Upon Return
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Notify ISSA of their return.
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Contact the Office of the Registrar about the transcript from the host university.
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As soon as your transcript is received, review your transcript from Banner Self Service to view your credits from the study abroad/exchange.
Financial Matters Tuition
All students traveling on exchange must complete their full AUC tuition payments prior to their departure to the host universities for the duration of their stay for either a semester or an academic year
Financial Aid
Only students traveling on AUC Exchange Progarms will continue to pay AUC tuition fees according to their financial categories. Study-abroad programs require that students pay tuition directly to the host university.
Financial aid does not apply to students on study-abroad programs; however, some partner universities do offer discounted tuition to AUC students.
Exchange and study-abroad students are responsible for securing funds to cover living expenses,
Students on AUC’s financial aid and scholarship programs will still benefit from their financial assistance while traveling on an exchange program. This will not apply to students who are traveling for a summer session or on a study-abroad basis (paying the host university’s fees).
Students who receive financial aid from AUC will continue to receive it during the exchange semester, except for the Mellon Fund financial aid.
Scholarships
Partial or full scholarships are available to students who are applying for some exchange programs. These scholarships are provided by the host universities prior to the actual travel date. The scholarships provided by AUC’s partner schools change from year to year; the ISSA office will provide these details prior the start of each application cycle. The individual campus scholarships might be in the form of housing, monetary allowances or tuition.
*Students on exchange will have to pay tuition fees for 15 credit hours at AUC even if they take less than 15 credit hours at the host university
Visa Requirements and Passports Passports
It is crucial to have a valid passport to be able to travel on any AUC exchange or study-abroad program. Updating it early in the process is recommended. For students who already have a passport, it is recommended to check the expiration date and ensure that there is at least a six-month validity after the return date to AUC and Egypt.
Visas
Visa requirements are different for each country. All students traveling abroad will need to obtain a student visa.
Students will be responsible for issuing their own visas. Students receive an acceptance letter and visa requirement sheet from their specific universities. Most visas will share these common requirements unless otherwise stated:
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English Recent bank statement (of the sponsor/guardian’s name) stamped
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Acceptance letter from the host university and the visa support letter, i.e., J-1 or I-20 form for U.S. universities and visa support letters from non-U.S. universities.
Students traveling during summer on university programs will need to submit the following:
AUC Contract for Exchange/Study Abroad students (to be signed during the PNO)
All Exchange/Study Abroad students must sign this contract as it stipulates the rules and regulations students must abide by prior to, during and after their exchange/study abroad experience.
Prior to Travel:
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Students should attend at least three Pre-departure sessions and two Cultural sessions. If a student fails to do so, AUC will review the nomination for the study-abroad or exchange slot.
Pre-departure orientation sessions
a) Academics
b) Finance, budget, and visa
c) Travel Tips d) Expectations, hopes, and culture shock
Cultural Program sessions
a) Cultural Session 1
b) Cultural Session 2
c) Cultural Session 3
I. Evaluation of courses taken at host university and credit transfer to AUC should be determined by the Office of the University Registrar. It is the student’s responsibility to finalize the issue of credit transfer with AUC Registrar.
II. A student who declines the Exchange/Study Abroad opportunity after completing the host university application cannot apply to any exchange/study abroad program administered by ISSA during the next academic year. A student may request exemption from this rule if s/he declined due to force majeure. While students must provide proof of the emergency situation that hindered their travel abroad, the decision to apply exemption from this rule is at the discretion of ISSA
Upon Arrival at Host University
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Students must attend the orientation session held by the host university at the beginning of the semester. 2
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Students must participate in international events held by the host university either by holding a presentation about AUC and Egypt, giving out souvenirs in such events (to be provided by ISSA), or being part of the international day (Pictures are required for participation in at least one university event).
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During your study abroad, you are expected to abide by the laws and regulations of the host university/country. Failure to do so may result in canceling the remaining part of your program.
Pre- Departure:
Before leaving the host university, students must:
a. Make sure to clear their online accounts of any holds.
b. Order the official transcript to be sent to ISSA.
c. Contact their international adviser at the host university, to make sure there are no pending issues.
d. Gather all course assignments and all related materials for Science, Computer, Engineering, Economics, and Political Science courses and submit them to the Office of the Registrar upon return to AUC for final course approval.
Re-Entry:
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Students must complete the re-entry survey/questionnaire provided by ISSA.
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Students must participate in ISSA events or sessions to help the next outgoing exchange/study abroad students with useful information about the host university, country and experience at large.
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Students must share their experience abroad by sending ISSA any related pictures, videos or blogs.
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Students that received the Abdallah Jum’ah study abroad scholarship must write at least a 500 word paragraph explaining how this scholarship benefitted them, and share pictures about their experience in the host university. Please note the written statement and pictures will be shared with the donor and posted on ISSA page.*
N.B:
1) If you have a conduct case, ISSA has the right to review your nomination.
2) Obtaining a visa to the host country is the responsibility of the students. Failure to issue a visa will result in automatic cancellation of exchange/ study abroad opportunity.
3) Following the conclusion of the exchange experience, a student can’t transfer to other institutions before spending at least one semester (fall/spring) at AUC.*
I, the undersigned ____________________________________, ID _________________________, certify that I have read the contract terms and agree to abide by them.
* Only for recipients of Abdallah Jum’ah study abroad scholarship
*Exchange students only
GRADUATE
AUC provides exchange opportunities for study abroad at a partner university for one semester only to its graduate students.
Exchange Program: An AUC student can choose a specific university from the list of exchange universities to spend the duration of a semester under the terms and conditions of each exchange partner school. Under the exchange program model, students pay AUC tuition in return for students at the partner universities paying their home school tuition and coming to study at AUC.
Exchange opportunity usually takes place in the third semester of a program that lasts for at least four semesters. Not all graduate programs have exchange partners in the same discipline, so students should consult with their graduate advisers to determine eligibility.
Requirements:
Graduate students interested in applying for the exchange semester must fulfill all the requirements below:
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Complete all English courses, if applicable
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Prior to travel: Graduate students traveling on exchange basis must be enrolled in three courses (9 credit hours), excluding thesis and capstone courses, during the semester abroad at the host university. They have to maintain being full time students according to AUC catalog.
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Graduate students applying to an exchange program must be on a good academic standing, i.e. not on an academic probation, from the time they start AUC interest form until the departure date.
Graduate students who are interested to study abroad for a semester but not on an AUC exchange program must check the study-abroad academic credits – course advising, evaluation and transfer requirements.
Application Procedures and Timeline:
Graduate exchange options are handled on a case-by-case basis due to the increased level of details in graduate programs abroad. Students who wish to spend a semester abroad on exchange during their master’s program at AUC will need to map their master’s degree completion timeline and review their AUC degree audit.
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