Study Abroad Programs

There are several types of study abroad programs available to UNC Asheville students. Students participating in UNC Asheville’s Study Abroad programs may use all types of financial aid for which the student qualifies, including Federal, State, and UNC Asheville grants, scholarships, and/or loans.  

Browse Our Programs

UNC Asheville faculty deliver specific UNC Asheville courses partially or mostly abroad. Faculty-led programs provide a very structured set of group activities along with the class curriculum. They are a good fit for students who prefer a more structured program itinerary, want to go abroad with other UNC Asheville students and want a shorter experience that fits during semester breaks. Financial Aid can be used to cover the cost of these programs, as long as a students still have additional aid eligibility that they have not applied to fall and spring semesters, and as long as they are enrolled full time in the term in which the program runs.

Exchange programs allow students who are ready for a culturally immersive experience to live and study like local students at a university abroad. For instate tuition students, these programs are often very affordable because students pay the same tuition & fees that they normally would for a semester of coursework on campus (enjoying all applicable institutional aid) The additional costs for housing and food in the host country economy are often comparable to similar expenses on campus at UNC Asheville. Since Financial Aid applies (assuming courses taken are needed to graduate) and scholarships are available to subsidize costs of airfare and other associated expenses, these exchanges can be quite economical.

ISEP exchange programs offer students seeking a culturally immersive experience the opportunity to live and study alongside local students at universities abroad. For in-state tuition students, these programs are remarkably affordable. Students pay tuition, housing, and food costs to UNC Asheville and then receive the equivalent services, academic courses, and lodging at their host university abroad. Since Financial Aid applies (assuming courses taken are needed to graduate) this is a semester abroad that costs little more than a semester on campus and scholarships are available to subsidize costs of airfare and other associated expenses. The ISEP application requires some additional work because you must list several placement options abroad at different universities, and often you do not get your first-choice assignment. In order to offer several informed choices, you need to do a lot of course matching work to make sure that your several choices are all realistic ones.

Affiliate or third-party organizations facilitate study abroad and internship opportunities for UNC Asheville students, often acting as a liaison between the student and the universities at which UNC Asheville students take courses and/or offering courses at their own study centers. These organizations assist students throughout the pre-departure process and offer on-site services and support as well. In most cases, affiliate providers arrange housing abroad for students, provide airport pick-up services and offer an extensive on-site orientation to allow students to get acclimated to their new host environment. Some affiliate providers build cultural activities and excursions into the program. Affiliate provider programs are good for students who are looking for additional support prior to departure, upon arrival and during their stay. ISEP-Direct programs are structured in the same manner as other Partner Programs. These programs vary in price depending on inclusions and may cost more than a semester at UNC Asheville. But financial aid applies to the costs of these programs (assuming courses taken are needed to graduate) and sometimes, depending on the location, and whether you pay in-state or out-of-state tuition, they can be equal to or less than a semester at UNC Asheville.

Faculty-Led Study Abroad Programs

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Faculty-Led Study Abroad Programs

The Office of Study Abroad Can Work with You and Your Department to

  • Create, plan and execute faculty-led programming
  • Find curricular matches for your majors’ semester study abroad pursuits
  • Develop new program models for your department (faculty exchange, faculty summer residence programs)
  • Do the immigration work associated with inviting international scholars and professors
  • Assist faculty traveling independently for international conferences, research etc. to purchase Geo Blue insurance coverage
  • Point students and faculty colleagues to Fulbright and other funded opportunities

Our Office Can Add Value to Faculty-Led Programs

  • Planning and logistical arrangements, finding suitable partner providers, previewing contracts and assisting with MOUs
  • Assistance with marketing and student recruitment
  • Management of the application process
  • Assistance with fee collection, bill payment, and compliance related to state regulations on travel expense reports, use of  university P cards and travel advances, etc.
  • Provision of a consistent university-wide orientation to safety and risk management for off-campus travel as well as orientation to travel health and accident insurance
  • Removal of personal liability from you, by guiding you to standard implementation of policies, procedures and standards of a reasonable person
  • Scholarships for your students
  • Advising for your students

If your destination is a U.S. State Department Level 3 or 4 country, please read UNC Asheville’s Student International Travel Policy. Contact ldobson@unca.edu with questions or interest in any of these opportunities.

Begin Your Proposal Submission

Before You Go

The Program Proposal process should begin a year before actually submitting the proposal. Jinhua Li, Coordinator of Faculty-led Programs, is available to help guide you in the planning stages. The Program Proposal must be submitted to the Study Abroad Office by August 5th of the year before you plan on taking a program abroad.

