Q. WHY DO I HAVE TO PAY WESLEYAN TUITION WHEN I STUDY ABROAD?

A. One of our most basic principles at Wes is equality of opportunity. This means that for study abroad to be equally accessible to all students, we have to be able to provide financial aid. To do this, we need to be able to count on tuition revenues, since much Wes financial aid comes from Wes itself, not from the government. Almost 72% of all tuition revenues from students abroad is needed to pay for their programs, and of the remaining 18%, over 70% goes to financial aid.

Also, when you go abroad, you accumulate credit towards your Wesleyan degree, and the courses and their grades appear on your transcript just as if they were Wesleyan courses. While you are away, we really can't fill your space, for a series of reasons too long for this document. But the budget of the institution is based on the assumption of a certain number of students being here for four years, and the equation doesn't work if 35% of the junior class is away on leave.

Q. BUT HOW IS IT FAIR IF I CHOOSE A CHEAP PROGRAM THAT SUBSIDIZES OTHER PEOPLE?

A. Well, classes in humanities and social sciences might be said to subsidize classes in fine arts and sciences, which are more expensive to run. But we don't charge more for one than the other - and that's how it is with study abroad. We don't ask you to choose programs abroad with low tuition, and we approve programs on the basis of their quality, not their cost - just as you chose Wesleyan for its quality.

Q. BUT DON'T I HAVE TO PAY FOR ROOM AND BOARD AT WESLEYAN AS WELL?

A. No. Check the "financial procedures" sheet. You pay actual cost of room and board wherever you are, or a percentage of the comprehensive fee on programs that include everything in a single fee.

Q. WILL ALL MY FINANCIAL AID GO WITH ME?

A. Yes. After you have received your permission to study abroad letter from our office, you will make an appointment with Gail Winter to review your budget.  A copy of this budget will be sent to the Financial Aid Office and the spring semester of your year's award will be re-calculated.  Work Study can be replaced by loans in some cases, in some cases there is some extra scholarship money available for those who really could not afford to study abroad otherwise.

Q. CAN'T I JUST TAKE A LEAVE OF ABSENCE AND GET TRANSFER CREDIT WHEN I COME BACK?

A. No. The only way you can get credit from study abroad during the academic year is if you get prior approval and go through the office of International Studies. No credit is given retroactively. For summer programs abroad, you get transfer credit forms from the Dean's Office and get prior approval from the relevant department.

Q. HOW WILL MY WORK ABROAD SHOW ON MY WESLEYAN TRANSCRIPT?

A. The name of your program will appear, followed by course titles, amount of credit and grade received, just like courses you take at home.

Q. CAN I TAKE COURSES ABROAD FOR CREDIT, NO GRADE?

A. No. All courses taken for credit abroad must be taken for a grade, not on a "pass/fail" basis, except in circumstances where the course is only offered on a CR/U basis - and then you need special approval from the Office of International Studies.

Q. HOW MUCH TIME CAN I SPEND ABROAD, AND HOW MUCH CREDIT WILL I GET?

A. If you spend your entire four years of college at Wesleyan you may study abroad for a maximum of two semesters abroad, and you can usually expect to get 4 credits a semester, though for some programs it may be 5 credits and for some only 3.5 credits. Check with OIS about your specific program. However, most departments have strict limits on the amount of credit you can bring in towards the major. Sophomore transfer students may spend one semester abroad.

Q. WHY DO YOU LIMIT MY CHOICE OF PROGRAMS?

A. Because there are many hundreds of programs and their quality is very uneven. We have a list of approved programs put together by the faculty, and constantly under revision, which includes those programs we believe offer the best academic opportunities for Wesleyan students. We require evaluations of all returning students, so we are able to pinpoint rapidly any problems that may arise with specific programs. We also add new programs when we have reason to believe that they are significant additions.

Q. DO I HAVE TO SPEAK ANOTHER LANGUAGE TO STUDY ABROAD?

A. No (though Wesleyan hopes all students will wish to study at least one foreign language). There are many institutions in English speaking countries like the UK and Australia which are approved for direct enrollment; there are also a range of programs in countries whose languages Wesleyan does not teach which offer courses in English together with some language study (SIT programs in Africa, for example; programs in Scandinavia and Eastern Europe).

Q. IS STUDY ABROAD ONLY FOR STUDENTS IN THE HUMANITIES?

A. Absolutely not. You can get major credit abroad in almost every major. Students are encouraged to explore with the Office of International Studies a broad range of interesting opportunities for students in all majors: we can help you decide what your objectives should be, and whether a direct immersion, experiential, or thematic program is the best choice for you.

Q. WHAT ABOUT SUMMER STUDY ABROAD?

A. Study abroad during the summer is handled through the Office of the Dean of the College. You need to get transfer credit forms completed and your courses pre-approved by the appropriate department, and there is a 2 unit limit on summer credit transfer. OIS does have some guides and information, though, and we can make some recommendations about programs if you need help.