Learning Abroad is a big commitment, but it is also a good investment. Students who participate in Learning Abroad Programs:

• Are more likely to graduate (1)
• Are more likely to find their first job within six months of graduation, typically earning $6,000 more in starting salaries (2)
• Develop 21^st century job skills, including intercultural skills, flexibility & adaptability, confidence, problem solving, etc. (3)
• Are prepared for career progression and promotion (4)

Additionally, students develop confidence, intercultural competency, foreign language skills and benefit from being exposed to a culture different than their own.

The Learning Abroad Team is here to help your students achieve their goals! We provides services to students who participate in our Programs including

• Over $250,000 in Learning Abroad scholarship funds (terms apply)
• Health and safety information, including international insurance coverage
• Advising to help your students to find a program that fits their needs
• Budgeting, financial aid, and scholarship information
• Pre-departure, in-country, and returned student support

For a full list of services, click here.

Learning Abroad provides an estimated budget for every Program. Costs vary by location, duration and program type.

For example, our summer Programs cost between $2,800 - $6,400. Most semester Programs range between $5,400 - $19,400. 

These figures generally include tuition, housing, meals, and other expenses. For full details, check out our website, where you can review each Program's detailed budget.

For more information about Program costs, please review our Program Costs page in the student handbook. 

Parents and guardians cannot have access to a student’s Learning Abroad application. However, you can contact our office about the application if you have your student's FERPA PIN. Your student can give you a FERPA Pin through their CIS account.

Your student can go abroad almost any time in their college career. In order to be considered for a program, students must have a university GPA at the application deadline. Transfer students may be eligible to use their transfer GPA.

 Deadlines vary by Program type & term:

• Fall/Fall Break/Academic Year
  • Exchange: March 1st
  • Affiliate/Faculty-Led/Global Campus: June 1st
• Spring/Spring Break/Calendar Year
  • Exchange: September 15th
  • Affiliate/Faculty-Led/Global Campus: November 1st
• Summer
  • Faculty-Led: February 15th
  • Affiliate: April 1st

*IMPORTANT* Both Affiliate and Exchange Programs have secondary applications. The deadlines for these applications are determined by the Affiliate or the Exchange partner. Be sure to check these dates when applying for a Program.

Most federal financial aid can apply to approved Learning Abroad Programs. A list of these Programs can be found here. Financial Aid Counselors at the U are happy to help your student find out if their aid package will apply!

Please see our Learning Abroad Financing and Scholarships FAQs page for more information.

In 2016-2017, University of Utah students received over $400k in funding to Learn Abroad. Scholarships are an important way that your student can prepare responsibly for their Learning Abroad program. By starting the process early and planning carefully, your student can take advantage of scholarship opportunities. 

We encourage students to apply early and to EVERYTHING that they qualify for - their odds of getting funding may be better than they think! 

• Office for Global Engagement Scholarships
• University & Departmental Scholarships
• External Scholarships

Some scholarships are very competitive. To strengthen their scholarship applications, we encourage your student to visit the University Writing Center. Learning Abroad also provides workshops to help with the application process. A list of scholarship workshops is here!

No! If your student is trying to obtain resident status, they can participate on approved Learning Abroad or Hinckley Global Internship Programs without penalty. Your student must request a letter from Learning Abroad to take advantage of this opportunity. Contact us at learningabroad@utah.edu to request the letter.

If your student plans to travel independently before or after their program, certain restrictions apply. See the Learning Abroad Handbook for more information. Contact Admissions at residency@sa.utah.edu.

Each Program has different acceptance criteria and participation requirements. Review the Program page on our website for more details. You can also contact our office with any questions.

Students must have a valid passport to travel. Passport fees, deadlines and application processes are not controlled by the University of Utah and are subject to change at any time. It is the student’s responsibility to determine if they need a visa for the countries they are traveling to. The University does not obtain visas for students.

For details on this, please see our Learning Abroad Travel Logistics page:

• https://learningabroad.utah.edu/handbook/travel.php

The health and safety of students is the University's priority. All students are required to meet with a healthcare provider before departure. Additionally, all students are enrolled in the University’s international insurance policy provided by Cultural Insurance Services International (CISI).  For more information please see the International Medical and Security Evacuation Insurance section of our Learning Abroad Handbook.

Learning Abroad takes the safety of your student very seriously. For a full overview of our safety policies and procedures, please review the following sections of our handbook:

• Safety for Travelers: https://learningabroad.utah.edu/handbook/safety.php
• Travel health and Insurance: https://learningabroad.utah.edu/handbook/health.php

In the event of an emergency, we suggest students follow some basic steps. The acronym below—DANGER—will help students remember these steps. Remember: Students will need to adjust their actions based on the situation they are in.

D. on’t panic

A. ssess the situation

N. otify your program director or Learning Abroad (801-585-2677)

G. o to a safe place

E. ducate yourself with news and updates

R. each out to family and friends

24/7 Emergency Phone Number

Learning Abroad has established a 24/7 emergency hotline for students participating in our Programs. A student’s first point of contact in the event of an emergency should be the Faculty Director, Program Assistant, or other onsite personnel, but we are available to help if these individuals are not accessible. The 24/7 emergency hotline is 801-585-2677. When they call this number, they will be connected with the University Police. University Police will connect them with an on-call staff member in Learning Abroad.

Program housing varies based on location, duration, and Program type. Housing options may include homestays, on-campus dormitories, hotels and hostels, etc. Housing facilities for each Program are listed in the Fact Sheet found on the Program website. Learning Abroad makes every effort to provide gender inclusive housing options. Students who need special accommodation due to gender identity/expression should contact Learning Abroad for assistance.

Tips for accessing and managing money are found in the Learning Abroad Handbook here. For assistance with budgeting, we recommend that you review the Program’s budget in detail and consider developing a plan before they leave. If your student needs assistance with developing a budget for their Program, the University of Utah’s Personal Money Management Center may be able to assist them. 

Withdrawals are rare, but information on the Learning Abroad Withdrawal & Dismissal Penalties and Procedures is found at:

• https://learningabroad.utah.edu/handbook/withdrawal.php