Hello, and welcome to the Office of International Program’s parent information website. Study abroad is an exciting and enriching part of a student’s education, and we are pleased to be working with your student on their intended summer, semester, or year abroad. Thank you for taking the time to learn more about your student’s program. We understand that spending a summer, semester, or year overseas is a big decision for both students and their families, and we want to make sure that all parties stay as informed as possible. Below we have provided some general information for all parents of study abroad students, as well as links to program-specific information. Planning There are several stages of planning when it comes to study abroad. Prior to application, students should attend information sessions for their programs of interest, and speak with their academic advisor to make sure that they are in line with their major requirements. The program directors in the Office of International Programs will also be able to give students academic guidance once they have applied to study abroad, but it is important that students begin the process early, so as not to limit their options. It is also important for all students to remain flexible. It is our goal to place students in their first choice program, but this is not always possible, as some of our programs are more competitive than others. Keeping an open mind will help your student realize their goal of studying overseas, even if they cannot be placed in their first choice. Your student should be aware of the minimum GPA requirement for their top choice programs, as well as the types of courses that will be available. This information is widely accessible in our literature, and it will help students determine which programs are best suited for them. Students should abide by Loyola’s rules and regulations, as we cannot accept any student with serious or recurrent disciplinary problems. Once a student has applied and been accepted to a program, their program director will help them get set up for their term abroad. This stage will include a fair amount of paperwork. It is during this period that students will apply to their host universities, and for their student visas. Each program director will guide students through this process, but it is important that all students observe the deadlines that have been set for them. For certain Loyola programs, and Loyola exchanges, affiliations, and non-Loyola programs, students will be responsible for arranging their own flights as well. Academics The Office of International Programs works closely with each student to ensure that their semester or year abroad will not disrupt their path towards graduation. If it appears that a student’s first choice program does not offer them enough course options, we will work with them to find a suitable alternate. It is always helpful for students to have as many upper-level core courses and electives available as possible, as these provide the most flexibility when studying abroad. Students must keep in touch with their major advisor throughout the planning process to make sure they are staying on course with their major pre-requisites. Study abroad is often instrumental in helping students mature and develop, but it is important for students to realize that the primary focus for study abroad is academic. All students must take a full course load while abroad. We expect them to attend class, meet all course requirements, stay for the duration of the program, take their examinations, and earn respectable grades while overseas. All grades received overseas (except those received on Non-Loyola Programs) will be reflected on the student’s final transcript, and will affect their GPA. All of our partnerships are developed with academically reputable schools, which will demand a similar level of academic performance as Loyola does. It is important to note, however, that all academic systems are different, and students must adapt to the requirements and customs of their host university in order to be successful. This may require a greater level of academic independence or self-motivation than what some of our students are used to. Program Costs At Loyola, we offer several types of study abroad options, and each are packaged a bit differently when it comes to finances. For Loyola Programs, students will be expected to pay their regular semester’s tuition and housing to Loyola, along with a study abroad program fee and a reduced comprehensive fee. If your student has expressed interest in either the Rome or Paris program, please visit the site-specific information for each, as housing fees are handled differently in these cases. Most Loyola programs (though not all) supply students with round-trip airline tickets, and most will offer some form of packaged program benefits. All forms of scholarships and financial aid will transfer, with the exception of Federal work study. Students participating in a Loyola exchange program will be expected to pay tuition to Loyola, but will pay for housing on location. In most cases, simply allocating housing funds for a semester at Loyola will cover housing costs abroad. Students participating in exchanges are also responsible for purchasing their own airline tickets. As with Loyola programs, all financial aid will transfer for exchange students. With Loyola Affiliations and Non-Loyola Programs, students will not receive Loyola financial aid (although in some cases certain federal and state aid might still apply). Students are usually responsible for their own housing costs abroad, and will be paying tuition directly