  1. Please provide the most recent documents for all program-related expenses, including but not limited to: airfare, lodging, local transportation, meal, admission fees, educational materials, etc. Please explain how the program can still be viable if program costs go up considerably (more than 10%) between now and the program date.
  2. Please read over the faculty handbook thoroughly.
  3. Review and prepare for using the emergency procedures recommended by the Study Abroad Office, if needed.
  4. Update the Study Abroad Office about the communication plan you will use with your students and the Office.
  5. Check and confirm the emergency contact information you have shared with the Study Abroad Office and consider informing them of any health concerns you might want them to know about if you experienced a medical emergency while leading your program.

 

Other important travel-related procedures for you as a faculty member leading study abroad:

UNC Asheville personnel (faculty, staff, visiting scholars, and students) planning to travel abroad need to be mindful of export control laws and regulations. The purpose of the federal government’s export control laws and regulations is (a) to restrict exports of goods and technology that could contribute to the military capabilities of adversaries, (b) prevent disclosure of American trade secrets to foreign competitors, and/or (c) to comply with U.S. trade sanctions (terrorist, UN human rights violators, drug trafficking). To avoid running afoul of these laws and regulations, University personnel should review the Export Control Policy at https://www.unca.edu/storehouse/policies/3010/.

You will need to declare if you intend to take University owned/managed computers and electronic devices overseas. You can access an online declaration of your intent to travel abroad with University electronics/computers. The online form requires you to certify that you understand the requirements for bringing electronic devices overseas. You will also need to print off a copy of your completed Export License Exemption TMP (EAR Part 740.9) pdf file as this provides Customs with documentation that the University has reviewed and approved your temporary export license. Upon your certification and submission of the form, UNC Asheville will receive a notification that will prompt the review of the document against current regulatory oversight. If there are items of interest, you will be notified immediately, and we’ll work to address any concerns. This may include having the University request a formal export license from the appropriate regulatory body or determining not to bring the item(s) overseas.

Short-term Study Abroad Proposal 2023-24  Short-term Study Abroad Budget Export License Exemption

While Abroad

Emergent issues can be mild, moderate or severe.  Often an emergent issue that starts out mild or moderate can worsen if it repeats itself day after day. A couple of good practices in all risk management, after attending to life-threatening health issues, are:

  1. Identifying who is affected as quickly as possible.
  2. Communicating to the Study Abroad Emergency Team using your emergency card or contact information provided in the shared folder for your program and allowing them to pull together the team that can help you address your issues as you continue leading the program.
  3. Documenting in the moment, you can keep written notes in any word processing format you feel comfortable with and submit what you have documented using the simple online form and/or email them to ldobson@unca.edu.

Please Note: Electronic form and email provide a great way to quickly and officially share volumes of information, and do great documentation, but make sure to also message text/WhatApp or call to let the emergency team know you’re submitting time-sensitive information.  After hours we won’t check our email unless we know there is an emergent situation to address, and we want to provide assistance in a time-sensitive manner. 

Incident Documentation Form

If it becomes necessary to remove a student from the program (see handbook for guidelines of qualifications to remove a student), please complete the Removal from Study Abroad Program form.


Tracking Spending While Abroad

Sorting your receipts and labeling them carefully will help everyone when it comes to returning unused funds, completing expense reports and reconciling everything. It is important to think about this as you and highly recommended that one faculty leader keep track of T card payments and receipts and the other the Travel Advance payments and receipts. Either way, all receipts should be labeled as T card; Travel Advance, and credit card or cash:

  • T card payments
  • Travel Advance payments

In addition, it is essential that when submitting your uploaded pictures of receipts you write on the receipts what type of expense you were paying for:

  • Transportation
  • Accommodation
  • Meals
  • Entrance Fees/Tours
  • Tips
  • Miscellaneous

Since you’re making payments in foreign currency, make sure that the date is on the receipt.  If you’re using local currency to make cash payments, the date you need to document is the date you changed the money from U.S. dollars to local currency.

Format of Receipts:

  • Receipts should be uploaded into Chrome River before your visit to the Study Abroad office when you return.  You may want to keep your receipts until they have all been reconciled in Chrome River in case you need it when you return.

If you are giving money to the group for an event or for meal(s), you may create a sheet with the amount given to the student at the top and the student’s signature on the page.  It’s recommended that you prepare a list with student names and print a few to take with you so you can add the amount on the form when you need it.  For example:

Name of Program: Date: Amount Given to Student: Student Name: Student Signature:

Note:  If you think you need to overspend the allotted amount from your program fees, it is best to reach out to the Study Abroad Office to review your budget. We may or may not be able to source the extra funds but we certainly do not want to run negative balances that would end up being paid by future students abroad.

There are two ways to complete an Incident Documentation form (see handbook for guidelines of what qualifies as an incident).  You may print the form complete it and fax or email it to drhein@unca.edu or you may complete the online form.  Both forms are below.

