Paying for CEA Programs
One of the biggest obstacles facing students wanting to study abroad is securing the needed finances to participate in the program. At CEA, we are committed to working with your student and your school to make paying for the study abroad experience as smooth and manageable as possible.
Billing Students Directly
It is assumed that students who study with CEA will be billed directly for their programs, unless otherwise advised by your school (see Billing Schools Directly below). Students work closely with their CEA Student Services Advisor, who will walk them through the necessary steps of securing financial aid, and determining payment plans.
A key part of this process is the Financial Aid Disbursement. The first of this two-part document is signed by your school’s financial aid office, and describes the amounts and expected disbursal dates of financial aid which will be directed toward their CEA program. The second part has the student describe how and when CEA can expect the remainder.
CEA can work out payment plans based on the expected disbursal of financial aid during the term of the program. In principle, however, CEA expects full payment of all other program fees, those paid by the student, prior to the first day of the program.
Billing Schools Directly
Sometimes, billing the student’s university for their CEA program is advantageous. This is why CEA offers our Direct Billing alternative.
With Direct Billing, your school agrees to pay all or a portion of the program fees for your students studying with CEA. What are the advantages of Direct Billing?
- Simplicity. Many students and their parents find it much easier to have a single billing party with whom they work during their entire college program. With Direct Billing, the university stands in the gap between the student and CEA, providing a consistent billing party.
- Financial Aid. Many schools find the Direct Billing option preferable when processing financial aid for their students. Loans, grants and scholarships can be disbursed immediately to CEA rather than to the students directly, saving both time and extra handling. In some cases, Direct Billing is the only way for students to secure institutional scholarships for studying abroad (it should be noted that financial aid can be processed easily with CEA even if students are billed directly).
- Accountability. Occasionally, students choose to study abroad with an outside provider like CEA, and fail to let their study abroad office know of their plans. Direct Billing makes internal institutional contact obligatory for students, which assures the best possible financial aid and transferring of academic credits.
- Protecting Institutional Income. When students study with CEA, monies they would normally pay to their home university are used to fund their program of study with us. For some schools, particularly private institutions with high tuition, it can make sense to charge their students their regular tuition at the university through Direct Billing, and then pay the program provider directly. This can not only protect some institutional income, but also keep enrollment numbers intact – numbers which can translate into funding for certain academic departments.
ALTERNATIVE DIRECT BILLING FORMATS
CEA offers a number of different options for Direct Billing.
OPTION I: Confirmation
With Option I, students who have applied and been accepted will be obliged to pay their confirmation deposit. Once confirmed, your institution will be invoiced for the remaining balance of all sums due (program fees, insurance, damage deposit).
OPTION II: Deposit/Insurance:
With Option II, students who have applied and been accepted will pay for their housing damage deposit and their health insurance. The institution will then be invoiced for the remaining balance of all sums due (program fees).
OPTION III: Full Payment With Option III, students who have applied and been accepted will have their entire program paid by your institution (confirmation deposit, program fees, insurance, damage deposit). When invoicing according to option III, we offer two alternatives:
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III-A. One Invoice. Once a student is accepted, you will receive a single invoice for all program fees.
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III-B. Two Invoices. You will receive two invoices for your student’s program – one for the confirmation deposit, and a second invoice for balance of all sums due (this is advantageous when students need an early, quick payment of the confirmation deposit in order to secure their place on a program, but your institution isn’t ready to pay for the entire program months in advance).
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OPTION IV: Tuition Only.
Option IV has your institution being billed directly only for the tuition portion of the program. Your students are then billed individually for their confirmation deposit, housing, meals, insurance and Security Deposit (confirmation deposit monies will be applied toward these non-tuition program fees).
THE BILL ITSELF
For each student application, CEA will submit one invoice (two for Option III.B) to your school, complete with the following information:
- Your student’s name
- Your student’s Social Security number
- Your student’s program information (destination, term)
- Itemized program costs
- Payment due date
DUE DATES
Direct Billing payments are expected no later than the following dates:
- Fall programs: July 1st
- Spring Programs: December 1st
- Summer programs: April 1st
If your school is not mobilized to remit payment by the above due dates, a CEA “University Financial Guarantee Form” must be submitted by thirty days prior to the due date. If neither this form nor payment is received by the due dates above, CEA will impose a late fee.
WITHDRAWALS
When students withdraw after the published CEA Program Withdrawal Date, the student is liable for the full amount of the Program Fees. As a Direct Billing institution, your school agrees to collect these fees from the student and remit them to CEA in accordance with CEA payment policies.
CONSORTIUM AGREEMENTS
Occasionally, schools ask CEA to sign a “consortium agreement.” This is a contract stating that CEA will not process financial aid on behalf of a student. This is a bit of a moot point, since CEA is not a Title IV institution, and is therefore technically unable to process aid. Still, many schools see having this document as a safeguard against a student or family attempting to procure aid from two sources for the same program. CEA is happy to sign such agreements, either on a per-student basis, or as a blanket agreement for all students from a given school who would study with CEA.
QUESTIONS?
If you have any questions about financial issues related to your school's working with CEA, please don't hesitate to contact our Student Finance Coordinator at (800) 266-4441 or via email at .
