Global Engagement > Student Resources > Study Abroad > Policies

Policies

All tuition and fees related to participation in DePaul’s study abroad programs are billed to a student’s financial account at DePaul. Any payment arrangements should be made with the Student Accounts office at DePaul Central. Personal expenses or expenses not covered by tuition or program fee as outlined in the Financial Commitment form must be planned for and covered by the students.
When students are accepted to study abroad programs, they are given a deadline by which to confirm their participation. They can confirm this by reading the left side of the accepted application and clicking “Commit” at the bottom. By clicking commit, students confirm they understand and agree to abide by all of the requirements in the Financial Commitment Form (in your application), Standards and Rules for Study Abroad Programs and Study Abroad Withdrawal Policy.

Students participating in a DePaul study abroad program must enroll in the required number of courses and credits. No exceptions will be made. Students must make sure they understand the credit system for the program. 

 
Students participating in DePaul’s term-long programs must confirm with Study Abroad the courses in which they will enroll abroad. Students admitted to a term-long program are required to complete a Study Abroad Course Planner Form.

 
Graduate students enrolling in a course offered by another college are charged tuition using the tuition rate of the college offering course credit.  Given permission blocks in Campus Connect, Study Abroad will enroll all students in study abroad-related courses.

Students participating in DePaul’s study abroad programs earn DePaul credits for the courses taken and pay tuition to DePaul for the credits earned. Students participating in non-DePaul sponsored programs are required to submit an application for a Non-DePaul study abroad program to ensure the credits earned will transfer to DePaul; these students do not pay tuition to DePaul while they are away. 
Students participating on non-DePaul programs who take non-degree applicable courses from accredited institutions will be accepted (i.e. foreign language coursework at a language institute that is part of an accredited institution). For more information, please see this DePaul University policy.

Study Abroad, in coordination with the Dean of Students, will review students’ conduct history at DePaul as part of the selection process and periodically after the selection process. By applying to study abroad, students grant Study Abroad, in coordination with the Dean of Students permission to review their DePaul conduct histories. If they are found to have serious violations of the Code of Student Responsibility, they may not be accepted or be removed from a program. In those cases, they remain subject to the Withdrawal Policy, and will be responsible for any fees and/or tuition in accordance with Study Abroad policies and procedures. All decisions made by Study Abroad regarding ability to participate in a study abroad program are final.

Participants must meet the eligibility requirements set for the specific program (e.g., language proficiency, minimum GPA, etc.) and be approved by Program Directors and/or Study Abroad to make sure the student is appropriately prepared and that studying abroad is integrated into the student’s overall academic program at DePaul. With the exception of some programs offered by the College of Law, students must be enrolled at DePaul when applying for a study abroad program. Students on academic probation are not eligible to study abroad.

Family and friends are not allowed to accompany students on a study abroad program, and non-program participants are not allowed to participate on any program-arranged activities.  If students have family or friends located in the program location, they may visit with them during the program's free time.

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) is a federal law that protects the privacy of student education records. The law applies to all schools that receive funds under an applicable program of the U.S. Department of Education. Students and their parents are encouraged to review the university's FERPA policy.

Per FERPA, Study Abroad can only discuss student-specific information with the student to whom it pertains. It is that student’s right to determine with whom to share this information.  

Students have 24/7 access to view, print and share with parents or other family members such information as their travel itineraries, financial commitment forms and health insurance documentation through their study abroad accounts.  They have the same access to view, print and share registration, tuition and program fee billing through Campus Connect.  Study Abroad encourages students to communicate with parents and other family members about all these aspects of study abroad.
All students participating in study abroad will be charged both tuition and a program fee. Tuition is billed at the student’s regular DePaul tuition rate based on the number of credits enrolled. The Financial Commitment Form, available on the student's study abroad account, explains in detail what the program fee for their study abroad program is, what it covers, when it will be charged, and the number of credits the student will be enrolled in for the term(s) they are abroad. Study Abroad encourages students to share this form with their parents.

For programs in which international airfare is included in the program fee, students cannot book their own tickets (even if they have mileage or free air passes), and it is important for the safety of the group that everyone travel on the same group reservation. In addition, students are not allowed to upgrade their tickets to a higher class of seating.

Students are required to take the outbound flight with the group, but if they would like to book their own flights home (to stay longer in the program destination country and/or return to a city other than Chicago), flight deviations are sometimes possible. Return flight deviations are dependent on airline regulations for the group tickets purchased and policies of the travel agent securing the flight and are typically limited and on a first-come, first-served basis. Study Abroad will provide information to all students at the time of acceptance about how to arrange a return flight deviation. Students will then work directly with the travel agency in charge of the flights and will pay all change fees and/or additional airline fees directly to the travel agent.

In the event that a group flight is delayed or cancelled, Study Abroad will work with our travel agent to rebook the group on a new flight as soon as possible.  Costs associated with this rebooking, including additional nights of lodging, local transportation, and food expenses, will be covered by the airline or by Study Abroad, depending on the nature of the delay or cancellation.  

