Steps to Study Abroad

As you begin your journey to study abroad, use this checklist to guide you through each step of the study abroad process. Find detailed information regarding financial aid opportunities, orientations, application deadlines, insurance coverage, and student benefits.  Find the application deadlines on the Deadlines page.

Complete the Program Matching Survey and review program offerings that pop up. You may want to look over the overall programs list to see if there are other programs that interest you. As you expand your search for programs that might be right for you, it is important to engage in some careful study of what courses are offered in English in the course disciplines that align with the courses you need to graduate.

Step 2: Narrow Down Your Options

In order to narrow down your options, ask yourself some very fundamental questions about who you are, why you want to study abroad, and what you hope to gain from the experience.  Also ask yourself what barriers you see that might prevent you from studying abroad. You might want to write your answers to these questions down (in the first pages of a journal you can take along with you through your entire study abroad experience).

There are also a couple of practical questions you will want to answer before you approach choosing your study abroad program. 

The first question, if you hope to use financial aid to cover the costs of your study abroad program, is what courses do I need to take while I am abroad?  Look at your grad plan and think through the courses you have taken and the courses you still need to take before you graduate- in your major and as core requirements. Check to see how many elective credit hours you need and think about whether your courses you may want to take abroad in your minor can fit into this number of elective credit hours.

Ask yourself some important and fundamental financial questions: how much do I pay for a semester at UNC Asheville (including my housing, meals, tuition, and fees?) Do I use any financial aid to cover these costs? Answers to these questions will help you compare your usual cost of attendance with program costs.

Now that you’ve done this pre-thinking work, you can do research about your Study Abroad options with a ready mind.

Schedule an appointment with your study abroad adviser. We will take all your pre-thinking work and the results of your matching quiz into account and work to reconcile the realities of the courses you need with the other elements of study abroad experience you’re looking for.  We will help you work through finance and budgeting concerns and give you questions to get answered in conversation with your UNCA academic advisor.

Appointments can be scheduled online (email drhein@unca.edu), or stop by the Study Abroad office, located in Ramsey 100. Walk-in office hours are 1:00-3:00 pm on Tuesday and Thursday.

Don’t forget to bring a copy of your gradplan with you when you come to this appointment.

Step 4:  Complete and Submit your UNC Asheville Study Abroad Course Equivalency Form

Complete the best research you can about the courses available to you at the university, or through the program partner you have selected.  Then work with your study abroad advisors and UNC Asheville Chairs of Department to study course titles, descriptions and/or syllabi to determine the equivalent credit you will receive at UNC Asheville when your transcript comes back home after the credit you have earned becomes part of your UNC Asheville academic record.  And, turn in the Course Equivalency Form where you’ve captured the course matching work you have done.

By signing the Course Equivalency form, Chairs of Department and Program Directors signal that if you take a given course abroad, you will receive credit for a specific UNC Asheville course when you return and UNC Asheville receives your official transcript.  In order to establish that financial aid can be used to cover study abroad costs, the Academic Advisor must also sign, and the Registrar’s Office must approve, indicating that all the courses a student intends to take are courses that fit into the grad plan as either courses towards the major, courses towards the Liberal Arts Core or other courses that fit into the overall 120 hours of course credit needed to graduate.   

In order to go abroad, every student must have a passport that is valid for at least six months after their program ends. If you already have a passport, double check its expiration date. If it expires less than six months after the term in which you plan to study abroad ends, start your application for a new passport as soon as possible. 

If you do not yet have a passport, apply for one as soon as possible. Go to travel.state.gov and click on the US Passports tab to get started.  For a first-time passport, you will first need to fill out an online form, then print it out. You will also need to make an appointment to submit your application. If you’re applying in Asheville, you can make an appointment at the Downtown or Biltmore Post Offices. If you’re applying from somewhere else, you can find a place to make your appointment online. Before your appointment, make sure to gather all of the needed documents and make copies. Check to see if you can take your passport photos at your appointment, or if you need to bring your own. You can take passport photos at CVS or at Walgreens.

Step 6: Complete Application for Your Program 

Go to study-abroad-via to complete the study abroad application for your program. This application will include an opportunity to apply for all study abroad scholarships available through the UNCA Office of Study Abroad.

