There is certainly much preparation that goes into study abroad, and we recommend that students begin preparing six months before their anticipated program.

What are the application deadlines?

Deadlines for semester programs are October 1 for spring, February 15 for summer and March 15 for fall, however programs can fill so students are encouraged to apply as early as possible.  The financial aid application deadlines are the same as the application / enrollment deadlines.

When are payments due?

A $500 non-refundable deposit is due upon acceptance into the program.  Tuition and program fee costs will be billed through the TCU Financial Services Office, using the regular billing cycle.

How does the course registration work?

For the TCU summer programs, students will register at TCU for TCU courses using a permit given to them after their application has been accepted.

For all other programs, students will need to obtain departmental approval for the courses they wish to take abroad. Students are advised to begin this process early during the semester prior to their study abroad, if not sooner.  Students submit their course choices to the program before departure, but course choices are not guaranteed.  Students receive their schedule on-site.

How can my student stay healthy? 
Health care is different abroad, and you and the student should consider ahead of time whether there are any health needs that could become problematic if he/she does not have access to specific services and medicines.   

Pre-departure check-ups with doctors and dentists are essential to a healthy trip.  Discuss any travel related concerns, including recommended vaccinations, and get enough prescription medicine for the trip.

Students may also call International SOS at any time, prior to or while abroad, to discuss health concerns.  International SOS (SOS) provides worldwide travel, medical and security advice and services for all TCU faculty, staff, and students traveling abroad under the auspices of TCU.  The services provided by SOS range from telephone advice and referrals to full-scale evacuation by private air ambulance.  Detailed information about the services is on the TCU SOS website (log on to http://my.tcu.edu and look under Helpful Links for International SOS).  (SOS is NOT health insurance.  Students should confirm that their personal health insurance covers them while abroad). 

To ensure quality assistance, students should go to the TCU SOS website to complete an Emergency Record with background medical information, by logging on to http://my.tcu.edu and looking under Helpful Links for International SOS. 

For more information, see our Health Section.

What kinds of insurance are needed?

TCU requires that students verify that their health insurance will be valid while they are abroad. It is important that you or your student call your insurance company and tell them of the upcoming study abroad, and ask for details on how the health insurance will work abroad. In some cases, the student will have to pay upfront and be reimbursed.

If your company does not cover you fully, you can purchase short-term, international insurance.  See our section on Health Abroad for more information.

TCU recommends that all study abroad students consider travel insurance to cover items such as program fees, airline tickets, and travel-related costs in the unlikely event of a withdrawal from a program.  For more information, see our section on Trip Cancellation Insurance.

You may also wish to consider:

• TCU tuition insurance (to cover tuition costs if student leaves the program early)
• Personal property insurance (to cover cameras, laptops, or other expensive items)

How can my student stay safe?
In all locations, we work with local universities and program providers who conduct onsite orientations, provide safety information, and have 24-hour emergency response numbers.  In addition, we provide students with a wallet-sized emergency card with instructions on how to reach TCU staff in Fort Worth.

In many ways, students simply need to follow the same safety precautions abroad as at home, such as:

• Be aware of your surroundings and the people in it.
• Avoid walking alone at night. 
• Don’t carry large amounts of money. 
• Stay along well-lit streets. 
• Don’t draw negative attention by being loud, obnoxious, or drunk.

As noted above, students may also call International SOS at any time, prior to or while abroad, to discuss safety concerns.  International SOS (SOS) provides worldwide travel, medical and security advice and services for all TCU faculty, staff, and students traveling abroad under the auspices of TCU.  The services provided by SOS range from telephone advice and referrals to full-scale evacuation by private air ambulance.  Detailed information about the services, including country-specific safety reports, is on the TCU SOS website (log on to http://my.tcu.edu and look under Helpful Links for International SOS).   

The most important advice is for students to use common sense and avoid unnecessary risk. For more information, see our Safety Section.

What documents do we need?
Passport applications can take anywhere from two to eight weeks to process.  Passport applications and instructions are available at many post offices, or on-line at http://www.travel.state.gov/.  Make copies and / or a  scan of the passport.  We recommend that at least one parent have a valid passport in case of emergency.

Many countries require a student visa for students to study there. Students will receive instructions from our office or their program provider about how to obtain a visa.  We have no control over how consulates work or whether they will grant a visa.   Visas can be expensive. You may need proof of financial support, photos, birth certificates, police reports, medical reports, and an application fee of as much as $100.

The passport must be sent in to the consulate in order to obtain a visa. The visa is stamped in your passport and can take 4 – 8 weeks.  Students will not be able to travel outside the U.S. while waiting for their visa.

Some consulates require visa applications be submitted in person. Our office cannot travel on students' behalf.  Be sure to check ahead of time their hours and days of operation.

How do we arrange airfare?
On most programs, students need to arrange their own airfare.  In most cases, it is more economical to pick a return date and pay a fee later to change it than to buy an open-ended or one-way ticket.  Some tickets may even offer an option to change a ticket’s dates once without penalty.  Discounted student fares are available through travel agencies that cater to study abroad, including:

• http://www.statravel.com/
• http://www.studentuniverse.com
• http://www.sidestep.com
•  American Airlines also offers a 10% discount on international travel for study abroad students.  More information about this discount will be available at the orientation.

Submit itinerary to the Center for International Studies.

What do we pack?
The typical advice is that students should pack everything they think they need, then take out half of it! Check with the airline to verify the luggage limit. Also, your student will want to inquire about the electrical / voltage system in the host country; in many cases it is cheaper and easier to buy a hairdryer or radio abroad than to pack them and buy converters and adapters. Finally, if at all possible, your student should save room or pack an extra bag for sourvenirs purchased abroad!

What else should be researched?

It is important to keep up to date with current events in the host country through the Department of State Country Specific Information, Travel Warnings, Background Notes, and Tips for Travel. Please also read the pre-departure information for more information regarding preparation for study abroad.  Other resources are Study Abroad, A Parent’s Guide by Dr. William Hoffa and What Parents Need to Know.  Both are available by calling 1-800-836-4994 or on-line NAFSA.org.