to the program provider, i.e. NYU, Syracuse, AIFS, Arcadia, DIS, or others. Students participating in Loyola Affiliations and Non-Loyola programs are often responsible for purchasing their own airline tickets, although this will vary by program. Insurance and Student Safety Abroad Your child’s health and safety are of the highest concern to us. We require that all students remain covered under their domestic health insurance policies during their time abroad, and can provide us with proof of overseas coverage. Some domestic insurance policies do not extend overseas, so it is important that you check with your insurance provider to see whether or not your child will be covered outside of the U.S. If your child is not covered outside of the country under their current policy, we require that you purchase additional travel health insurance to help cover them while abroad, unless an international policy is included with the program. For certain programs, Loyola will purchase a local healthcare policy for students in addition to their domestic policy, to comply with local standards. Students participating in Loyola Programs will also receive emergency evacuation and repatriation insurance, either through On Call International, or through the local healthcare policies included with some programs. When using US health care policies abroad, parents and students should expect to pay for medical services up front, and then receive reimbursement from their insurance provider. Please note that the emergency insurance provided through On Call International will only cover emergency assistance and medical evacuation/repatriation, it will not cover theft or loss of valuables. As a general rule, we recommend that students leave their valuables at home, but for some students, valuables may be covered under their parents’ Homeowner’s Insurance. Others may be covered through a local policy sponsored by Loyola. Students should find out whether they will be covered for theft or loss of valuables through a domestic or local insurance policy before traveling. All students traveling with a Loyola Program, Exchange, or Affiliation will have close access to medical facilities while abroad. For students taking prescription medications, we recommend bringing a full term’s supply with them to avoid potential complications in having prescriptions filled overseas. Students travelling with prescription medications will need to carry a photocopy of their prescription in case it is needed. Students suffering from a chronic ailment should make sure to pack a complete medical record to share with health officials abroad. Please inform the study abroad office if your student needs special accommodations, or must consult a specialist abroad. We need time to work out special arrangements, and in some cases, we will need to determine whether a student’s health needs can be adequately met at their program of choice.
Registering with the State Department
You can be assured that the social and political climate in the locations of our programs is conducive to studying. We provide students with country-specific consular information prior to their departure, and will alert them with any subsequent travel warnings or advisories. However, we highly recommend that your student registers themselves with the U.S. State Department prior to their semester or year abroad. Registration is a free service, and it will help the State Department locate your student in case of an emergency, either at home or abroad. For more information or to register, please visit the State Department’s website. Student Responsibilites At Loyola, we take each student’s study abroad experience seriously, and expect our students to do the same. We ask that all students attend information sessions, review our website, sit down with program directors, and do whatever else is necessary to make an informed decision about which study abroad program they would like to participate in. We offer regular information sessions for all of our programs, and have several office members available at any given time to help students through their decision making process. Once your student has applied and been accepted to a study abroad program, they are expected to hand in all necessary materials by the appropriate deadlines, and to update their parents regularly with the information given to them by their program director. Program directors will hold workshops for accepted students, and will help each student with administrative planning and paperwork. It is up to the student, however, to make the necessary preparations for life overseas (familiarizing himself/herself with their host city and country, setting up a communication plan with family and friends, attending to financial matters, etc.) It is also expected that all students will maintain a high level of academic performance while abroad, and will abide by the rules and regulations of both Loyola University Maryland and their host universities. All disciplinary problems that occur abroad will be reported to Loyola University Maryland, and all students found to be in violation of Loyola’s rules and regulations while abroad will be subject to Loyola’s judicial process once they return. Host universities reserve the right to hold students to their own judicial process as well. The Office of International Programs reserves the right to pull any student from his or her program should they behave in a way that endangers themselves or others while abroad, or threatens the enjoyment or wellbeing of other participating students. There are staff members available at all times to help support students during