After acceptance to the study abroad program of your choice, there are a number of details you must take care of. Those details will vary according to the particular program you choose.  In general, however, you will need to follow all stated requirements for your host university and/or for the organization sponsoring your study abroad program. Some, for example, will require transcripts, copies of passports, pre-registration, etc. Others may require proof of financial resources to cover your time overseas. In most cases, you will need a visa from the country in which you will study, and that, in turn, will require some sort of document verifying that you will be a student at whatever university you have chosen. There are application fees for visas, and these can total hundreds of dollars. For a French student visa, for example, you can expect to pay about $300 and will also have to appear in person at VFS processing center, probably in Houston. If you are asked for evidence that you are enrolled in an exchange program, as you will be for a French visa application, please request a letter from the Office of International Education. Also, if you have really specific questions about the site to which are going you can ask the international office at the university or the sponsoring organization or have the Office of International Education forward your questions. You can also ask for contact information from students who have studied at that site in the past.

For details on a variety of preparatory travel items from packing to booking flights to finding housing, please refer to the comprehensive Pre-Departure Guide below.

After acceptance into a  Trip there are a number of requirements you must satisfy to ensure your participation. The first is completion of a Trip Commitment Form located below. Until this form has been filled in, signed and returned, you will not be officially considered part of a  Trip. You must also make sure to register for the course credit through the Registrar’s Office and must pay the $1200 course fee. Since passport application processing times can currently extend to as long as three months, you should have applied well in advance for a new passport. 

Also, available in this section are the Release Form and the Medical Information Form, both located below.  These forms must also be completed, signed and returned to the Office of International Education to complete your application packet.

While the Pre-Departure Guide is primarily intended for students going abroad for a month or more, Travel Students might find some useful information in the Course Guide, especially in such topic areas as passports, finances and packing for a trip overseas. 

• Pre-Departure.docx