Using 529, Kauffman, Hagan, and Veterans Benefits to Fund Your Education Abroad Experience

If students wish to use 529 funds, a Kauffman or Hagan scholarship, or Veterans benefits to fund your education abroad experience fully or partially, we have a unique process for you to consider: Direct Bill. The Office of Education Abroad will pay all or a portion of your program fee to your provider. In turn, the office will place that fee on your MSU student account. So, students will pay MSU instead of their program provider. 

In order to activate the Direct Bill process, students need to follow these steps:

  1. When completing their budget worksheet, they need to select the Payment Arrangement associated with 529 plans, Kauffman and Hagan scholarships, and Veteran benefits, which is the second option on page 2 within the Payment Arrangements section of the budget worksheet).
  2. The student needs to send an email to the Office of Education Abroad (educationabroad@missouristate.edu) notifying us of the direct bill arrangements specifying that they wish to use their 529, Kauffman or Hagan scholarship funds, or Veterans benefits to fully or partially fund their education abroad experience. 
  3. The student must contact their program provider and ask them to send an invoice to EducationAbroad@missouristate.edu with the payee as Missouri State University and the student’s name and M number somewhere on the invoice as reference. The student must confirm the amount on the invoice before their provider sends it to Education Abroad. Specifically, the amount on the invoice can be no greater than the funds available in the student’s 529, Kauffman or Hagan scholarship, or Veterans benefits. It is the student's responsibility to communicate with the program provider for the correct invoice amount. After receiving the invoice, the student's MSU account will be billed for the corresponding amount by Education Abroad. Simultaneously, Education Abroad will send proper payment by mail to the program provider.

PLEASE NOTE: MSU will make one payment to each student’s provider. If a student decides to add on excursions or programs after MSU submits the payment request, the student will be responsible for paying their provider directly. So, students need to be organized and consider all of their options before asking their provider to send the bill to MSU.

 

Deadlines for contacting Education Abroad to request Direct Bill are:

Spring programs – November 1

Summer and fall programs – April 1