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, is used to adjust your cost of attendance, and allows you to access this adjusted amount to pay for your study abroad expenses. The SACE is tailored to reflect costs specific to you and your situation and is different from the more general Cost of Participation that you see posted on your program's website.
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.
How to Request a SACE
Fall 2021 programs and beyond
Complete the SACE Request Form, which will be added to your application in the 'Optional Checklist' section after you have confirmed your participation in the program. If you are participating in an exchange in Germany, Japan, Norway, or Iceland during Fall 2021, a form will not be added to your checklist and you should instead follow the instructions below for Summer 2021 students.
Summer 2021
Email [email protected] with the following information:
- First name
- Last name
- UofM 7-digit ID #
- Do you have a passport that is valid for at least 6 months past the end of your program?
- How you will maintain US health insurance coverage while abroad: SHBP (Student Health Benefit Plan) or Insurance Through Your Parents/Employer
- Program Name
- Study Abroad Country and City:
- Program Track or Host University Name (if applicable)
- Program Term(s) and Year Abroad (Specify Session if Possible)
- Do You Plan to Take Courses that Incur Additional Fees? (e.g. Global Identity, Special Course/Lab Fees, Tuition Band #, Special Tracks or Halls, Pre-session):
- Preferred Housing Option
- Additional Notes (e.g. need a revised SACE, special circumstances, reason for rush request):
When to Request a SACE
You may request a SACE anytime after your application in the LAC application portal has been updated to confirmed status. For this reason, you are strongly encouraged to schedule a Financial Aid Preview Meeting before requesting a SACE. The Preview Meeting will provide you with a sense of how much financial aid you are eligible for prior to financially committing to the program.
Timeline
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 | August 1 | mid-March |
| Winter Break (including programs with Fall or Spring on-campus courses that go abroad over Winter Break) | December 1 | mid-October |
| Spring Semester or Calendar Year | December 1 | 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 |
Next Steps
Summer 2021 Programs: Your SACE will be emailed to you along with further instructions.
Fall 2021 Programs and Beyond: You will receive an email notification that you have an application status update. Log in to your application portal to view your SACE.
Once you receive your SACE, carefully review the document for accuracy and then submit a PDF of the SACE to OneStop to finalize your request (detailed instructions will be included in your email or student portal once your SACE is released to you). If you did not attend a Financial Aid Preview Meeting before you receive your SACE, you will need to schedule an appointment with a financial aid counselor in order to submit your SACE.
Graduate students must submit their SACE to Mee Vang and Brian Olson in the Office of Student Finance.