Students study abroad for many reasons, including:
To approach their disciplines from different points of view
To study outside their majors, exploring courses which may not be offered at Yale
For the experience of living in, and understanding, a different culture
To improve their foreign language skills
Whatever the reason, students return with fresh perspectives on their Yale education. Study abroad can be a unique chapter in a student's undergraduate education. Moreover, it can enrich, perhaps even change, her/his life.
Some parents may be reluctant to support their child studying abroad because they are concerned about her/him missing part of the Yale experience. While students should not hastily decide to participate in study abroad, neither should they hastily discount this unique opportunity. Even a cursory glance at the evaluations of participating students shows that those who have studied abroad are delighted that they did so and recommend such experiences with utmost enthusiasm (in fact, many students return from study abroad saying "This was my best semester at Yale!").
What is the Year or Term Abroad Program?
The Yale College Year or Term Abroad Program gives students the opportunity to study abroad for a semester or full year at an approved program or university, and receive full Yale credit and financial aid transfer. Students may study abroad during the spring term of the sophomore year, or either the fall or spring term of the junior year, and a year abroad may be taken during the junior year. Within the limits of these eligibility requirements, other combinations of terms of study abroad may be permitted with the approval of the Year or Term Abroad Program Committee. For example, a student could propose to study during spring term of the sophomore year and again during spring term of the junior year. Students are limited to a total of two terms abroad for full Yale College credit and financial aid transfer.
The following programs are not part of the Year or Term Abroad Program:
Students on these programs are considered enrolled at Yale.
When should students begin planning for the Year or Term Abroad Program?
It's never too early to begin planning for study abroad -- more and more students are starting their freshman year at Yale knowing that they want to study abroad. We encourage all students to attend an information meeting in their freshman year, and to schedule an initial appointment to speak with a study abroad advisor so that they can begin mapping out their time at Yale to determine how the Year or Term Abroad Program will fit into their academic and extracurricular life.
Does Yale sponsor its own programs?
The following are the only programs currently run by Yale (they are not part of the Year or Term Abroad Program):
Students on these programs are considered enrolled at Yale.
For the Year or Term Abroad Program, there are several programs and universities with which Yale is officially affiliated. Students may choose to attend one of our affiliated programs, or one of the many other programs on the previously approved programs list (see the “Regions” section of the menu). Students applying to DIS or University College London must check with the study abroad advisor for application deadlines and procedures. The affiliated programs are:
How do students pay for the Year or Term Abroad Program?
Students on the Year or Term Abroad Program do not pay tuition fees to Yale University, nor do we charge a study abroad fee.
Students who have been approved for the Year or Term Abroad Program and who receive financial aid from Yale are eligible for aid while abroad. You may download the financial aid information sheet and budget form for the Year or Term Abroad Program. For additional information contact Sharon DeLuca at the Undergraduate Financial Aid Office, 246 Church Street, 432-2700. Please note that financial aid travels with a student only if s/he goes on official the Year or Term Abroad Program, or studies abroad on one of the Yale programs noted above in "Does Yale sponsor its own programs?" If a student studies abroad while on leave of absence or during the summer s/he is not eligible to receive financial aid, however, many fellowships and scholarships may be used for leave or summer study.
The following are a few examples of the fellowships and scholarships available for study abroad:
Richard U. Light Fellowships provide Yale students with generous funding for the study of intermediate/advanced Chinese, Korean, and Japanese language in East Asia. Light Fellows engage in intensive language study and learn about the social and cultural life of the host country. Applicants must apply to study at sites approved by the fellowship program committee or must justify why they choose to apply elsewhere. Light Fellowships are tenable for a semester, an academic year, a summer, or combinations thereof.
National Security Education Program (NSEP, a.k.a. Boren Scholarships) supports a summer, term, or academic year of study in countries outside Western Europe, New Zealand, Australia, and Canada. Study of a foreign language must be an integral part of the proposal.
Rotary Ambassadorial Scholarships provide generous funding for one year of study in any foreign country in which a Rotary Club is located. Applicants must have completed at least two years of college course work by the start of the award, but application deadlines are usually in the spring of the freshman year for students intending to study abroad during the junior year.
Information about other fellowship opportunities can be found on the fellowship Web site. Students can also call the fellowship office to schedule an appointment with a fellowship advisor.
