For Families

We encourage students to look into study away scholarships and see if there are any they would be eligible to apply for. We have information about study away scholarships here, and your student can do their own research to see if there are others that are not listed on our website they could apply for. Students that receive Pell Grants may be eligible to apply for the Gilman Scholarship (for semester or short-term study away). Students with a financial need applying for a Gateway semester or J-Term program may be eligible to apply for PLU’s Global Scholar Award. Students applying for a Featured or Approved program should check to see which scholarships might be available through the program provider.

Yes, with the proper planning, study away typically wouldn’t delay students’ graduation. Students should plan ahead as early as possible, map out potential degree completion options to determine how study away fits into this, and discuss with their academic advisor(s).

A great place to start is our Prepare page, which outlines logistics to consider, goal setting, how to prepare for cultural and community engagement.

• There are many tasks to complete before departure. The Wang Center uses Terra Dotta Software to send and receive pre-departure requirements. If you’re curious about their pre-departure requirements, ask them to show you their portal. If the student is participating in a Featured or Approved program, they likely have other requirements specific to their program. Applying to and preparing for study away is a chance for your student to navigate new situations and processes, and figure out tasks on their own. When your student needs to fill out paperwork and/or online forms, empower them to take initiative and accomplish tasks independently. This is all part of the learning and growth they do throughout the study away process, and these skills will serve them well in the future!
• Learn about the place they are heading to! Some country-specific information related to social identities can be found here. 
• Your student needs to apply for a passport if they don’t already have one, as soon as they are able to. 
• Many semester-long programs require a visa or residence permit. Students access this information during the pre-departure process, and must follow any deadlines and instructions given to them. 
• Find out how to request an absentee ballot if they are eligible to vote during their time away. 
• Make a plan for accessing money while away
• Encourage them to consider how they will continue self-care practices while away

This may be the first time you’ve been away from your student for an extended period of time, and their first time living independently. Study away is a fantastic opportunity for students to grow academically as well as personally, and the challenge of getting used to a new setting is part of that learning experience. Some students experience homesickness, which is a normal part of studying away, and is also a chance for students to build and strengthen self care and well being strategies. Frequent communication with family and friends back home can lead to less cultural engagement and language learning. One of the main differences for commuter students is that the cost of semester study away includes room and board like if they were living on campus at PLU that semester.

This varies – the CDC website is the best place to go to learn what is recommended or required. Your student can research host country recommendations/requirements and discuss with a medical provider while preparing to go abroad.

In order to participate in a study away program, all students are required to receive the appropriate signatures on an Off-Campus Medical Statement, from the PLU Health Center or an off-campus personal healthcare provider. The student’s medical provider will determine if an appointment is necessary, prior to signing the  Off-Campus Medical Statement. More information can be found here.

For short term study away, such as a J-Term program, visas are often not required for US passport holders. If a visa is required for US passport holders, the cost of this is included in the J-Term study away program fee and the Wang Center will facilitate the visa application process. Non-US passport holders who require a visa for their participation in a J-Term study away program are responsible for the cost and acquiring their visa. The Wang Center can provide supporting documentation such as proof of travel or proof of insurance upon request. 

A visa is an “an endorsement on a passport (such as a stamp or sticker) indicating that the holder is allowed to enter, leave, or stay for a specified period of time in a country.” (definition from Oxford Languages) Students may need to submit paperwork to be sent in the mail, or they might need to travel to a consulate office or visa processing center in the US (such as San Francisco, CA, for example) to apply for their visa in-person. Depending on the country, your student may not need to apply for a visa beforehand. Be aware that when a student applies for a visa, they will typically need to give their passport to the consulate along with the application paperwork. Depending on the country and the consulate, students might receive their passport back in the mail, or they might need to go back to the consulate to pick up their passport. This process can sometimes take a while, so depending on the program, students may not be able to travel abroad in the months leading up to their program, or arrive early.  For Gateway semester programs, PLU Wang Center staff will help students with this process and provide guidance on whether students need a visa and how to apply; visa fees are included in the cost of the program. For Featured or Approved semester programs, staff from the partner organization or university that operates the program (not PLU Wang Center staff) will support your student through this process and give instructions on if they need a visa and how to apply. The Wang Center cannot guarantee that students will receive a visa/residence permit for their chosen program.

We strongly recommend non-U.S. passport holders – this may include those with Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), Green Card (permanent residents), and International Student visa status, etc. – to seek counsel with an immigration attorney before considering study abroad as an option. For Gateway, Featured, or Short-Term faculty-led programs where no visa is required for U.S. passport holders, non-U.S. passport holders will be responsible for obtaining and paying the cost of any visas required. For Gateway, Featured, or Short-Term faculty-led programs where visa costs for non-U.S. passport holders exceed the visa costs for U.S. passport holders, the student is responsible for paying the difference in cost.

For Gateway semester programs, there is a flight credit included in the cost of the program to offset the expense of airfare. Wang Center staff will give your student instructions on how to book their flight with our partner travel agency, so they can access this flight credit. 

For Featured or Approved semester programs, the cost of airfare is not included in the cost of the program and is an additional expense. Students should work with the partner organization/university that manages the program to find out when and how to book their flight. 

For PLU short-term faculty-led programs, students often travel together (departing from and returning to SeaTac (Seattle-Tacoma International Airport)), and the cost of roundtrip airfare is included in the program fee. Students will receive more information regarding their flight options after getting an admissions decision.

