FAQs

The Study Abroad Office will provide information on the documents needed to successfully participate in a study abroad program, including visa applications. The Pre-Departure Handbook for Semester and Summer Study-Abroad programs will have the most up-to-date information possible on visa applications. By UP guidelines, the Handbook is accessible only to UP community members.

It is the responsibility of each student to review the pre-departure handbook and prepare all necessary documentation for visa applications and other pre-departure requirements. 

The following information can be found in the Pre-Departure Handbook, as well. 

It is important to make a plan for your housing upon your return to UP after your study abroad program ends. If you live off-campus and want to find a student who is also going abroad at a different time and would want to sub-lease your off-campus living space while you are studying abroad, this is a question you can ask in the Teams group to coordinate amongst yourselves. 

Here are some commonly asked questions:

Q: I am studying abroad for one semester, and want to live on campus at UP the other semester that I am not studying abroad. Can I live on campus before/after studying abroad? 

A: Yes. It is common for students to study abroad one semester and live on campus the other semester, so you can absolutely live on campus the semester that you are not studying abroad. Please direct questions about living on campus at UP to the Residence Life Office. If you are currently living on campus, check in with ERezLife or with your Hall Director to discuss not living on campus for the semester you will be abroad and the next steps you need to take. The exact process you should follow depends on whether or not you have a specific roommate in mind, so please be sure to follow the advice of the UP Residence Life office. The Study Abroad Office does not manage on-campus housing, so we can’t advise you on these processes. 

Q: I am not from the Portland area. When I move out of my on/off campus housing in Portland, what do I do with my stuff? 

A: You will need to make your own arrangements for where to leave things. 

Q: I have a car in Portland, and don’t know where to leave it while I am abroad. Can I leave my car on campus while I’m abroad? 

A: No, you will not be able to leave a car on campus while you are abroad. You will need to make different arrangements, perhaps with someone you know in the area. 

Q: I live off-campus and need to find someone to sub-lease my room while I am abroad. How can I contact other students who will also be going abroad and might want sub-lease my living space while I am abroad? 

You can use the Teams group you will be added to as a way to communicate with other UP students going abroad. (For example, if you are studying abroad in fall and want to see if someone studying abroad in spring can take over your lease, or vice versa). The Study Abroad Office will not share a list of study abroad students with you, but you can use the “posts” section of the Teams group to communicate with other students going abroad. This is something you will need to figure out independently. 

Each student studying abroad will need to make independent arrangements for storing living supplies. If living on-campus, there may be dorm storage available. Please contact your respective dorm staff for options regarding storing dorm supplies while you are studying abroad.

For off-campus students, there are local storage companies in North Portland.

For students who have a car on-campus: cars should not be left in the parking lot while on the term students study abroad. Prior arrangements will need to be made for cars on-campus. 

The Study Abroad Office cannot reimburse students for off-campus storage fees, nor reimburse students for shipping costs associated with storing supplies. 

The Study Abroad Office believes that everyone should have the opportunity to study abroad, and theFinancial Aid office has compiled an excellent group of resources for affording the many programs we offer. 

Both institutional and federal aid apply to most UP programs and may be available for outside programs. Qualifications to apply aid will differ depending by the program. 

If you receive tuition remission, you will need to contact the Financial Aid Office to verify if it may be applicable to your program. Tuition remission is not applicable to summer programs. 

The Study Abroad Office also has funding available for some study abroad scholarships - the exact amount differs by year. Students accepted/committed to a program will receive information on how to apply. Students are also encouraged to explore the Study Abroad Office's Scholarship webpage, which offers external funding opportunities and application information. 

The Study Abroad Office will communicate exact program dates, with anticipated arrival and departure dates with students who have committed to their respective program. 

Students are not required to travel together, but arrangements to travel in groups can be made in the Teams group. 

Exact travel dates will be required to be communicated with the Study Abroad Office as part of the pre-departure process.

Students are encouraged to check through the handbook that applies to the period for which they are studying abroad. 

Each handbook is accessible to the UP community; meaning you will need to be logged-in to your UP account to access the handbook. Each handbook is frequently updated with new information, and it is recommended to have easy access to this handbook to answer many common questions related to the pre-departure process. 

Students are encouraged to communicate pre-departure information with their support systems. 

Click here to access the Semester Pre-Departure Handbook.

As study abroad students, you were enrolled under international health insurance coverage that covered you only while you were outside of the United States. The nature of this type of coverage means that you will no longer be covered under this policy once you are back in the US.

