Study Abroad Pre-Departure Orientation

1. Study Abroad Pre-Departure Orientation Study Abroad Basics

2. Important People! • Your Academic Advisor • Your Financial Aid Counselor • The RCL • Your Parents • Your Program Coordinator • Office of International Affairs Staff • Hunter Swanson • Krysten Heath • Dr. Frank • Dr. Marks

3. Registration • You will be registered at Longwood during your study abroad experience. You must notify the Office of International Affairs how many credits you plan to enroll in on the course registration form. • You will also need to register for the next semester while you are abroad!

4. Transfer of Credit • Work with your academic advisor and/or dean to complete the Transfer Credit Authorization (TCA) form. • The TCA form is the plan for the transfer of credits back to Longwood. • If you change your course schedule while abroad, let the Office of International Affairs know, so that we can revise the TCA form.

5. Transfer of Credit • The transfer of credit works the same as if you were transferring credits from a community college or a four year US university. You must receive at least the equivalent of a C- for your classes to transfer. You will receive a “T” on your transcript for transfer credit. • Modern language majors, you will receive the actual equivalent grade!

6. Payment • Payment will work one of 3 ways: • If you are participating in a Longwood exchange program, you will pay all tuition and fees to Longwood University and all other charges (housing, etc.) directly to the exchange partner school. • If you are not participating in an exchange, and instead are participating in a program that does not have a direct billing agreement with Longwood, you will be billed directly by the study abroad program provider for all study abroad program costs (example: Institute of Spanish Studies). • If you are not participating in an exchange, and instead are participating in a program that does have a direct billing agreement with Longwood, you will pay study abroad program costs directly to Longwood University. Longwood University will then transfer payment to your study abroad program provider. (Please note that there will be additional processing time.)

7. Housing • Longwood University Residential Students: Please notify the Office of Residential & Commuter Life (Housing) that you will be studying abroad. You will be responsible for securing housing upon your return. If you have questions about this procedure, contact the RCL Office.

8. Study Abroad Administrative Fee • All students studying abroad in individual enrollment programs are required to pay a non-refundable $250 Study Abroad Administrative Fee. This fee is paid directly to Longwood University.

9. Passports and Visas • You MUST have a passport! You can learn more about how to obtain one on the study abroad website (http://www.longwood.edu/internationalaffairs/24821.htm). • You may need a visa as well depending on the country you will be traveling to and the length of your study there. Please talk to your Study Abroad Advisor if you think you may need a visa.

10. Financial Aid • You will need to visit the Office of International Affairs with documentation of the cost and dates of your program, as well as other expenses associated with the study abroad program (airfare, meals, etc.) so that we can create a budget for you. • Once you have the budget, you should bring it by the Office of Financial Aid and to Bettie Bass. Bettie will assist you in understanding the process and what type of aid you might receive.

11. Financial Aid • Financial aid (including scholarships!) cannot be dispersed until the add/drop date of the current term. This means you may need to work with your study abroad program provider so that will accept a late payment. • The financial aid will be dispersed to you, and you must forward the payment to the program provider.

12. Health Insurance • International Student Identity Card (ISIC card). This is the minimum insurance coverage that the Office of International Affairs requires. If you do not purchase an ISIC card you must have a policy that is equivalent or exceeds the coverage described below. The ISIC card cost is $25. The ISIC card can also offer other discounts on international phone cards, tour discounts, etc. • Insurance Benefits Summary*$300,000 Emergency Evacuation$25,000 Repatriation of Remains$25,000 Accident Medical Expense (Includes $500 Emergency Dental Coverage)$5,000 Accidental Death & Dismemberment - Air$1,000 Accidental Death & Dismemberment - All Other$500 Lost Document Replacement (includes your ISIC card)$165 per day Sickness/Hospital Benefit (up to 61 days) $100 Baggage Delay$100 Travel DelayFree - Travel Guard Assistance*Limits and restrictions do apply. Please see the Certificate of Insurance located at www.myisic.com for complete details. Only ISIC, ITIC and IYTC issued in the U.S.A. carry these insurance benefits.

13. Health Insurance • There are many other options for health insurance besides the ISIC card. A good place to look is the NAFSA marketplace.

14. Trip (or Travel) Insurance • Trip insurance for your study abroad program can help protect you from costs associated with: • Trip Cancellation • Travel Delay • Loss of Baggage and Personal Possessions • Use the trip insurance handout as a reference.

15. Money! • Plan a budget now for the study abroad program. You might want to include your parents. • Notify your bank if you plan to use your credit and/or debit card(s) abroad. If you do not notify them, they may suspect fraudulent activity and freeze your card. Also, be sure to notify your bank IMMEDIATELY if your card is lost or stolen. Make sure you can access the phone number to cancel the card at all times.

16. Money! • Using a debit/credit card abroad is considered preferable to using large amounts of cash. If you are robbed you can cancel the card, but the cash will likely remain stolen. Also, the fees charged by ATM’s are typically much lower than the service charges rendered by money exchangers. HOWEVER, RESEARCH YOUR LOCATION, use of debit cards may not be practical for your destination. • Know the exchange rate! Use a currency converting website such as xe.com to look up the current exchange rate between US dollars and the foreign currency. Remember that the exchange rate may fluctuate daily, and that this could affect your budget. Also, remember that your bank or credit card provider will be using a specific exchange rate for purchases you make with your card. • You may be interested in applying for a prepaid credit card, such as the MasterCard Travel Card or the Visa TravelMoney card. You can pre-load these cards with funds and then re-load funds online as necessary. • Converting cash. You can pre-order foreign currency before you depart on your study abroad program. Your bank may offer this service in select currencies. If not, American Express and AAA are examples of businesses that offer foreign currency services. It is important to be aware of the rate and transaction fee, but they can be higher than if you were to exchange currency abroad. If you use this service, it is not recommended that you exchange large amounts of money beforehand, because you will be traveling with the money and this increases the risk of theft or additional scrutiny by customs or transportation agents.

17. Passports and Visas • Get them early! • You can instructions for how to apply for a passport at this website: • http://www.longwood.edu/internationalaffairs/24821.htm • If you need a visa, talk to Hunter Swanson

18. Questions?