Any changes an individual student needs to make to their flight for any reason are at their own expense, as are any other additional costs associated with the flight change (e.g. lodging, local transportation, food expenses).  If the flight change is necessary due to a medical issue, students should file a claim through CISI insurance for reimbursement of expenses up to the limit provided in the insurance policy.

Grades for DePaul study abroad programs appear on students’ transcripts just as courses taken at DePaul and are included in the calculation of the cumulative GPA. 
 
Non-DePaul students on short-term College of Law programs will be issued a DePaul transcript at the end of the program. 
 
No pass/fail or audit option is allowed; students must take courses for credit on DePaul’s study abroad programs.  
 
For DePaul students participating in Non-DePaul study abroad programs, grades will not appear on the transcript as letter grades nor will they not factor into the cumulative DePaul GPA.

Students are required to use the program housing, if included. Under certain extenuating circumstances, exceptions to this housing requirement may be granted at the discretion of Study Abroad.

On most faculty-led, short-term study abroad programs, students typically stay in shared accommodations for the duration of the program.  If a student has health concerns related to shared housing arrangements and may require a single room, they must complete the Shared Housing Appeal Request as soon as possible after being accepted to their program.  Part of this process includes coordination with DePaul's Center for Students with Disabilities (CSD), who will work with the student to collect all pertinent information and documentation and help determine what is appropriate for the given situation.  Requests will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis and are not guaranteed.  A written narrative and supporting documentation are required.  Note: This appeal process only applies to faculty-led, short-term study abroad programs.

Health and accident insurance coverage is required of all participants on DePaul University study abroad programs. Study Abroad has purchased a group insurance policy from Cultural Insurance Services International (CISI) that is designed specifically for students studying abroad and will provide the necessary coverage for the length of a program. 

In some cases, programs have their own insurance requirement in addition to the CISI insurance purchased by DePaul. No waiver will be granted for either the CISI insurance or program specific insurance requirement.
All term-long and most short-term programs require students to attend mandatory pre-departure orientations.
All study abroad applications must be completed online.  Each application displays the particular requirements for that program.  Program contacts at Study Abroad provide assistance with the application process. Students are required to submit all required application documents by the specified deadline. No exception will be made after the deadline.

While the goal of Study Abroad is to send as many students as possible, planned programs may be cancelled for various reasons (e.g., minimum enrollment not met, safety and security situation at home or destination, etc.) at different times throughout the program planning and administration. In cases where a program is cancelled, Study Abroad advisors are available for students to discuss other possible options. Students will be directed to other programs, if appropriate.

If DePaul University makes the decision to cancel a program prior to the program's start date, students will be refunded 100% of the program fee. If students have been registered in any associated classes and the classes have not started, they will be withdrawn from the classes and refunded 100% of tuition. If any associated classes have started, students will either complete an adapted version of the class on campus or be withdrawn from the class and refunded 100% of the tuition, to be determined by DePaul University on a case-by-case basis.

DePaul University is not responsible for any additional expenses related to study abroad programs which are outside the program fee (e.g. flights not included in the program fee, housing arrangements, visa/passport fees, etc.) and all costs that students may incur related to non-program fee expenses are their responsibility, even if DePaul University cancels the program.

If a program is cancelled while students are on site, DePaul will make every effort to refund recoverable costs to students.

DePaul University offers a wide range of programs around the world that vary by length, academic content, social and cultural experiences, and cost. 

Some study abroad programs involve enrollment at DePaul’s partner universities and/or organizations abroad on an exchange or visiting student basis for one or two semesters. Other study abroad programs are developed and led by DePaul faculty members who teach the study abroad course(s) on campus and travel abroad with students for one to three weeks. 

DePaul students who wish to study abroad through non-DePaul sponsored programs are required to submit an application for a Non-DePaul Study Abroad Program to ensure the credits earned will transfer to DePaul. When considering program options, students should first attend Study Abroad 101.
All Saudi Arabian Cultural Mission (SACM) sponsored students must have written approval from SACM in order to participate in a study abroad program. Students should receive this approval prior to applying for any study abroad programs.
All students studying abroad must abide by a set of standards and rules set forth by Study Abroad. The Standards and Rules for Study Abroad Programs can be found on the student's study abroad account.

The Study Abroad Withdrawal Policy applies to a student once they have confirmed participation in a program by clicking “commit” on their accepted application. Students who need to withdraw from a study abroad program or a course in the program, must submit written notification to DePaul University’s Study Abroad office via email to abroad@depaul.edu. The Study Abroad Withdrawal Policy can also be found in each student’s application. Study Abroad encourages students to share all of this information with their parents, guardians, and/or sponsors. If a student would like to appeal a withdrawal fee, they must complete the Withdrawal Fee Appeal Request, which requires a written narrative and supporting documentation.

Some countries require that students acquire a visa before entering the country to study abroad. Others require that students apply for residency permits in country. Students are responsible for obtaining their own visas and familiarizing themselves with any visa and residence permit requirements well in advance. Students should note these requirements may vary depending on the country of citizenship. 

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