 Next steps to consider:

• If you are currently covered under a parent’s health insurance plan or another type of coverage, there isn’t anything else you will need to do. We encourage you to maintain whatever domestic health insurance coverage you already have.
• If you do not currently have a domestic health insurance plan, we strongly encourage you to explore the options for adding coverage under a parent or family member. Most insurance plans will not normally allow you to add coverage in the middle of a plan year, but it is possible that there are exceptions for certain life events. It is possible that this situation, in which you are unexpectedly losing your existing coverage, would qualify you to add domestic health insurance mid-year.
• If you do not currently have domestic coverage and are not able to add coverage elsewhere, we have received special permission from UP’s student health insurance provider to add you to coverage for the remainder of the spring and summer. Please use your UP e-mail address to send a message to stu-acct@up.edu requesting to be added to the insurance plan for the upcoming term.  

Please reach out to the appropriate contact person if you have any questions. 

Click here to access the list of program counselors for your respective school. 

Yes, your student must have a valid passport and, depending on which program they are going on, a visa (see visa information below). Most countries require that a passport be valid for at least six months beyond the date of a return ticket.
Note: Parents should have a valid passport as well in case an emergency trip is needed. 

Passports are issued by the US Department of State. For detailed instructions and information, go to the US Department of State’s website on passports.

A “visa” is permission to be in a country for a designated amount of time. If the student has more than one country of citizenship, this may affect whether or not they need to apply for a visa.  
For some programs, a student will apply for “residence permit” instead of a visa. Similar to a visa, a residence permit is another type of permission to be in a country for a designated amount of time. Students will receive information on this from the UP Study Abroad Office.

Visa requirements depend on the location and duration of stay. Students will receive information from the UP Study Abroad Office and/or their program provider about the visa process. Information is provided in the pre-departure handbook, which the student can access through PilotsUP.  
Students should refer to their host country’s embassy for visa requirements. Visas are issued at the sole discretion of the immigration agency of the host country.  
Generally, UP summer programs do not require visas due to their short duration.

Generally, students apply 2-4 months before the start of the program, but this can vary. Students apply on their own for their visa. Some programs do a batch visa, where students can submit their documents to the program provider and the provider will submit the application to the consulate. For most programs this is not the case. For some countries, students must go in-person to apply for their visa (this is usually a consulate in San Francisco). For other countries, the visa application can be sent in via mail. Still other countries use a provider to help with the processing. Information about the process is provided to students by the UP Study Abroad Office and/or their program provider and it is very important that students check their email and follow instructions. Students must complete their visa applications in a timely manner or risk not being able to attend their program. Visa issuance is at the sole discretion of the host country’s immigration agency and government.

Notes: 
Traveling before program start: Students must submit their US passport when applying for a visa. Students should plan on not traveling during the application process as their passport will not be returned until the consulate has completed the visa process.  
 
Citizenship: Students who are not US citizens must refer to visa information related to their citizenship. Information coming from the UP Study Abroad Office and Program Providers will be directed at US citizens unless otherwise specified. 
 
Dual citizenship: Students with dual citizenship in the country they will study abroad in can study without a visa. Both passports must be valid for 6 months beyond the program end date. Students must inform their program providers of their citizenship in the host country.

Semester programs are similar in cost to a semester at UP (including UP tuition + room + board*). Additionally, students will need to budget for their flights, personal expenses, travel expenses, and anything not included in the program fee**.
Summer short-term program fees vary.

* Students who do not live on-campus should note the fee differences and expect the UP study abroad program fee to be higher than what they are accustomed to. 
**Some programs do not include housing and many do not include meals. For specifics, students should refer to the program brochures (see semester options or summer options and click “Learn More & Apply” to access a program’s brochure). 
Final budgets are provided to students when they receive UP approval for study abroad (around February).

The Study Abroad Office believes that everyone should have the opportunity to study abroad. UP offers many programs that cost a student about the same to study abroad as to stay on campus. The Financial Aid Office has compiled an excellent group of resources for affording the many programs we offer.  

Federal aid applies to all UP Study Abroad programs for all eligible students. Both institutional and federal aid apply to many UP programs. Qualifications to apply for aid will differ depending on the program and term. If your student receives tuition remission, it is necessary to contact the Financial Aid Office to verify if it may be applicable to your student’s program. Tuition exchange is not applicable. Generally, there are specific rules for financial aid during the summer, and you should check with the Financial Aid Office to learn what, if any, aid is available. 

The study abroad program fee and administrative fee are billed to the student’s account the same way the fees for a semester or summer term at UP are billed. 
It is important for students to read the budget planning sheet in their study abroad application portal (added to their application when they receive UP approval to study on the program). The budget planning sheet contains the fees billed by UP and what is included in those fees. Also included in the budget planning sheet is a list of items not billed by UP that are important to study abroad (such as airfare) along with cost estimates for each item.

