late payment fee, and a registration hold or block will be issued at your UC campus.

Financial Aid Disbursements

In keeping with federal regulations, the first financial aid disbursement for all programs will be requested approximately 10 calendar days before the program’s official UCEAP start date. You must sign up for eRefund before this date to receive your disbursement as a direct deposit. Verify that your confirmed financial aid has been reported to UCEAP by logging in to your UCEAP Portal. If your aid is not reflected on your Fees and Payments page and it is two weeks before your departure date, contact your UC campus financial aid counselor to confirm that your financial aid has been forwarded to UCEAP. Dates of disbursement are contingent upon your campus financial aid office reporting your financial aid package to UCEAP.

UCEAP disbursement request dates differ from those on your UC campus. The UCEAP eRefund system is separate from any existing direct deposit you have with your UC campus.

UCEAP Student Finance may distribute financial aid disbursements while you are on the program. Your campus financial aid office must notify UCEAP in writing of the financial aid awarded for UCEAP participation. All confirmed financial aid awards sent to UCEAP are credited to your UCEAP student account. Exceptions may include:

  • PLUS loans,
  • Graduate fellowships
  • Departmental grants
  • Outside agency scholarships
  • Bank loans

These funds may be distributed directly to you, depending on what disbursement method you have chosen with the awarding department or bank in the case of loans. Unaccepted or estimated financial aid awards are not credited to your UCEAP Portal.

UCEAP program fees are deducted from financial aid, and the remaining credit balance is disbursed according to your program disbursement date. By default, a paper check is mailed to the financial address listed in your UCEAP Portal. You have the option to receive your disbursement by direct deposit. To do so, you must successfully enroll in eRefund with UCEAP. Please see UCEAP eRefund instructions in your UCEAP Portal for further details.

Occasionally, receipt of financial aid disbursements can be delayed due to financial aid timing issues. Examples of delays may include awards not accepted on your UC campus financial aid account, FAFSA audit of your records by the financial aid office, or a change in your Expected Family Contribution. Plan to have adequate backup funds should delays occur. Disbursements can be viewed in your UCEAP Portal once they have been processed.

Financial Aid Revisions

If your financial aid is revised at any time, including after completion or withdrawal from the program, you will need to repay UCEAP excess financial aid that was disbursed to you. You will be notified via email and will have 30 days from the date the email is sent to pay the balance. You will be assessed a late payment fee if you do not make the payment by that due date, and a registration hold or block will be issued at your UC campus.

Federal Direct Loans

You must complete a Master Promissory Note and Entrance Counseling Session for loans at your UC campus. Your campus financial aid office commits the net amount of your loans for the terms you attend a UCEAP program. These funds will be applied toward your program fees. If there is a remaining credit balance, it will be disbursed with all other aid in accordance with the financial aid disbursement schedule for the program. Your lender will notify you quarterly that the funds have been disbursed to your UC campus. Unless this is a new loan, the funds will have already been applied toward your UCEAP program fees.

Parent Loans (PLUS)

There are varying disbursement possibilities for approved Parent Loan for Undergraduate Student (PLUS) applications. UCEAP advises borrowers to verify the expected method of disbursement with the campus financial aid office upon loan approval and plan accordingly. PLUS loans can be disbursed by the campus financial aid office directly to your parents’ address or applied directly to your UCEAP account. Confirm with your campus financial aid counselor how these funds will be disbursed and the amounts. If the funds are being disbursed by the campus financial aid office, confirm the disbursement dates of them. If the funds are being applied directly to your UCEAP account, your campus financial aid office commits the net amount of your loans for the terms you will be abroad. If there is a remaining credit balance after the funds are applied to your account, it will be disbursed with all other aid in accordance with the financial aid disbursement schedule for the program.

Fee Waivers

Veteran Benefits

Veteran fee waivers apply to the following fees: UC Student Services, UC Tuition, Pre-Intensive Language Program (pre-ILP) and Intensive Language Program (ILP) Tuition fees, and UCEAP Participation fees. All other fees will remain your responsibility. Submit a copy of the confirmation of benefits award letter for the current academic year to the UCEAP Student Finance unit. A separate letter is required for each academic year you participate in UCEAP.

If you have other veteran benefits, contact your campus financial aid office and campus Veterans Affairs Office to confirm eligibility at UCEAP.

Department of Rehabilitation and Graduate Fellowship Benefits

Have the Department of Rehabilitation or Graduate Division representative contact UCEAP Student Finance to coordinate payment.

Stanford Tuition Grant

The Stanford Tuition Grant will cover the following fees: UC Student Services, UC Tuition, UCEAP participation, pre-ILP and ILP fees, and campus fees. Submit a copy of the Stanford Tuition Grant award letter to UCEAP Student Finance. A separate letter is required for each academic year you participate in UCEAP.