If it becomes necessary to remove a student from the program (see handbook for guidelines of qualifications to remove a student), please complete the Removal from Study Abroad Program form.

Incident Documentation Form Budget Process Information Sheet

When You Return

Budget

For our programs that return before the end of the fiscal year, we hope to have you return your funds as quickly as possible (in a matter of days not weeks).

Finalizing the budget must be processed through Chrome River.  You do not have to reconcile your accounts in the study abroad office because we will have access to the process through Chrome River as well. Please stop by the Study Abroad Office if you have questions or need assistance with completing your expense report in Chrome River. We are happy to help!

If your purchases are less than the amount of your travel advance, you will owe the remaining amount. In that case, you will give the balance in cash or a check made payable to UNCA for the balance and submit it to the Cashier’s Office.  You will need the receipt that you get from the Cashier’s Office to complete your expense report for your travel advance.  (The first thing you will enter is the exact amount you returned to the school.) Do not overspend the allotted amount from your program fees as there are no funds to cover it and you will not be reimbursed.  You must also turn in your bank account statements/transactions with a zero balance to show the account is closed/completed for the program.

Format of Receipts:

Receipts should be uploaded into Chrome River before your visit to the Study Abroad office when you return.  You may want to keep your receipts until they have all been reconciled in Chrome River in case you need it when you return. If you are giving money to the group for an event or for meal(s), you may create a sheet with the amount given to the student at the top and the student’s signature on the page.  I recommend you prepare a list with the students’ names and print a few to take with you so you can just put the amount on the form when you need it.  For example:

Name of Program                  Date                     Amount given to students: ____________

Student Name  Student Signature
Name
Name

Non-Exchange Programs

ISEP enrolls you directly into your choice of ISEP Direct program. It is not dependent upon available exchange space at your host institution.

The cost of Direct program tuition could be more or less than your home institution’s tuition. It is listed on each program page and appears once you select the semester in which you intend to go abroad. Accommodations and meals vary from program to program.

Depending on your home institution, you may be able to use Federal aid for ISEP Direct programs. Set up a meeting with your home institution’s financial aid office to learn the details.

Chances of placement for Direct programs is always “Guaranteed” as we are able to guarantee your placement (as long as you meet the minimum academic and program-specific requirements).

It is not necessary to list more than one Direct program on your application as we are able to guarantee Direct placements, so long as you meet program requirements.

Direct deadlines vary from program to program, and in some cases are open later. Make sure to apply by the deadline indicated on the program page!

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Saitama Summer Program

This 4-week intensive Japanese Studies Program provides international undergraduate students who have an interest in Japanese culture, a good opportunity to study various aspects of Japan — traditional, modern and contemporary. You can choose from weekday courses which may be of interest to you, as well as the chance to go on weekend excursions in and around the Saitama/Tokyo area. All classes will be conducted in English, and an introductory Japanese language class will also be available for those who wish to start leaning this interesting and unique language.

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Universidad de Valladolid Language Center

Located in the western part of Spain, Valladolid is known as the administrative capital of Castilla y León. It is located less than two hours by car from Madrid and is surrounded by the provinces of Segovia, Salamanca, Ávila, Zamora, Soria, Burgos, Palencia and León. Valladolid has much to offer, including art, history, culture, literature, museums, festivals and more. It boasts such authors as Cervantes or Zorrilla. This city witnessed the coronation of Ferdinand III as King of Castile, the births of Philip II and Philip IV, the last sigh of Christopher Columbus, and famous artist such as Alonso Berruguete, Juan de Juni and Gregorio Fernandez have worked.

Unaffiliated Programs

Students who considering or are approved to attend an unaffiliated study abroad program should carefully consider the implications and plan accordingly.

Students attending unaffiliated study abroad programs must pay a study abroad administrative fee for each quarter of the program. You will not be billed for UNC Asheville tuition during this time, and all other expenses must be paid directly to the program sponsor or host institution.

Because you are not considered enrolled at UNC Asheville when attending an unaffiliated program, you may not be eligible for university health insurance.

Students attending an unaffiliated study abroad program are not considered enrolled in any credits at UNC Asheville. As a result, financial aid cannot be processed and is not available for students participating in unaffiliated programs. This includes but is not limited to federal loans, federal/state grants, and private loans. Additionally, and previous loans in deferment may enter repayment while abroad.

Students who are planning to study abroad and are currently receiving financial aid are encouraged to apply to an affiliated study abroad program. A study abroad or financial aid advisor can assist you in deciding which programs meet your academic needs.

Take Your College Experience to the Next Level

100 Ramsey Library, CPO 1560
One University Heights
Asheville, NC 28804
Office: 828.612-6530
ldobson@unca.edu

Office Hours

Tues and Thurs: 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.

Friday: Scheduled appointments only