1. Confirm you meet the eligibility requirements

• Apply to the desired program 
• You will receive letter indicating you have a low GPA and information on how to request an extension
• If the extension is approved, we will wait until the end of term in which you applied to set your updated GPA
• If your GPA meets the program requirements, we will re-share your application with the evaluative committee 
• The committee shares their decision with our office and we inform you.

2. Completing Your Application: once you have hit the "Apply Now" button, an application is created. To return to it at a later time, go to myapps.union.edu and select the Terra Dotta, Study Abroad Icon:

3. Program Application Limit:  For fall programs you may only apply to two programs and you will need to rank your preference. Given the historically high number of applications, we suggest you consider applying to two. In addition, if you are interested you may also apply for the summer National Health Systems program. 

4. Documents that make up the application:

• Passport Information (passport should not expire until after January 2026 for the summer program and June 2026 for fall programs). Reapply now if your passport will be expiring because if accepted, the new passport details will be needed by week 9 of winter term.
• Study Abroad Experience (Programs applied to in the past through International Programs.).
• Student Essay 
• Unofficial Transcripts
• Faculty/Administrator Recommenders - the names and emails of 2 faculty/administrators who would be willing to recommend you if the evaluative committee, composed of three faculty, were to reach out to them
• Advisor (or Chair) approval of your application
• Disciplinary History
• Diversity Statement/Release for International Programs - this is optional information

5. Program Notification

• Decision letter email dates
  • 2025 Summer and Fall programs:  Friday, February 14, 2025
  • William Cady Stone Academic Year: End of winter term 2025
  • Non-Union Program: End of spring term 2026
• Confirmation - if accepted you must commit to participate on your online application by
  • Summer/Fall Programs: Tuesday, February 25, 2025
  • William Cady Stone Academic Year: Friday, April 4, 2026
  • Non-Union Program: By June 30, 2026

If you were waitpooled, please wait until after February 25 to reach out to the office to see if a spot has become available to your program of interest.

• Withdrawal Policy

6. Passports/Visas

• Passports: Students going abroad must have a passport that is valid for the duration of the program abroad. Some countries require passports to be valid for 6 months after the program end date. Students are responsible for determining entry and exit requirements for the location of their study abroad program. If you do not yet have a passport, have a passport that has expired or will expire while you are abroad, we strongly urge you to apply for or renew your passport now. If accepted and committed, a valid passport will be required by week 9 of the fall term.

• Visas: Students who are on programs over 90 days in length and international students (regardless of program length) will need to apply for a visa.

  • Starting in 2025, there will be new requirements to travel to Europe. Travelers to will be required to

    • have prior travel authorization for short-term (less than 90 days) stays to enter 30 European countries. This is known as the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS).

AND

• • • register with the European Union Entry/Exit System (EU EES) if entering the Schengen area, which is made up of 29 European countries. You will need to have your fingerprints and photo taken upon arrival.

  • If traveling through or to the United Kingdom (UK), at least three days before travel you will need to apply for the UK Electronic Travel Authorisation. Learn more here.

7. Paying for Study Abroad

• Full term costs
• Non-Union costs (WI and/or SP)
• Withdrawal Policy
  • After committing to a program, if you withdraw, the withdrawal policy will apply. This policy can be found in the Academic Catalog under Major, Minors and Other Programs.
• Financial Aid, Scholarships and Fellowships
  • Union scholarships: Contact Financial Aid and ask if there is scholarship. You may need to provide a budget. If you need assistance creating one, contact Ginny Casper in International Programs.
  • External Scholarships:
    • For students who hold US Passports, the Fund for Education Abroad is accepting applications for 2025 summer, fall and 2025-2026 academic year programs. The deadline to apply is Noon on Wednesday, February 5, 2025.
    • For US Citizens/permanent residents, the Freeman-Asia scholarship is available for those who want to study abroad in Cambodia, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Laos, Macao, Malaysia, Mongolia, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam. For academic year 2025-2026 study abroad programs, the application is anticipated to open in early 2025 with a deadline in March or April.
    • For Pell Grant recipients, the Gilman Scholarship will open in mid-January for applicants whose abroad programs start between May 1, 2025 to April 30, 2026. This cycle encompasses Summer 2025, Fall 2025, academic year 2025-2026, Winter 2026 and Spring 2026. The application deadline is Thursday, March 6, 2025 at 11:59pm Pacific Time. 

To learn more about these external scholarships, contact