At this time, if you are applying for an exchange program that requires a nomination, we will pass along the nomination information to the host institution.  If you are applying for a faculty-led program your candidacy for the program will be reviewed by the faculty directors of your program.  If you are applying to participate in a partner program or to an exchange partner program that requires additional application materials, you will complete these additional applications.     

At the conclusion of this review, your application status will be changed to accepted, rejected or waitlisted.

If your application is accepted, you can indicate that you intend to participate in the program at this point by selecting commit.  When your application status is updated to committed then several additional forms, questionnaires and signature documents will be added to your application.

IF you have completed a SECONDARY APPLICATION (required by your program provider or your exchange host institution, or both,) you will be prompted to upload evidence of your acceptance from the program provider/host institution.

When you have completed all the materials required for your program, your materials will be reviewed by the study abroad office and your application status will be changed to approved.  If you are participating in a program that requires a fee payment (faculty-led programs, or affiliate program), you can prepare to make payment at this time.

Step 7: Other Important Matters

Course Registration

Study abroad office will liaise with the Registrar’s Office to get you enrolled in placeholder credits that remain in place until your transcripts arrive post-study abroad.  You do not need to register for classes yourself.

Financial Aid

Meet with Financial Aid- Complete your Cost of Attendance form and schedule a meeting with financial aid to ensure that you are completely clear about how much aid will apply to your program costs, when it will be disbursed, etc.  If you are granted scholarships from study abroad, you will receive these at the same time all financial aid is released at the beginning of the term in which you will travel.

Passport and Visa

Apply for a passport if you haven’t already- Ensure you have an up-to-date passport or make sure to apply for one as soon as possible. Passports must not expire before 6 months upon return from your program. If your current passport is valid for less than 6 months after your return from abroad, you will need to apply for a new passport.

Apply for a visa- Begin reviewing visa requirements and apply for your visa as specified (if required before leaving the U.S.).

Travel Arrangements

Wait until official acceptance into the program to purchase plane tickets. Websites like Google Flights or Student Universe may be helpful in finding the most affordable ticket options, but make sure to book directly with the airline. Update your Travel Plans in Via Travel so that the Office of Study Abroad can best attend to your safety while abroad.

Travel Insurance

You are required to purchase special emergency travel insurance to cover your program dates abroad.  Travel insurance is built into the program costs for UNC Asheville  faculty-led programs abroad and the Office of Study Abroad will work with summer, semester and Academic Year abroad students to ensure that they have approved coverage.

Communicating your Plans to UNC Asheville Housing

Finalize other university requirements- Follow any instructions from the host university about their forms and required deposits before the start date. If you will be living in the residence halls, go online to the Housing website and complete the necessary paperwork.

Take proactive steps to attend to your health abroad- Discuss your travel plans with mental health care providers and your physician. 

Make sure you have the vaccinations you need and supplies of prescriptions you need as well as any required documentation for entering your host country with the medications you take. 

Step 8: Attend Pre-departure Orientation

Required orientation for all outbound students covers health and safety, security, cultural adjustment information, expectations for behavior while abroad, travel and packing tips, and more.

Step 9: Pack and Go Abroad

Pack your suitcases, review all your orientation materials designed to help you prepare for the logistics of travel to your destination, assemble all your important documents and Go abroad! 

Immerse yourself in local culture, work hard in your classes, and don’t forget to have fun! Explore your host city/country, try new foods, and connect with new friends!

Step 10: Required tasks while abroad? 

If you are participating in a summer, semester or Academic Year notify the Office of Study Abroad of your arrival.  

Update Via Travel with your local phone and address details.

Update the Office of Study Abroad with your local phone number and address and with your final course schedule.  Ensure the class credits that you end up taking are applicable to your Grad Plan. Having the actual course information that students are currently enrolled in added to the Permission to Study Abroad form course matching will ensure that there is never a need to pay back financial aid that was used to cover the study abroad experience.

Step 11: Return to UNC Asheville

Make any necessary course registration and housing arrangements for your upcoming term at UNC Asheville.

After returning home, make sure the Office of Study Abroad receives your official transcript, which UNCA will use to transfer your courses and credits taken abroad.

Step 12: Remain Engaged in Intercultural Skills Development and Encourage other UNC Asheville students that they CAN study abroad!

Then, explore your opportunities to remain engaged in international, intercultural, and global learning now that you are back home.