Santa Clara University

What's Next?

This information is for students who have completed Steps 1-3 of the study abroad application procedures. If you have not completed these required steps, start now.

Congratulations on completing Steps 1-3 of researching, petitioning, applying to study abroad. While the International Programs Office begins the process of reviewing your program-specific application documents, you can now officially begin the important phase of preparing for your time abroad. 

• REVIEW PROCEDURE: Your patience is appreciated during this reviewing process as it normally takes a while about 3-4 weeks to verify over 500 applications before we mail them to your program provider for their review and decisions. You will receive an email notifying you of the status of your application. Be assured that if you turned in a complete application by the Santa Clara application deadline, we will make sure that it is mailed on time to meet the program provider's application deadline.

• MAINTAIN ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS: Students are required to maintain their study abroad eligibility requirements at all times. Failure to maintain eligibility at any time during the application phase, acceptance phase, or while on a study abroad program will result in the loss of eligibility. A final eligibility audit will happen the first week of May. It is ALWAYS the student's responsibility to remain in good standing with the University (no financial holds, no academic probation, no disciplinary issues, declared a major, completion of 88 units, etc.).

• MANDATORY PRE-DEPARTURE ORIENTATION: All study abroad students are required to attend the Pre-Departure Orientation on Saturday, May 9, 2009, 9:00 - 12:00 at the Mayer Theater. For tentative schedule, please visit the pre-departure orientation site. Soon you will be emailed your specific group meetings with International Ambassadors (students who studied in your program-location last Fall or Summer).
  

• MANDATORY HEALTH INSURANCE: Be sure to check your ecampus to opt out of the mandatory university health insurance if you do not want to have it while you're abroad. Contact the Cowell Health Clinic for more information on signing up or opting out of this insurance coverage.

• COURSE APPROVAL & ACADEMIC PLANNING SHEET: Be sure to thoroughly complete the Study Abroad Course Approval Form and the Academic Planning Sheet and turn them in to Lori Johnson at the Drahmann Center (Mon – Fri 8:00 – 12:00 ). Be sure to attach printout of course descriptions and titles for new approved courses.

• ACCEPTANCE: Your program will be notifying you (most probably via the email you indicated on your application) sometime after their published deadlines about your status. From that point on, they will be your main contact for questions relating to your program including housing preference, student visa, class registration, etc. Do NOT panic if your friends have been accepted to their programs and you have yet to receive your acceptance even if you've applied at the same time. Please be patient as you will eventually hear from the program providers once your application has been reviewed and approved. Each program has a different timeline and each application reviewed separately.

• CONFIRMATION DEPOSIT: When you receive your acceptance email or packet from your program, you will be asked to submit a deposit to secure your spot on their roster. Amounts range from $200 - $2,000 depending on the affiliated program. Except for participants in the Associate Programs (i.e. Gonzaga, Semester at Sea, IHP, Antioch) and Affiliated Summer Programs, all other SCU students are NOT responsible for sending this confirmation deposit directly to their program as it will be invoiced to Santa Clara.  Participants in Associate Programs and Affiliated Summer Programs must pay the deposit directly to the provider to confirm their place on the roster; all others do NOT need to pay.
  

• CONFIRMATION FORMS: Even though Santa Clara will pay your confirmation deposit, you are FULLY RESPONSIBLE for completing all other confirmation forms to secure your spot. Associate Program & Affiliated Summer Program participants must pay the deposit in addition to completing the proper forms within the set period given by the provider (usually 10 days after an acceptance).
  
  
• WITHDRAWAL POLICY: Students who wish to withdraw from study abroad status must send an email to studyabroad@scu.edu requesting the withdrawal. If you withdraw from a program after you've confirmed your spot, you will be liable for the deposit plus any amount that has already been committed on your behalf. That amount will be billed to your ecampus account.
  

• PASSPORT: If you have not already started, now is the time to apply for a passport if you do not already have one or renew it if it will expire 6 months after the end of your program. You can download an application at http://travel.state.gov. Know that new passports can take up to several months to receive.

• STUDENT VISA: Your program will be sending you information about student visa if the country location requires one. You will need a passport to get a visa, so make sure you have a valid passport (or a renewal if you need one) to avoid delays on your student visa.

• BILLING PROCEDURE: All study abroad students except for Associate Program & Affiliate Summer Program participants will be billed the same way and timeline as students on campus, i.e. via your e-campus accounts. Please check the Bursar's Office website for their billing schedule...usually, August 1st for Fall students, December 1st for Winter, May 1st for Summer programs.

• PROGRAM COST: The Board of Trustees normally announce the following year's tuition and fees including study abroad program cost. Be sure to view the Study Abroad Tuition and Fees on our website. Please click here to view the SY 2008-09 fees to give you an idea. Fees for academic year 2009-2010 will be announced in March, 2009. Please note that pricing may be different from the amount published by each of the Affiliated program providers.

• CHANGE OF STATUS: Once your application has been approved through the SCU protocol and sent off to the affiliated programs, then we assume you will be accepted. If you change your mind, don’t get accepted into a program, change program locations, change terms of your study abroad program, or anything else of the sort, you need to inform the Study Abroad Office in writing (studyabroad@scu.edu) as well as your program provider. Failure to do so will result in complications with SCU registration, billing, and credit transfer procedures.

• REGISTERING FOR CLASSES: In May students who are officially accepted to a program will be enrolled into a placeholder class on their ecampus called "UNIV 199 - Studies Abroad." This placeholder course and a Studies Abroad hold will prevent you from registering for on-campus classes.
  

• QUESTIONS? Once you are accepted into a program, then they become your main contact for required documents. You can always contact the Study Abroad Office at 408.554.6940. If we can help you we will.