Study Abroad Provider students pay tuition and program fees directly to the third party provider that organizes these programs. These providers are either sponsored by U.S. universities, or businesses that have U.S. universities on their oversight boards. Study abroad programs represent almost every country and curriculum choice. Students may be in classes with other American students from around the country.

Approved Programs:

USAC (University of Studies Abroad Consortium)

ISEP (International Student Exchange Program)

ISA (International Studies Abroad)

Partner Exchange

AIFS (American Institute For Foreign Study)

CEA (CEA Global Education)

Sea|mester

World Learning| SIT Study Abroad

CIEE (Council on International Educational Exchange)

Alternative Programs (Unapproved Programs):

If none of the Approved Programs interest you, try the following resources:

Alternative Study Abroad Program Procedures:

If none of the programs listed on the International Programs website fulfill your needs, and you find an alternative program that you like to apply, but HAS NOT been officially approved by the International Programs office, you must do a bit of research to find out if it CAN BE approved. These approvals are temporary and are only in effect during the time period of your participation. Each student must go through this procedure for every program they hope to present to the International Programs Office for this temporary approval. Students need to consult with IPO director.



DO NOT apply for any programs, before you receive IPO approval.

Read the literature or program website information very carefully. 



Call their toll free number, or email their contact address for additional materials and/or clarification.



Ask the following questions and make your case to IPO director.

  • Is your program accredited through an American university? Or…Does this school have their own country's (where it’s located) equivalent of accreditation? What is it?
  • Will an official transcript be issued on completion of this program? Is this a transcript from an affiliated university? Which one?
  • If the transcript is through another university, is there an additional charge for tuition to that university?
  • Who teaches the courses? Are they professors from the affiliated university? What are their qualifications?
  • What other colleges or universities have sent students to this program? Do they have email addresses for past participants you could contact?
  • How many students usually are on this program? All from the United States? Or from other countries as well?
  • Will you be in classes with local students or only international students?
  • Is a syllabus available? Course descriptions? Do they specify the course level, contact hours and work required? How many credits is each course worth (equivalent to US credits)? Can you get copies of all of the aforementioned materials?
  • What exactly does the program fee include? Get a detailed breakdown.
  • How long has this program existed? How many students (on average) participate each term?
  • What is the policy if the program doesn't "fill" and there aren't enough students to offer it?
  • What is the refund policy? And what situations does it cover?
  • Is financial aid (or scholarships) available through the program for those accepted? What are the procedures and deadlines for applying?