What steps can students and parents take to help make a year or term abroad safe?
Prior to going abroad, students and their families should assess the potential health and safety risks that may come with study or travel abroad. There are a number of things students can do to minimize potential problems:
While traveling and studying abroad, students should register with their local U.S. Embassy. Registering with the Counsular Section will allow the embassy to contact students in case of emergency. Students can register on line by going to the Department of State travel site and clicking on the Travel Registration link.
Students should keep a low profile while living and traveling abroad – try not to be conspicuous in their dress, speech, or behavior.
Students should avoid crowds, protests, or other potentially volatile situations. It is also a good idea to avoid places (restaurants, clubs) where Americans are known to congregate.
Students should make arrangements with the overseas program/university director to register upon arrival with the U.S. consulate or embassy having jurisdiction over the location of the foreign study.
When traveling, students should always make certain the program, foreign university international student office, host family, and family back home know where they are going and when they are expected to return. Students should provide these persons with an itinerary as well as emergency contact information. If at all possible, they should rent or buy a global (GSM) cell phone while abroad so family can reach them, and they can more easily call home (no need to have local calling cards, coins, etc.).
Students should make plans for regular telephone and/or email contact with their family so that in an emergency they can communicate with family members about their safety. Students should carry the following phone numbers and email addresses with them at all times:
Family at home and workStudy abroad program resident director or foreign university international student office (if applicable)
U.S. Embassy and/or local Consulate in any country they visit
Travel agent
Students must attend the orientation programs run by the study abroad program and/or foreign university – at these sessions the programs/universities will provide region-specific information regarding health and safety issues.
What should we do about health insurance?
You are responsible for ensuring that your student has adequate health insurance coverage while abroad. Some study abroad programs require enrollment in a specific insurance program, others leave it up to the student and family to find a program that meets their needs. When evaluating insurance programs for overseas coverage, here are some of the questions you should ask the provider:
Will the plan cover hospitalization for accidents and illness for the entire period abroad?
Will the plan cover doctor visits and medications?
Is there a deductible? How much?
Is there a dollar limit to the amount of coverage provided?
What are the procedures for filing a claim for medical expenses abroad? Is it necessary to pay up front and then get reimbursed?
What if there isn’t enough money to pay cash up front?
When does the plan begin and end?
What proof of international medical coverage is provided?
Will this policy provide coverage in the US for the insured semester/year if the student decides, for medical or other reasons, to return to the US before the end of the program?
All Yale students are covered under a Yale Student Travel Assistance Program (MEDEX). This travel assistance is not a health insurance plan, but it does provide international assitance, emergency evacuation and repatriation.
What physical and mental health issues should we be aware of before our student departs?
Students (along with their parent/guardian, and physician) are responsible for assessing any physical or mental health conditions that may be adversely affected by travel abroad. If physical or mental health conditions require continued therapy, monitoring, or specific support mechanisms while abroad, students must self-disclose the issue(s) to the program organizers well in advance of departure so appropriate accommodations can be arranged.
In addition, students and families need to be aware that some medications that are readily prescribed here in the U.S. may be considered highly controlled substances in other countries. In particular, some medications for ADD/ADHD may require significant “leg work” and licensing before allowed into a country. Students should work with their physician and study abroad program to determine if there might be a problem bringing medications into their host country.
How do we find out if inoculations are needed before our student goes abroad?
Check out the Centers for Disease Control web site , and encourage your daughter/son to schedule an appointment with the Yale Health Plan Travel Clinic as soon as possible after making plans to study abroad. Some inoculations need to be spaced out in order to be effective so early planning is essential.
Are there any links for Emergency Services to U.S. Citizens Abroad from the U.S. Department of State?
Students studying and traveling abroad should register with the local U.S. Embassy. They can now do so online at the Department of State travel web site. Registering with the Consular Section will allow the embassy to contact students in case of emergency.
Make sure a parent or gaurdian has a valid passport!
In the unlikely event that your child becomes seriously ill or is involved in an accident while abroad, you may wish to travel to be with her/him. To make your life easier in the event of an unexpected trip abroad, please make certain that someone in your family has a valid passport. While they can apply for an emergency passport in such a situation, it will alleviate any additional worries if they already have a valid passport and can travel at the last minute.