This depends on the program. For most PLU short-term faculty-led programs, group transportation upon arrival will be pre-arranged. In some cases, including for many semester programs, it is up to the student to navigate local public transportation or taxis once they arrive. However, most programs provide detailed instructions for students explaining how to navigate the arrival process. Especially for students who haven’t traveled internationally before, this is a great opportunity to learn how to approach an unfamiliar situation and new environment. Your student can prepare by doing some research online, reaching out to another student who participated in the program previously, or using resources like Google Maps, which could have public transportation information and schedules, depending on the city. 

While in some cases it could be possible, we don’t recommend that families travel with students to get them settled in their new host community. Navigating an unfamiliar environment is part of the learning process for your student. If your student hasn’t traveled by themselves before, it’s understandable for you or your student to be nervous. Traveling can be a great opportunity to become comfortable in unfamiliar situations! To help your student prepare for their arrival, review the Travel section of our Prepare page. On this page, you will find information about creating a backup plan, what documents (originals and copies) to bring, etc.

Housing varies widely by program. For PLU short-term faculty-led programs, students typically stay in local hotels/hostels, shared apartments, or with host families. Semester study away students may be living in a residence hall or other type of student housing somewhat similar to living on campus at PLU, or they could be living with a host family, depending on the program. Onsite staff typically match students with host families based on students’ needs, habits and lifestyles. Host families are thoroughly vetted by onsite staff and in many cases have been hosting students from U.S. universities for multiple years, or even decades! 

Meals vary by program. For many semester study away programs, students would be cooking their own meals, receiving a meal stipend from PLU to go towards the cost of groceries. Students living with host families may have most meals provided by their family. To find out more about meals, your student can review the specific program page. 

For PLU short-term faculty-led programs, some or most meals are included in the program fee. See ‘Program Fee’ tab of each program brochure webpage for details. 

It is to be expected for students to experience ups and downs and experience challenges and hard days sometimes while away. This is normal, and is part of the learning experience of study away. Through fun and exciting moments, as well as frustrating or challenging moments, students strengthen skills and gain new perspectives. There are mental health resources and support available to your student, and preparations built into pre-departure orientation(s). Your student can find more information about various aspects of preparing for study away and what to expect in the Prepare and Sojourn pages on our website.

It could be helpful to discuss with your student how you plan to communicate while they’re away, such as a video call on on the weekends, for example. Common tools and platforms include WhatsApp, Zoom, FaceTime and iMessage. Something to note is that frequent communication with friends and family back home could potentially impact students’ ability to fully engage with the host culture, and may enhance homesickness. In programs that entail an immersive language learning environment, it is recommended that students speak, read and listen to the language they’re studying as much as possible.

Sometimes it is not possible for families or friends to visit students while they’re studying away, and sometimes it is – in some cases, visits may need to happen before the program officially begins or after it ends. For some countries, visa regulations may require students to depart the country right after their program ends. Different programs may have different rules and expectations surrounding this. Parents and families should not expect to be able to stay with their student in their student housing – visitors should expect to book their own accommodations.

For short-term faculty-led programs, there is not typically enough time. There may be designated days or times for students to explore independently, or maybe travel to nearby places. For semester study away, students usually can, but they will need to follow guidance from onsite staff and/or faculty. Some programs are very independent and students don’t have frequent excursions/study tours and cultural activities included in the program. Other programs are more structured and students have cultural activities and immersive learning opportunities built into the program, which could include required academic excursions/study tours traveling with program faculty or staff. In either case, students may have long weekends or breaks during which time they could travel independently. Again, this varies by program and depends. For students interested in traveling before their program officially begins, in some cases it is not possible or not recommended due to the visa process timeline. (Applying for a visa can entail the student submitting their passport to a consulate and it can take a while to get their passport back.)

Typically yes, if your student is participating in a semester program. However, if you want to send packages, be aware that in some countries there can be high import taxes to pay in customs before a student can receive their package. Sending packages isn’t always advisable depending on local regulations. Sometimes it is best to send mail to the address of where your student is living, and other times it’s best to send things to the address of the program “center” building (if applicable). Students may be given instructions on sending/receiving mail during orientation when they arrive onsite. Your student can ask an onsite staff or faculty member while they’re abroad about this if they’re unsure.

Your student will need to notify their bank if they will be out of the country. This can usually be done by phone call or on an app depending on the bank. Your student should see if there are international fees associated with their bank and credit or debit cards, and make a plan for how they will access money. Visa and Mastercard are widely accepted internationally however American Express and Discover are not. Some communities abroad may use cash more frequently than in the US, so your student might be withdrawing money from an ATM regularly and using cash instead of cards. This depends on the city and country and what is commonplace there. Students typically do not need to open an international bank account. More tips can be found in the Money & Finances section of our Prepare webpage. 

This depends on their spending habits and the cost of living in the place they will be studying in. Your student will need to do their own research into how much they might anticipate needing to budget. For semester programs, the Wang Center provides a rough estimate at orientation of how much students might want to budget. 

This depends on their spending habits and the cost of living in the place they will be studying in. Your student will need to do their own research into how much they might anticipate needing to budget. For semester programs, the Wang Center provides a rough estimate at orientation of how much students might want to budget.