Application Process

Application  |  Post-Acceptance Steps  |  Billing  |  Cancellation and Deferral Policies  |  Cancel for Any Reason Insurance

Application

Once you have submitted the General Study Abroad Intake Form, the next step is to start an online profile.

Application Materials

The study abroad application will require you to complete the following:

 

  • $50 application fee
  • Meeting with a study abroad advisor
  • Questionnaires
  • Signature Documents: read and agree to all instructions, waivers, policies, etc.

Application Review

Once you have completed all the materials in the initial application, your application will be reviewed by a study abroad advisor and will have the status “Application Process.” Following the initial review:

Admissions Decision
Once the application review has been completed your application status will be moved to one of the following:

  • WOU Approved
  • Waitlist status
    • Students may be offered a place on the waitlist if enrollment in a WOU Faculty-Led and/or Direct Exchange program has reached capacity
  • Nominated status (WOU partner)
    • WOU Students participating in Director exchange programs or third-party provider programs will be nominated by WOU. Final acceptance for these programs is determined by the host university (in the case of exchange programs) or by the third-party provider program (CCSA, GEO, CIS Abroad, IE3 Global, Semester at Sea, etc.)
  • Withdrawn / Denied status
    • If the Study Abroad Office (SAB) determines that your application does not meet requirements for the program, your application will be withdrawn, and you will receive a letter from SAB explaining the status of your application

Secondary Applications

WOU students participating in direct exchange programs or third-party provider programs (CCSA, GEO, CIS Abroad, IE3 Global, Semester at Sea, etc.) will need to complete a second application. Instructions for this process are discussed during your advisor meeting. If you are participating in an exchange program, you are encouraged to work closely with your SAB Advisor.

    Post-Acceptance Steps

    Your Study Abroad Advisor will provide you with a Post-Acceptance Checklist, which contains a timeline of important steps from the time you are accepted to a program until returning home after your program concludes.

    Registration

    You cannot be registered for the program until all materials are completed in your WOU SAB online application. Once you have completed all forms and are accepted, you will be registered for place holder credits (if going on a third party provider program) or the agreed upon credits for the faculty-led/direct exchange program.

    Billing

    Billing procedures for study abroad programs vary by program type. You can find additional details in your online application, or you can contact your SAB Advisor if you have any questions.

    Budgets for programs are available as pdfs on the individual program pages on the SAB website. There are three main types of fees charged by WOU for participation in study abroad programs: a $50 application fee, a program fee, and a 1 credit capstone project fee. WOU students pay an additional study abroad fee per term to remain registered as a student while they are abroad.

    Application Fee

    • Applicants pay a $50 fee as a part of their study abroad application. The application fee is non-refundable and separate from any application fees charged by other providers or institutions.

    Study Abroad Fee

    • All students participating in a study abroad program must pay the $350 Study Abroad Fee per term/session to remain registered as WOU students while they are abroad. Being registered allows WOU students to have access to financial aid and scholarships and to have study abroad courses included in their official WOU transcript.
    • The fee will be assessed to your WOU student account each term/session you participate in a study abroad program.

    Credit Capstone Project

    • All students participating in a study abroad and/or international internship program will be required to register for a 1 credit capstone project which is administered by the Study Abroad Office. Tuition for this one credit is based on current online tuition rates and may vary annually.
    • Click here to look at the syllabus outlining the course

    Eligibility

    Every student should consider studying abroad. There are over 200 programs to choose from in approximately 40 countries. The eligibility requirements can vary from program to program, so it is a good idea to read through programs of interest on the Study Abroad website to see what is required for participation.

    Eligibility criteria for WOU students who wish to study abroad:

    • Be a student in good standing at WOU.
    • Meet the language requirement for the program if any
    • Meet any other specific program provider requirements.
    • Complete an initial advising session with a study abroad advisor.
    • Complete all required WOU and study abroad program paperwork.
    • Have a passport valid six months beyond the end date of the program.
    • If you are in your senior year, you should know that you cannot graduate the same term in which you study abroad. Receiving grades for courses that you complete abroad can take time to be counted as credit if you enroll in a foreign university/institution. You should plan to graduate at least one term after your study abroad program has ended.

    Cancellation and Deferral Policies

    The Cancellation and Deferral Policy is effective from the time a student agrees to pay their non-refundable deposit (if applicable) or electronically signs the program commitment form, regardless of application or acceptance status. It is essential to read this policy outlined on the Student Budget that is listed on the program page of the website before a potential cancellation or deferral takes place, in order to understand the ramifications.

    Students participating in a provider program (CCSA, GEO, CIS Abroad, IE3 Global, Semester at Sea, etc.), the Cancellation and Deferral Policy is effective from the time a student has been nominated by WOU to the program provider or host institution, regardless of application or acceptance status.

    Cancellation/Deferral Process

    Students who cancel or defer their participation must notify both the WOU study abroad office and the program provider or the host institution in writing. A notification via fax (503-838-8338) or email (studyabroad@wou.edu) is acceptable . Verbal notification to your study abroad advisor or notification given to a non-WOU campus study abroad office is not sufficient.

    • See specific dates and details in the Student Budget posted on the program page you are participating in.
    • If one of the deadlines in the Student Budget posted on the program page falls on a weekend or holiday, WOU will accept written notifications received on the following business day.
    • A student can defer their application for up to twelve months from the term in which their original program was scheduled to start, and upon approval by the WOU SAB advisor. Beyond twelve months, a student must cancel their application and re-apply. The student will be responsible for payment of any unrecoverable costs. In some cases, a student may be able to apply their non-refundable application fee and deposit to a future program upon approval.

    Cancellation/Deferral Policy and Penalty:

    • This cancellation and deferral policy applies to all cancellations and deferrals regardless of the reason for cancellation or deferral, including but not limited to inability to secure proper legal status (i.e. passport, visa, etc.) in the host country of the participating program.
    • WOU SAB fees include: the application fee, the Study Abroad fee Service Fee, and/or any other fees that are billed by WOU’s Study Abroad Office.
    • WOU and the program provider or the host institution reserve the right to cancel a program due to low enrollment, natural disaster, public health emergency, political unrest, terrorism, acts of war or any other reasons beyond WOU’s control. If a program is cancelled prior to the start date for any of these reasons, WOU will refund all payments received by GEO including the application fee, program deposit, and program fee. WOU assumes no further financial responsibility and is not responsible for airfare, visa fees, or any other fees related to the program that may have been paid. WOU strongly recommends that students purchase travel cancellation/interruption insurance.

    Cancel for Any Reason Insurance

    The WOU Study Abroad Office strongly encourages all students to purchase Cancel For Any Reason insurance in advance of their program departure date. While WOU may provide a full refund if a program is cancelled at any time, there will be no refunds for flight cancellations, change fees or other personal costs outside of program and application fees.

    WOU does not endorse any specific Cancel For Any Reason provider or insurance policies. The providers below are provided as examples of policies available, and you might find another company not listed here that can provide a policy better suited to your needs.

    You are encouraged to thoroughly investigate and understand the conditions and standards of coverage before committing to a policy. In most cases, providers require that you purchase the CFAR as an add-on policy to one of their standard insurance packages. Even though you might retain this coverage for an additional fee, you are still required to keep the insurance provided by WOU for faculty-led/direct exchange programs.

    See this web page for more information about Cancel For Any Reason insurance.

    Examples of insurance providers offering Cancel For Any Reason Insurance:
    CISI
    Travel Guard
    Travel Insured International
    Trawick International
    Travel Safe