each step of the study abroad process. Please encourage your students to contact us should they need specific assistance or advice at any time. All students participating in a Loyola-sponsored program or exchange are required to hand in a study abroad deposit to Student Administrative Services prior to their semester or year abroad. This deposit will be deducted from the study abroad program fee described under program costs. Passports All students hoping to study abroad will need a valid passport. If your student already has a passport, please make sure that it is not set to expire in the near future. Passports must be valid up to six months after the end of the program. If your student does not have a passport, or the passport is set to expire within this timeframe, then it is important that they apply for a new one as soon as they make the decision to study abroad. Often, passport information is required by our partner universities during the application process, and a passport will be necessary to obtain a student visa. For more information and to download an application form, you can visit http://travel.state.gov/passport/passport_1738.html. Passport applications are currently taking anywhere between 4 – 10 weeks to be processed. Banking/Money Planning for your student’s finances abroad is an important step in making sure your student can always access money, both for everyday needs and for emergencies. We recommend that all students keep a domestic account linked to a debit / check card during their time abroad. This allows immediate account access to both you and your student. If you have not done so already, we recommend that you establish joint partnership on the account prior to your student’s departure. For many students, this domestic account and a major credit card is all that they will need while abroad – They can use their check card to make purchases at stores and restaurants, and to make cash withdrawals from local ATM’s. For certain programs, it will be recommended that students also open an account with a local bank, to facilitate easy deposits and spending. Your student’s program director will brief him or her on standard banking procedures for their program. The program director will also give your student advice on how much money to bring abroad, either in cash or traveler’s checks (we do not recommend carrying large amounts of cash.) It is also a good idea to monitor current exchange rates. The dollar is weaker than most European currencies, so be sure that the student is aware of rate differences when withdrawing money, or making purchases overseas. Please make sure to call your bank and credit card company to alert them that your son or daughter will be spending time abroad. Otherwise, they might freeze the account once foreign purchases are made. It is also a good idea for students to set up online banking prior to their departure, so that they can monitor their balance, and see their withdrawals listed in USD. It is difficult for us to advise students on how much money to set aside for the semester or year, as spending habits will differ greatly. Students will want to include extra money in their budgets to do some independent traveling in and around their host city and country. Students can plan to limit spending by spending more time in their host cities, rather than planning a new trip for every weekend, and by preparing meals themselves, rather than eating out frequently. Students who are participating in a Loyola sponsored study abroad program should take advantage of any and all program benefits offered with their program as these can also help reduce personal spending. Communication For many of our students going abroad, this will be their first time spending a significant amount of time overseas. We understand that for their wellbeing and yours, it is important for them to be able to maintain regular contact with their friends and family at home. Email is always a cheap and quick way for students to touch base, and it is not affected by time differences. Many students will also use online social networks (Facebook, Myspace) and photo databases (Flickr, Smugmug) to help keep in touch and share pictures of their time abroad. Many students will purchase cell phones (it is best for them to procure a cell phone in their host country, rather than at home), calling cards, or use online calling services such as Skype to contact friends and family members while abroad. Each country and university will have different options when it comes to phone use, and your student will be informed of their options on site or prior to departure. It is a good idea to examine the time difference with your student ahead of time, and agree upon times that will work for phone calls. It is also a good idea to establish expectations for when and how often your student should contact you, as well as guidelines for how to contact one another in an emergency. Please keep in mind that your student will often be busy with work and travel, and can not always spend long periods of time on the phone. Often there is less contact during the first week or two, as students are getting things set up and are kept busy with orientation programs. Loyola Parent FAQ Useful Websites
Please refer to our site-specific pages for additional information on our study abroad options.
Loyola Programs: - Alcalá, Spain
- Auckland, New Zealand
- Bangkok, Thailand
- Beijing, China
- Copenhagen, Denmark
- Cork, Ireland
- Leuven, Belgium
- Melbourne, Australia
- Newcastle, England
- Paris, France
- Rome, Italy
- San Salvador, El Salvador
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