Application Instructions

Application Instructions

Please read the following instructions carefully before starting your application. You may wish to print these instructions and refer to them as you proceed through the application process.

It is recommended that you schedule a meeting with your Study Abroad Adviser and your Financial Aid Adviser to go over the details of your study abroad plan and your Freeman-ASIA Application two weeks prior to the Student Application Deadline.

STEP 1: Determining Eligibility

  1. Click on "Online Application" on the menu and select "New Applicant" to proceed.
  2. You will be prompted with the "Applicant Eligibility Screening Page" and will be asked to answer questions in order to determine your eligibility.

    If you are determined ineligible, you will not be allowed to proceed to the application and should refer to the eligibility page for clarification.

    If you are determined eligible, you will be taken to a screen to create an account with a login ID/e-mail and an individual password. Please note that your advisers will use this same login ID/e-mail and password to access your on-line application for review and endorsement. For future reference, please write down your id and password.

STEP 2: Completing the Online Application

  1. Once you enter your login and password information, you will be able to access the Freeman-ASIA Application by clicking on the "Begin Application" button. (Please note, if you already have created a Freeman-ASIA account, you must login as a Returning Applicant to access your saved application.)
  2. Complete the Student Form of the application. Fill in all required fields. Be prepared to provide the following information:
  • Details on the Study Abroad program to which you are applying or to which you have been accepted.
  • The name and contact information of the Study Abroad Adviser whom you have met or will meet with and who will be reviewing and endorsing your Freeman-ASIA Application.

    Study Abroad Advisers are the individuals employed by your home institution who are specifically responsible for advising students about their study abroad options. They can generally be found in the Study Abroad/International Programs/Education Abroad/Off-campus Study office on your campus. Please contact your study abroad office to ensure you list the correct adviser as some institutions designate a specific Study Abroad Adviser to certify Freeman-ASIA applications. If you do not have such an office or person on your campus, please e-mail Freeman-ASIA@iie.org for further instructions.

    You may NOT have the Overseas Program Director or anyone directly involved in administering or teaching in your proposed study abroad program endorse your Freeman-ASIA Application. Applications submitted with the incorrect adviser endorsement will NOT be accepted.

  • The name and contact information of the Financial Aid Adviser whom you have met or will meet with and who will be reviewing and certifying your financial budgets and resources for studying in the U.S. and abroad.

    Financial Aid Advisers are the individuals employed by your home institution who are specifically responsible for advising students about their financial status. They can generally be found in the Financial Aid/Scholarships office on your campus. Please contact your financial aid/scholarships office to ensure you list the correct adviser as some institutions designate a specific Financial Aid Adviser to certify Freeman-ASIA applications.  

  • A Personal Statement explaining your motivation for studying abroad in Asia.
  • A summary of any previous travel to East Asia or Southeast Asia.
  • A description of your background in Asian Languages and Asian Studies, including academic course work and independent study.
  • A Service Proposal describing how you plan to utilize your study abroad experience to encourage and educate others within your campus and community to study abroad in Asia upon your return from studying overseas. Your service project, approved by your Study Abroad Adviser, should be based on your skills and interests in addition to matching the publicity needs of your campus and/or community.
  • For the Personal Statement, the Statement of Financial Need, the Statement of Independent Study (required if no previous coursework in Asian Languages and/or Asian Studies), and the Service Proposal, it is highly recommended that you compose and save these statements in a word processing program. These statements can be copied and pasted directly into the application. Each statement cannot exceed 3,000 characters with spaces.

    Notes on completing the Student Application Page 3 (Financials)

    The Student Application Page 3 asks for details on the cost of your education and financial resources in the U.S. and for your proposed study abroad term.

    You should start working on page 3 only after you have received the approved study abroad budget from your Study Abroad Adviser or the administrator of the study abroad program that you’ve applied to. If the new budget is not yet available, you may submit an estimated budget obtained from the adviser/administrator of the study abroad program. Make sure that you provide the updated budget to your Financial Aid Adviser should it become available by the deadline.

  1. Section I- The figures in the Applicant Financial Data-U.S. should reflect your actual cost of education and your resources used to pay for your education per semester/quarter on average since you started attending your home campus.

    Please note: U.S. Cost of Education should include tuition & fees, room & board (on/off-campus), books & supplies, and basic living costs (insurance, local transportation, etc.). Your total financial resources should equal your total cost of education because it is assummed that you have been able to cover the costs of your education to date through a combination of resources.

  2. Section II- The figures in the Applicant Financial Data Overseas should be based on your approved study abroad budget and your projected aid according to what you, your family, and/or your financial aid can contribute toward your approved study abroad budget.

    Please note: Cost of Education Overseas should include tuition & fees, room & board (on/off-campus), round-trip airfare, books & supplies, and basic living costs (insurance, local transportation, etc.). Your total projected resources for study abroad should equal your cost of education overseas so we may evaluate your available resources without the Freeman-ASIA Award. 

    You must communicate your approved study abroad budget with your Financial Aid Adviser prior to submitting your Freeman-ASIA Application.

    Your Financial Aid Adviser will then provide us with the cost of education and resources per semester/quarter based on your most recent Financial Aid Award Letter and verify your study abroad budget and aid when s/he endorses your application on-line. The information will enable us to have a better understanding of your financial need level by looking at your actual cost & resources and your budgeted cost & resources per semester/quarter in the U.S. and abroad.

  3. Your Annual Expected Family Contribution (EFC) amount as stated on your most current Student Aid Report (SAR) from FAFSA. A Student Aid Report (SAR) is a document you will receive or have received from submitting the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). For further clarification, please consult with your Financial Aid Adviser on campus and on-line at http://www.fafsa.ed.gov.
  4. The Statement of Financial Need: Provide information on your EFC, financial aid, loan history, employment history, and any extenuating circumstances that make your family or home institution unable to provide the level of financial support indicated by your FAFSA or that will impair your ability to study abroad without additional financial assistance.

    STEP 3: Application Submission

    1. Once you are certain that all of the information is accurate and that the application is complete, certify your application by agreeing to the conditions stated on your application and click on the "Submit" button. (Please note: once you agree to submit your application, your application will be forwarded to your Study Abroad Adviser and your Financial Aid Adviser for review and endorsement. No further edits will be allowed and you will not be able to retrieve your application for updates.) If you cannot finish the application and need to return to it later, you can save your work online by clicking on the "Save&Proceed" button at the end of each page.
    2. Once your application is submitted, please print a copy of your application. You will receive an e-mail notification confirming your submission. Your application automatically will be forwarded to your Study Abroad Adviser and your Financial Aid Adviser with your id and password for application access and on-line application review and endorsement.
    3. You MUST follow-up with your Study Abroad Adviser and your Financial Aid Adviser immediately after the submission of your Freeman-ASIA Application and provide them with any information that they will need in order to approve and endorse your Freeman-ASIA Application. It is your responsibility to make sure that the endorsement of your Freeman-ASIA Application by your Study Abroad Adviser AND your Financial Aid Adviser are received by the Institute of International Education (IIE) by the Adviser Endorsement Deadline. We must receive both adviser endorsements by the Adviser Deadline in order for your application to be considered complete.

    Late or incomplete applications will not be considered. It is highly recommended that applicants complete the application prior to the deadline to avoid possible delays due to technical difficulties, adviser absences, listing the incorrect adviser or adviser e-mail address, etc.

    If you have any questions about the application process, please e-mail: Freeman-ASIA@iie.org