AWARD CHECKLIST
Early Fall 2009 Competition for Spring Study

(A) IMMEDIATE ITEMS: 
[ ] 1. If you have any problems or concerns contact the Light Fellowship Office IMMEDIATELY.  These issues are often far easier to resolve while you are on campus, or at least still in the US, than after you have left for your programs.

[ ] 2. When you have decided which program you plan to attend, you need to forward a copy of your program acceptance letter or email from ONLY this program to light.fellowship@yale.edu.  This should be your final program decision, so if you are on waiting lists, wait to notify us until your attendance is confirmed. 

We cannot generate your award budget or check until we know for sure and have proof of which program you will be attending.  We assume that until you confirm your program that you are still waiting for program results.

[ ] 3. If you are not a U.S. citizen please contact the Light Fellowship office to let us know your home country (this applies to Permanent Residents as well).  This is essential for figuring budgetary allotments for your visa.

[ ] 4. The Light Fellowship will now be providing fellows with overseas medical coverage through HTH Worldwide Health.  You will receive your insurance card and instructions for setting up your online account at the pre-departure meeting.

[ ] 5. This year, we are piloting a new process for purchasing airline tickets.  You SHOULD NOT purchase your airline tickets independently.  The Light Fellowship will contact you with instructions for purchasing your tickets directly through Yale Travel.

[ ] 6. Save the following date for a MANDATORY pre-departure orientation at the Office of Fellowship Programs (OFP). There will only be one orientation:

Monday, December 7, 4-5 p.m.  (55 Whitney, #309)

[ ] 7. Ensure that you have a valid passport and proper visa. We will not pay for added expenses related to improperly secured visas or passports.

[ ] 8. Send the deposit to your selected program by their deposit deadline. Your award check will reimburse you. Programs should bill you directly and not the Light Fellowship.

[ ] 9. Sign up for a group health information session for the Asia region with Yale’s International Travel Program. This is a prerequisite to your appointment for shots and medicines, which will be arranged at the group session. The Light Fellowship will pay for these costs directly. Identify yourself as a Light Fellow.

The Light Fellowship pays for all necessary immunizations, as determined by the Yale Travel Clinic located on the 4th floor of 17 Hillhouse. Recent winners should complete the Travel Clinic form and return it to the clinic immediately after being awarded a Light Fellowship. Students who wait to complete this important step may find that the Travel Clinic is too busy later to process their request for service.

Sign up online for an information session! Some vaccinations are given in a series and you may need 6-8 weeks BEFORE your trip to complete this process.

Travel Health
17 Hillhouse, 4th Floor
Telephone: 203-432-0093
Fax: 203-432-0095
Hours: By appointment

(B) CONTACT THE OFFICE (at light.fellowship@yale.edu or 432-8675) IF:
[ ] 10. ... you have been rejected by all of the programs to which you applied. You will have to forfeit your fellowship if you are not accepted to a Light-approved program.

(C) CONTACT THE LIGHT STUDENT ADVISORY COMMITTEE (SAC) IF:
[ ] 11. ... you want peer-to-peer advice from previous Light Fellows. Contact the Light Fellowship Student Advisory Committee (SAC) with any questions about programs or life in East Asia! E-mail SAC at lightsac@panlists.yale.edu and one or more members should reply.

(D) FINANCIAL AID-RELATED ITEMS:
[ ] 12. If you are on financial aid at Yale, notify Sharon Deluca at the Office of Student Financial Services (sharon.deluca@yale.edu) that you have won this award.

(E) OTHER RESOURCES AND INFORMATION:
[ ] 13. Review the Recent Winners Section of the Light Web site for information on the following:

[ ] Passport and Visa Information
[ ] Health Insurance and MedEx
[ ] Health and Safety
[ ] Tax Information
[ ] Airfare and Transportation
[ ] Frequently Asked Questions

[ ] 14. Review the Light Fellowship reporting requirements for Fellows.

[ ] 15. Review CIE’s Health and Safety Web site.

[ ] 16. Write thank you notes to your recommenders and language teachers!

[ ] 17. If applicable, contact your Dean to make sure you have taken care of any necessary steps regarding your time away from campus.

[ ] 18. For U.S. citizens, register your travel with the U.S. embassy. Citizens of other countries can likely do the same thing via their home countries’ embassy Web sites.

[ ] 19. The Light Fellowship cannot be combined with other awards for the same period. If you have applied for other sources of funding for the same period, you must decide between taking that funding and accepting the Light Fellowship.

[ ] 20. Light Fellows will receive travel guides for their countries and the Light Fellowship Student Advisory Committee (SAC) “Unofficial Guides” for their countries of study. You can also see them digitally here.

[ ] 21. Most students will receive fellowship checks at the pre-departure orientation.

[ ] 22. If any problem arises, contact us immediately at 432-8675 or light.fellowship@yale.edu.

 

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