Procedures

(For students considering studying abroad for a semester or year)

Oglethorpe students seriously considering studying abroad at one of our partnership colleges, or at any non-partnership university throughout the world, should follow the steps outlined below.

Step 1: Review and Select a Study Abroad Destination
This is a crucial decision, based upon a number of factors, including your goals, your field of study, your career path. Select a college or university abroad only after you have researched the websites and material available in the OUSA office, in Robinson 103 or at the main library desk. You can review our partnership colleges.  You should also carefully examine the application procedure, semester dates for the college, and the costs.

Step 2: Get Advised
After you have made a preliminary choice for a study abroad destination, set up an appointment with the OUSA Director. If you have decided upon studying at a partnership college, you can find the faculty contact for that school on the same website listed above to determine if that college is where you would like to spend a semester or a year.

Review with your academic advisor what specific courses you would like to take in what program abroad. As a rule, all grades you make in an approved program will transfer to OU. However, you will need to get approval from your academic advisor or a professor in the appropriate discipline for courses and credits required in your major and minor. The best idea is to secure the course descriptions from the college, and discuss this with your academic advisor. Most course descriptions can be found on the website of the college you wish to attend abroad.

In addition, every student attending an approved semester or year abroad will receive credit for one semester of the junior year core (either 301 or 302). The student decides the course for which he or she would like to receive credit in the junior core, and informs the academic advisor.

Step 3: Calculation the Costs
Most of our partnership colleges will cost you almost exactly what you pay at Oglethorpe, excluding transportation to and from the international destination. Costs for non-partnership colleges will vary, and some offer comparable tuition rates to OU. In calculating the costs, you will also need to pay a nominal fee to Oglethorpe before embarking upon your study abroad stint. This fee covers administrative costs to maintain your enrollment while you are abroad. Finally, you should make arrangements to discuss your financing options with the Financial Aid office for any non-partnership colleges.

Step 4: Apply for Scholarships
All students accepted into partnership colleges are eligible for Oglethorpe’s International Grant. This grant equals one-half of the remaining tuition balance after all grants and scholarships have been deduced for the term. Additional scholarship aid exists for students studying at the University of Dortmund in Germany and at Otaru University in Japan.

The Halle Foundation supports students studying at Dortmund, and may offers stipends for students who wish to study at non-partnership colleges in Europe. Students will receive announcements from the OUSA office concerning application deadlines for these scholarships.

The Japanese government also furnishes generous support to students studying at Otaru. The scholarship includes round-trip air transportation, and a monthly stipend sufficient to cover room, board, books, and other essentials. Deadline for submitting applications for this scholarship is December 15th. (See the faculty contact for application information for the Otaru scholarship).

Other sources to support your study abroad can be found by exploring student aid websites, researching grants or scholarships given by your selected college abroad, or by securing students loans in the Financial Aid office. Please direct any questions about funding your study abroad to Financial Aid. The OUSA office will advise you on any aspect of applying to your study abroad destination in conjunction with the advice of the OU faculty contact for that college.

Step 5: Apply and Maintain Contact

Apply to your chosen college abroad, either through hardcopy applications via mail, or through the college’s website application. When you receive notification of acceptance, you must make a copy of all the paperwork for OUSA files: your application, any correspondence with housing or academic advisors abroad, and any acceptance letter you receive.

In addition, you must meet with the OUSA Director here at OU during the application process for any college, and maintain email contact with the OU office to insure you are submitting what is necessary for your acceptance. If you need to apply for a student visa, you need to work directly with the OUSA office in obtaining one from the respective consulate.

During the application process, you should also insure that you have secured a valid passport, and you will need to photocopy it for our files here at the OUSA office.

Finally, we will need to have on file a copy of your ticket to your destination.

Step 6: Secure the Certificate of Acceptance for Study Abroad

After you have been accepted at a college abroad, you must also obtain from the OUSA office either a Certificate of Acceptance for OU partnerships colleges or a Letter of Transient Status for all other study abroad colleges. These must be signed by the OUSA Director, your advisor, and the registrar.

At the registrar, you must enroll for one of the following courses FOR EACH SEMESTER YOU ARE ABROAD:

FOR 412 for non-partnership colleges abroad

FOR 415 for partnership colleges abroad

FOR 420 for study abroad at our partnership colleges in China, Mexico, or Russia

This "course" keeps you enrolled at OU while you are abroad for the semester or year, and thus you do not have to re-enroll upon your return.

Bring the Certificate of Acceptance or the Letter of Transient Status to the Financial Aid office for final approval for the distribution of funds.

Step 7: Finance Your Study Abroad

Schedule an appointment with a Financial Aid counselor. You must bring the Certificate of Acceptance signed from the OUSA office, and in this meeting you will calculate your exact costs and determine what resources are available. Information on these resources can be found on the Financial Aid Site. Click on "Study Abroad" for specific application procedures. Bring any additional cost information for tuition, fees, and housing that you will be required to pay outside of your obligations to Oglethorpe. In addition, housing costs—room and board—at any study abroad institution are your responsibilities. You should make housing arrangements and financing of those arrangements with the study abroad institution before you depart.

Step 8: Obtain Insurance for Your Time Abroad

You will need at this point to discuss with your parents how you will be covered for health insurance while abroad. Call your insurance company first, and determine if you will be covered during your time abroad. Or, if you have a student health policy, discuss the coverage with the OU nurse. In addition, the OUSA office has information on companies which specialize in covering students while abroad.

Step 9: Purchase Airline Tickets

You should reserve your ticket far enough in advance after you have been accepted to feel comfortable about your travel. You must copy your ticket info and give the OUSA Director a copy for your file. Be sure to alert your contact via e-mail at your study abroad college, and inform him or her of your flight so that someone is there to meet you at the airport.

Step 10: Stay in Touch With OU

You should contact the OUSA office just as soon as you can after you arrive in the country of your study. In addition, the office can be contacted anytime, night or day, should you need help on any matter.

OU would like for you to contact us at least once a week, through a brief email, and let us know how you are doing. You can contact the OUSA Director directly through email on campus.

Upon your return, report to the OUSA office, and be sure to contact the registrar here at OU and abroad about any transcript procedures for obtaining your grades.