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Baton Rouge, Louisiana |
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International Exchange Frequently Asked Questions 1. Do I have to know another language to go on an international exchange? 1. No, you don't necessarily have to know another language to go on an international exchange. ISEP, the International Student Exchange Program, has several universities where courses are taught in English. Visit http://www.isep.org/students/US_Students/search_for_a_program.asp# to get a list of these universities. Bilateral locations where no foreign language is required include the following:
2. ISEP allows you to pay LSU tuition and LSU room and board, with the exception of ISEP Direct schools. ISEP Direct schools require you to pay the other school's tuition and lodging rates. If you wish to continue paying what you pay here at LSU, you are encouraged to explore sites other than the ISEP Direct schools. Note: Benefits for ISEP exchanges are equivalent, not identical, and may differ from housing/meal costs at your home institution (LSU). For example, you may receive a meal stipend that differs monetarily from your cost at home. It is based upon the local cost of living and is the amount an incoming international student has paid on your behalf. Bilateral allows you to pay LSU tuition rates while you pay the room & board fees abroad. Please note that room & board abroad can often be cheaper than what you pay here in the U.S. Moreover, some foreign governments offer financial assistance to students to offset the cost of lodging while in school. 3. To reduce the cost of study abroad, you are encouraged to study abroad using the established LSU study abroad program opportunities with LSU bilateral and ISEP partner universities. It is through these programs that you will be permitted to pay your usual LSU tuition rates and apply your TOPS to offset the cost of exchange. As noted in the previous question, with the exception of ISEP Direct, students pay LSU tuition and LSU room and board rates when going on exchange to an ISEP partner institution. Students going on exchange to an LSU bilateral institution will pay LSU tuition and pay their room & board fees abroad. Be reminded that you may apply TOPS and most scholarships to LSU-sponsored international exchange programs. Should you choose to study abroad with a non-LSU program, you will be subject to their fee rates and will not pay the LSU tuition rate. These programs can be much more expensive than what is offered to you through LSU. However, most scholarships will apply to these programs just as they do to LSU-sponsored programs. 4. To study abroad in fall, you will need to turn in your application by early January, and to study abroad in the spring, you need to turn in your application by August 1. You must first come into our office and get information on all the programs. You can get an overview from our website. You also will need to schedule a meeting with the international exchange coordinator. You can call or come by the office to do this, but, by your meeting time, you should have narrowed down your school choices to five. The international exchange coordinator will issue you and application and explain all the steps. Almost all of the applications will require an essay, and 2 letters of reccommendation. 5. What you need to do next is choose three or four schools that you are seriously considering applying to. Visit their websites and check out classes offered, their locations, etc. to find out which ones would best suit what you're looking for. Then you will need to come in to our office for a one-on-one with the international exchange coordinator. She will talk with you and determine whether you're ready for an application. You can schedule your one-on-one now if you have an idea of when you'll have your schools narrowed down. 6. We are located in 103 Hatcher Hall. Hatcher Hall is next to Hodges Hall on Field House Drive. 7. No, you must come by our office to receive an application. 8. The deadline for exchanging for spring '10 has passed. The next deadline, on January 15, 2010 will be for studying abroad in fall 2010. But international exchange requires planning ahead, so you should begin thinking about it now. You may always come into our office and get information about studying abroad. 9. With the exception of Chancellor’s Aid and Federal Work Study, most financial aid will apply to study abroad here at LSU. To verify whether your financial aid will apply, please consult Mandy Martin or Crystal Vallier in the Office of Student Aid & Scholarships in Pleasant Hall. 10. Of course! Many scholarships are available to you should you decide to study abroad. Simply come by the Academic Programs Abroad office in 103 Hatcher Hall to pick up a scholarship packet and to discuss scholarship opportunities with an APA Peer Advisor and or an APA staff member. 11. In order to successfully transfer credit from abroad, you must take the necessary steps to ensure transfer upon your return. All courses you take abroad must be pre-approved prior to your departure to another North American institution or an institution abroad. Each semester the International Exchange Coordinator facilitates a concurrent enrollment meeting to explain the process of course pre-approval, financial aid maintenance, and full-time status requirements with regard to course registration abroad. This meeting is mandatory and should you be accepted for exchange for a semester or a year, you must attend. The process is simple and straightforward as long as you follow all instructions given to you at the concurrent enrollment meeting. Students have no trouble transferring credit back as long as they follow instructions! 12. At this time, the LSU Graduate School does not currently allow Academic Programs Abroad to concurrently enroll graduate students here at LSU and at an outside institution in North America or abroad. However, certain LSU-directed summer programs offer graduate-level credit to allow you to participate in LSU exchange programs. Consult the different summer programs’ links to explore which programs will offer graduate credit this summer. 13. As you begin pondering participation an international exchange program, the best thing to do is to stop by Hatcher Hall to discuss your interests with an Academic Programs Abroad Peer Advisor at the Academic Programs Abroad front desk. APA can provide you with literature which will explain the process for study abroad as well as outline the different opportunities available to you regarding international exchange. Our office is located in 103 Hatcher and is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. 14. All majors may participate in an exchange program here at LSU. With an array of host sites located across North America and abroad, you can easily find schools where you will be able to enroll in courses relevant to your major here at LSU. You will have to seek pre-approval of courses in which you intend to enroll abroad prior to departure. This procedure is explained in greater detail at the concurrent enrollment meetings that take place once you have been accepted for exchange. 15. Your scholarships will normally still apply. You must follow the steps for a non-LSU program to have the program approved for credit. Academic Programs Abroad can provide you with a sheet with instructions to facilitate this process. With regard to your scholarships, you will need to consult the Office of Student Aid & Scholarships to discuss the applicability of your scholarship to the program. |
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