Know all About Disbursement of Living expenses

✓ Education Loan Disbursement Process

✓ Foreign Travel Card 

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Table of content

  1. Certain Myths About How Government Banks Disburse Living Expenses From Your education loan for studies abroad
  2. How Does A Foreign Travel Card Work?
  3. How Do Banks Disburse Expenses For GIC and Blocked Account From education loan for studies abroad?
  4. FAQ's
  5. Need Help? Ask Here!

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Education loan disbursement is one of the lesser-discussed aspects of the process of getting an education loan for studies abroad. A lot of education loan applicants may have experienced the agony of not being able to understand the exact procedure followed by NBFCs and government banks regarding the disbursement of living expenses.

Although education loan disbursement is the subject of Loanflix’s 28th episode, many students are still confused about the process of disbursement of living expenses. This is especially applicable to students who are planning to fund their higher education in Canada and Germany with the help of an education loan for studies abroad. They are in the dark about how their GIC and blocked account expenses are going to be catered for by the education loan for studies abroad.

The video embedded below will give you a better understanding of the entire disbursement process for living expenses.

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Certain Myths About How Government Banks Disburse Living Expenses From Your education loan for studies abroad

When students apply for an education loan for studies abroad with government banks, most of them have some clarity regarding the disbursement of their tuition fee component. All government banks disburse the tuition fees according to the requirements set by the university, i.e, either directly to the university’s account or via third-party services. However, a lot of students are still unsure about the disbursement process for living expenses from the education loan for studies abroad by government banks.

Many students are under the impression that most government banks transfer their living expenses also to the university only. If you are also thinking along the same lines, here is an interesting fact for you, this is a myth.

The transfer protocol for living expenses followed by prominent government banks is different. Living expenses are never sent to universities. On the contrary, it is deposited into an FTC or a Foreign Travel Card.

When students directly approach government banks for an education loan for studies abroad, they are often misguided about this particular part of the education loan for studies abroad disbursement process. It mostly happens because a lot of bank officials are themselves not clear on their bank’s policies regarding the education loan for studies abroad disbursement process. If you are in a similar situation, do not hesitate to request a callback with the WeMakeScholars financial team for assistance.

When it comes to unsecured education loans, the disbursement process for living expenses followed by NBFCs and Private banks is that they disburse the amount required as living expenses while studying abroad according to the preference of the student. 

How Does A Foreign Travel Card Work?

An FTC or a Foreign Travel Card is issued by most prominent government banks such as the SBI, Bank of Baroda, etc. for students to withdraw their living expenses while studying abroad. It is common knowledge that an education loan for studies abroad is divided into two different components; tuition fees and living expenses. Out of these two, the disbursement of tuition fees is done as explained previously. 

The living expenses are loaded into the FTC. This card is issued to students for one single reason. It takes time for students to open their own savings account as soon as they land in a foreign country for their higher studies. Hence, in order to make it easy for them to receive their living expenses while studying abroad, government banks issue the FTC.

Students can use this card to withdraw their living expenses from their education loan for studies abroad in India for the first three months of their stay. Post this period, they will be required to open a bank account. Once the details of this account are sent to their lending banks in India, the living expenses will be transferred to their bank account abroad for the rest of their stay.

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How Do Banks Disburse Expenses For GIC and Blocked Account From education loan for studies abroad?

Students who plan to pursue higher education in countries like Germany and Canada must deposit their entire year’s living expenses into a savings account. The savings account is referred to as a GIC (Guaranteed Investment Certificate) account in Canada and a Blocked account in Germany. Episodes 18 and 19 of the Loanflix web series explain the complete process of opening these accounts in vivid detail. So be sure to watch them.

Now, the students who wish to study in Canada and Germany are required to open their GIC and blocked accounts respectively before commencing their visa process. One of the biggest hurdles faced by such students is getting their lending banks to approve a pre-visa disbursement of their living expenses for this very purpose. As of today, all government banks are required to approve this disbursement if it is a mandatory requirement for students to fulfill any financial obligations in order to get their student visas approved.

So, if your loan manager is asking for your student visa as proof in order to approve the disbursement of living expenses, do keep in mind that this is not true. All government banks have an obligation to transfer the required funds. 

Government banks are required to follow a separate protocol while disbursing the living expenses for GIC and blocked accounts for students studying in Canada or Germany, respectively.

If you are having difficulty getting your pre-visa disbursement, request a callback with the WeMakeScholars team for a quicker resolution of your situation.

Thousands of students apply for an education loan for studies abroad in India every year. Out of these, only a few hundred students actually make it to the country of their choice for higher education. One of the major reasons why these students miss out is the lack of awareness about how to fund their higher studies abroad. With different web series such as Loanflix and Loanflix Inshorts, the WeMakeScholars team is trying to make a change in this pattern. If you are looking for guidance and assistance regarding your education loan process, do feel free to register a callback and the WeMakeScholars team will reach out to you. The next article will elaborate on the education loan for studies abroad interest rates set by various lenders in India. So keep reading this part of our website.

Note: WeMakeScholars is an organization funded and supported by the Government of India that focuses on International Education finance. We are associated with 14+ public/Pvt banks/ NBFCs in India and help you get the best abroad education loan matching your profile. As this initiative is under the Digital India campaign, it’s free of cost. The organization has vast experience dealing with students going to various abroad education destinations like the US, Canada, UK, Australia, Germany, Sweden, Italy, China, France among others

Education Loan FAQs

  • How much money can I expect to receive through living expense disbursement?

    The amount of money you can receive through living expense disbursement varies depending on the program or policy. For instance, if you're a student receiving financial aid, the amount you're eligible to receive will depend on the cost of attendance, your expected family contribution, and other factors that may affect your financial need. It's best to check with the specific program or policy you're applying for to see what amount you may be eligible to receive.

  • Do I need to be a full-time student to be eligible for living expense disbursement?

    Eligibility for living expense disbursement varies depending on various factors. Some programs may require you to be a full-time student, while others may have different eligibility criteria. It's best to check with the respective lenders when you're applying for an education loan, to understand what the eligibility requirements are. In order to resolve all your queries, you can just proceed with your education loan application via WeMakeScholars, their experts will make all your process faster and stress-free.

  • How often can I receive living expense disbursement funds?

    The frequency of living expense disbursement varies depending on the program or policy. Some programs may provide funds on a monthly basis, while others may have a different schedule. For instance, emergency assistance programs may provide a one-time disbursement to help cover unexpected expenses, while ongoing assistance programs may provide regular disbursements to help cover essential living expenses.

  • What documentation do I need to provide to apply for living expense disbursement?

    The documentation required to apply for living expense disbursement varies depending on the program or policy. Typically, you will need to provide proof of your financial need, such as tax returns or bank statements. You may also need to provide documentation of your living expenses, such as rent or utility bills. It's best to check with our financial officers about the specific program or policy you're applying for to understand what documentation is required.

  • Can living expense disbursement be used to pay for housing deposits or moving expenses?

    Yes, living expense disbursement can be used to cover essential housing costs, such as deposits or moving expenses. This can be especially important for individuals who may need to relocate for work or school and may not have the funds to cover.

Our Education Loan team will help you with any questions

Abhinav Raj
WeMakeScholars- supported by IT Ministry, Govt. of India.
Published: | Updated: