FAQs

YES! If you are planning to work on a double major or minor, including a language, while studying abroad, you should declare as soon as possible so that it will appear on your transcripts for your application. You will also need to speak to an advisor in that department before departure. However, very few programs require evidence of your academic major as a part of the application process. So, if you are not able to declare right away, that is probably fine. Please be sure to talk with the study away advisor about your academic goals.

You should make sure the professor knows who you are. Participate and ask questions in class, show up on time, and visit the professor during office hours BEFORE you ask for the recommendation.

When asking for the recommendation, it may be a good idea to provide them with a brief statement of purpose. You can use a version of the essay from the application. They will appreciate this because it helps them to know where you are coming from, why you want to study away, as well as how studying abroad fits into your academic and career goals. We recommend that you email them a link to the program website in case the faculty member has questions about the program.

Make sure to communicate with your faculty recommender regularly. Provide them with ample time to complete the application prior to the deadline. As the deadline approaches, be sure to touch base with them as they may have forgotten or lost the email. Be realistic when asking a faculty member; if it is the week of the application deadline or even closer, ask if they think they will be able to complete the recommendation on time.

YES! If your GPA is below the minimum you should still apply but be sure to speak to a study away advisor FIRST. Some locations are more flexible or competitive than others, and the advisor may be able to help you find a location that is a better fit for your circumstances.

Either way, you will have a chance to address your GPA and the requirement under the section titled GPA Statement. In this section, you should be specific with details, such as courses, semesters, or circumstances that impacted your GPA. You should not only explain the circumstance, but also explain why you should be considered for the program despite this deficiency. Include what you have learned and what you do differently now as a student, as well as how you plan to be academically successful while studying away. Our top concern is that you will be successful while you are studying away. Also, be sure to address how you will meet the minimum to GPA before departure.

For CSU International Programs, there is a $500 deposit due on May 1st (Nov. 1st for Calendar Year.) Students will know if they are accepted prior  to the deposit being due.  

If a student is accepted to the waitlist for their first choice location, they may still be on the waitlist when the  deposit is due. If that is the case, the deposit will not be due until they are officially accepted to a program location. Once a student is off the waitlist, a deposit will be due immediately.  

Technically, the deposit is the entire prepaid program cost amount as can be seen on the Budget Estimate located on the CSU IP program page. However, as most students do not have that much money readily available, they can opt for a $500 deposit instead.

For National Student Exchange/NSE Study Abroad, this will depend on the program and host university for which the student is accepted. On National Student Exchange, students may need to pay an enrollment deposit, housing deposit, or other fees. All host campus fees are listed on the campus profile pages under Tuition/Fees and should be reviewed.

For NSE Study Abroad, the study abroad program will likely have their own application fees and/or program deposits. This information should be listed on the program website.

For your AAA meeting, you need to have completed your online application.

For CSU International Programs, that means all required Questionnaires have been SUBMITTED, your signature documents have been signed digitally, your recommendation has been requested (if not received), and you have submitted any necessary unofficial transcripts. Don’t worry, you will be able to continue making edits up until the deadline.

For National Student Exchange/NSE Study Abroad, that means all fields must be completed and SAVED. Don’t worry, you will be able to continue making edits up until the deadline. For National Student Exchange, an important part of the AAA meeting is to review your host university placement choices. As some host universities are considered more competitive than others, it is important that your host university placement list is effective in getting you placed on NSE. Make sure to have your list ready for your AAA.

A passport is not needed to study in a different state in the US, however, make sure you have valid documentation required to travel, including a REAL ID.

To study internationally, students must have a valid passport through six months after their study abroad program ends. This includes NSE Canada locations and all NSE Study Abroad locations. If your passport is going to expire prior to six months after your program end date, then you should begin the process of renewing your passport as soon as possible. If you do not currently have a passport, and will not have a passport by the application deadline, that is okay. It is not required to have a passport to apply to the program. However, you will be required to provide a copy of your passport soon after being accepted to a program. Because of the time involved in obtaining a passport, study abroad applicants are STRONGLY advised to apply for one even before you apply to the program or before selection results are known. (The process can take up to 3 months.)

Information on how to get a passport can be found at http://travel.state.gov/passport/index.html.

In order to get your student visa, passports MUST be valid six months after your program end date. For example, if your program ends in May, then your passport would need to be valid through November of that year.

If your passport is going to expire any time prior to six months after your program end date, then you should begin the process of renewing your passport right away.

The Academic Planning Form or Academic Advising Agreement is a “contract” between you and your advisor regarding the courses you are planning on taking while studying away, and how they will count towards your graduation requirements when you return. This form is available and due after you are accepted to your study away program. 

Be sure to follow the listed instructions! The form should be mostly completed BEFORE taking it to your advisor. Faculty get very frustrated when students ask them to complete this form for them. Faculty are not familiar with all of the classes available on study away programs, so it is your responsibility to do your research ahead of time, use your best judgment to match classes from the host institution with what you need to graduate, and then take that information to your advisor. We even recommend creating a spreadsheet of the classes you need, and what classes abroad are similar to those. Be sure to bring course descriptions and as much information on the classes as available.  

Keep in mind that faculty are VERY busy the last two weeks of classes, the first two weeks of classes, and around registration; they are also often unavailable during winter and summer break. You should not expect faculty to help you during these times, so be sure to plan accordingly.  

If you are planning on taking classes in your major, then a faculty member in that department will sign. If you want to take classes in your double major or minor, then likewise your advisor in that department will sign. If you want to take GE courses, there is no designated person to sign. You can either go to the department that houses that GE (ex. a history GE class would be in the history department) and ask one of them to sign, or you can work with the study away advisor.  

Navigating GE courses abroad can be difficult since there is no designated GE advisor. Use your best judgment by matching the abroad course with an SSU GE course title and course description. The more similar the class is to an SSU GE class, the easier it will be. You can view classes on study away programs that have already been approved to meet SSU requirements on the TES website. 

Once your advisor has approved your plan we recommend asking them to complete the ARR Update Form right away to make the approved class matches official. Once you feel confident about your GE class selection, we recommend completing the GE Substitution Petition right away to obtain official approval. 

When is it due?

The due date will depend on the program in which you are participating. There may be a specific deadline listed, so be sure to watch for that. Regardless of the listed deadline, you should work to have the Advising Agreement signed BEFORE May 1 or December 1. The reason for this is once we get into the months of May and December, faculty get very busy with finals and the end of the semester. Additionally, most faculty will not respond to emails once the semester ends. So, access to a faculty member after May/December 1 will be very, very limited.