Los Alamos Laboratory

Employees of the UC Los Alamos Laboratory are charged in-state tuition fees. Submit a letter from the Human Resources department confirming employment and academic year of coverage to UCEAP Student Finance.

eRefund Direct Deposit

To receive your disbursement refund as a direct deposit, you must sign up for eRefund on your UCEAP Portal. Review the eRefund Direct Deposit instructions before you sign up in your UCEAP Portal.

UCEAP disbursements are processed through a different system than your UC campus direct deposit, so you must set up a separate direct deposit with UCEAP. UCEAP disbursements are processed through the UC Santa Barbara Accounting Office. Due to federal regulations, UCEAP cannot disburse funds to foreign banking institutions or investment accounts.

Your eRefund becomes effective immediately and will remain in effect until you cancel it through your UCEAP Portal. If the eRefund is declined due to incorrect account information, you will receive email instructions from UCEAP on how to resolve the matter. If you do not resolve the matter, your disbursement will be issued as a paper check. Your check will be mailed from UCSB (University of California, Santa Barbara) to the US financial address you have on record in your UCEAP Portal.

If you have authorized a third party for online payments and information release, they will be able to change your banking information.

FEES AND PENALTIES

Withdrawal Fees

UCEAP Fees

You will be assessed the UCEAP Withdrawal fee of $500 if you withdraw voluntarily, are administratively withdrawn, or are dismissed after the predeparture withdrawal deadline for your program. The predeparture withdrawal deadline is noted in the Predeparture section of your UCEAP Portal.

Third-Party Fees

As stated in the Student Agreement, additional penalties, including unrecoverable program costs and fees assessed by a host institution or third-party service provider abroad, may apply according to deadlines established by those entities. Program-specific withdrawal penalties can be found in your UCEAP Portal.

Program Transfer Fees

Once you have been selected for a UCEAP program, you will be allowed to transfer your application to another UCEAP program without financial obligation, except for any third-party provider fees, until the predeparture withdrawal date of your original program. If you transfer your application to another UCEAP program after the predeparture withdrawal date, you will be charged a $200 program transfer fee and any third-party provider fees. Your transfer must be made no more than two weeks before your original UCEAP program’s official start date. If the transfer occurs after that date, you will be assessed full withdrawal fees pursuant to the Withdrawal Fees section above.

If you would like to transfer your application, please begin the process by contacting your campus study abroad advisor.

Insufficient Funds Fees

If payment made by check to your UCEAP Portal is returned by the bank for any reason, your account will be assessed a Non-Sufficient Funds/Returned Item fee. E-checks may also be returned. Your payment authorization may initially be accepted yet returned by your bank because of insufficient funds in your account, you have provided incorrect routing or bank account numbers, or if the account is not ACH equipped.

If your credit card payment is declined, it will be treated as a returned item.

The first time a payment is returned, the fee is $25. If UCEAP receives any further returned items, the fee is $35. You will be assessed for this fee regardless of the check amount or the reason it was returned. You may be required to repay with a money order or a cashier’s check.

Late Payment Fee

You must pay at least the Minimum Amount Due reflected on the Payment Schedule to avoid late payment penalties. The total amount due for the final payment is located on your UCEAP Portal. Late payment penalties of $50 are assessed for each payment not received by the due date.

UC Campus Registration Block

If you have a balance remaining on your UCEAP account after the final payment is due, a registration block will be issued at your home UC campus. To avoid a registration block, make payments to your UCEAP Portal by the deadlines or enroll in an EPP and make payments accordingly.

BANKING

Power of Attorney

You are strongly encouraged to arrange for a relative or other responsible party to have your power of attorney for the time you are abroad. This arrangement requires notarization, so it should be established before you go abroad.

The person assigned as your power of attorney can help with financial transactions. They will typically be empowered to:

  • Make deposits and withdrawals in your US bank account.
  • Write and sign your checks.
  • Endorse, cash, and deposit checks and drafts made out to you.
  • Pay your credit card and other bills.
  • Arrange for international money transfers.
  • Access your account statements.
  • Open and close other accounts in your name.

To give a specific individual power of attorney, you must arrange it with your bank and specify the accounts they will access. The designated individual will retain the power of attorney until you cancel it in writing. UCEAP cannot assist you with this process.

UCEAP FINANCE CONTACTS

UCEAP can assist you if you encounter financial problems or emergencies while abroad. Each UCEAP program has a dedicated finance accountant. See the UCEAP Contacts page for your assigned accountant or email studentfinance@uceap.universityofcalifornia.edu. You can contact UCEAP via phone or email. Be prepared to provide your UC Student ID number.

Contact your campus financial aid office to clarify financial awards or requests for additional aid.