Thanks to generous gifts from donors, the Study Abroad Office also has funding available for some study abroad scholarships. Students can apply for these scholarships when the Study Abroad Office opens the application for their study abroad term (usually in January).  Students are also encouraged to explore the Study Abroad Office's Scholarship webpage, which offers additional external funding opportunities and application information.  
Scholarships are intended to offset the cost of study abroad. Students should be prepared to cover the full cost of study abroad when committing to their study abroad program.

All students participating in UP Study Abroad programs are covered by an international insurance plan, which is included in the program fee and covers medical emergencies and emergency evacuation in addition to most everyday medical costs. Whether or not a student is already covered by insurance, international insurance coverage is required for students.  

Study abroad students are enrolled under international health insurance coverage that covers them only while they are outside of the United States. The nature of this type of coverage means that they will no longer be covered under this policy once back in the US.

If your student does not have domestic coverage and cannot add coverage elsewhere, we have received special permission from UP’s student health insurance provider to add coverage for your student for the rest of the spring and summer. To add coverage, your student will use their UP email address to send a message to stu-acct@up.edu requesting to be added to the insurance plan for the upcoming term.

It is normal for students to experience lots of different emotions and highs and lows while abroad. This is to be expected and is part of how they will learn and grow. Here are some ways to support them.  

• Try to find a balance between keeping in touch with your student but also allowing them space to get to know their host community. (For example, scheduling a recurring time to catch up just once a week or so). 

• When communicating with your student, remember to listen fully and ask open-ended questions. When moments are difficult, encourage your student to think about this time as an opportunity for learning, discovery, and growth. 

• Listen to your student’s concerns. Tell them you have confidence in them, and they can navigate this new environment and figure things out. Validate their feelings – it is normal and okay to feel highs and lows while abroad. 

• If students are experiencing challenges, please encourage them to speak directly with the onsite staff.  The onsite staff will be best equipped to help them resolve their challenges expediently. 

Depending on the program, specific visitors are permitted to stay in the same facilities as the students with approved permission. Students are expected to communicate with their program directors/host families well before the trip is planned to receive confirmation of the approval of the guest request. Students can travel with others outside of their study abroad commitments (classes, internship, etc.) during weekends, breaks, and before/ after the programs. However, students must ensure their passports/visas remain valid during the length of travel. Be careful with arrivals and departures. The visa dates determine when the visa holder is allowed to enter and exit the country. 
It is recommended to wait until the end of the program to visit your students. This allows them time to settle into their host country and integrate into their community on their own. Additionally, at the end of their study abroad, they will have learned a lot and be ready to show you around! It is incredible to see their growth.

For the latest updates on travel restrictions to the US, please refer to the US Department of State.  

Receiving medical treatment for illness or injury can look quite different outside the US and varies from country to country. UP study abroad programs take place in countries with robust healthcare systems. In many countries, students will be able to find English-speaking doctors as well as over-the-counter medicine for general illnesses. Students will have international insurance to help cover the cost of care. Students often have onsite staff who can assist as necessary.

These resources may be helpful in researching vaccine requirements, medical practices, and other health information.  

CDC Resources for Travelers 

Your Health Abroad: US State Department 

If your student is currently taking prescription medication, it is important to check whether the medication is legal to bring into the country or locally available. We recommend that the student speak with their primary health care provider first as they plan their care while overseas.

The UP Counseling Center is a resource for students to utilize while abroad. UP students who may be struggling with the adjustment process or other mental health concerns can access telephone counseling services.

Students’ arrival processes vary by program. Students can find more information in the Study Abroad Handbook and details will be further communicated to them through their pre-departure orientation and study abroad emails.

Unfortunately, parents cannot access the Handbook directly and the Study Abroad Office is limited in what we can share with parents. If you have specific questions about the arrival process, please contact the student first.

All coursework and grades earned at UP sponsored host institutions abroad will be reflected on the student’s transcript and factored into their GPA. With the proper planning, studying abroad will typically not delay a student’s graduation.

An important part of a student’s learning process is transitioning back home after studying abroad. Your student may find that they have changed, grown, and matured while away, and that things feel different now that they are back. They will have lots of stories to tell, and it’s beneficial for students to find outlets to reflect on their time away and process their experiences. Students may find themselves missing their host community.  

Upon returning home, your student may experience "reverse culture shock," which is similar to initial culture shock but occurs upon reentry into their home country. Symptoms can vary in intensity and might include minor illnesses, depression, withdrawal, and a sense of disconnection from campus life. To help your student through this transition, encourage them to engage in campus events, join relevant clubs or organizations, and seek support from resources.