Do I Need a Study Abroad Cost Estimate (SACE)?
If you are a University of Minnesota-Twin Cities undergraduate student and plan to use financial aid to study abroad, you must request an official Study Abroad Cost Estimate (SACE) from the Learning Abroad Center and submit it to the Office of Student Finance. The SACE documents all financial aid-eligible costs of your study abroad program and is used to adjust your cost of attendance.
Who should NOT use this SACE process?
- Non-University of Minnesota-Twin Cities students – Inquire with your home institution for guidance on accessing financial aid abroad.
- Students participating on the Carlson School's Global Enrichment or Global Immersion programs—Request a SACE directly from the Carlson Global Institute.
- Students participating in a nonaffiliated program or directed study
- Students going abroad for research or other activities outside of a study abroad program
- Students using scholarships only—In most cases, if you are only using scholarships (and do not wish to receive loans or grants), you will not need a SACE. Learning Abroad Center scholarships do not require a SACE in order to access the funds.
When to Request a SACE
You may request a SACE anytime after you have uploaded your Confirmation and Payment Agreement form to your checklist. For this reason, you are strongly encouraged to schedule a Financial Aid Preview Meeting before requesting a SACE. The Preview Meeting will give you a sense of how much financial aid you are eligible for prior to financially committing to the program, in addition to providing you with a space to strategize about how you will fill your remaining funding gap.
Timeline & Next Steps
Allow up to two weeks to receive your SACE via email (6–8 weeks if you submit a request before our batch processing begins for that term). Requests received after the deadline may take up to 6–8 weeks to process.
| Term Abroad |
Deadline to Request SACE |
SACEs processed beginning |
| Fall Semester or Academic Year |
June 1 |
early-mid March |
| Winter Break (including programs with Fall or Spring on-campus courses that go abroad over Winter Break) |
December 1 |
early-mid October |
| Spring Semester or Calendar Year |
December 1 |
early-mid October |
| Spring Break |
Feb 1 |
early February |
| May Session (including programs with a Spring on-campus course that go abroad over May session) |
May 1 |
mid-February |
| Summer |
May 1 |
mid-February |
Summer 2021 programs: Your SACE will be emailed to you along with instructions for completing the process.
Fall 2021 programs and beyond: You will receive an email notifying you that your SACE is available. Log into your application portal to access your SACE.
Once you receive your SACE from the Learning Abroad Center, carefully review the document for accuracy and then forward a copy to the financial aid counselor in the Office of Student Finance whom you met with for your Financial Aid Preview Meeting. If you did not have a Financial Aid Preview Meeting before you receive your SACE, you will need to schedule an appointment with a financial aid counselor to submit your SACE.
Graduate students should submit their SACE to Mee Vang and Brian Olson in the Office of Student Finance.
Request a SACE
May/Summer 2021 Programs: Complete the request form below.
Fall 2021 Programs and beyond: Access your SACE request form via your student portal under the "Optional Checklist." Do not use the form below.
*If you have not completed a Financial Aid Preview Meeting, please do so before completing the SACE request form.
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