Faculty

W&L students are invited to study abroad for a term, a year, or during the summer and there are many different programs and opportunities from which they may choose. The Center for International Education maintains an extensive library in which students can research these and most information is also available on-line. Please help your student or advisee carefully consider both:

1) the academic value of studying in another university or through another program which may enrich the curricular offerings of W&L, and

2) the cultural and personal value of living in another country and seeing the world from a different perspective.

A student's decision about study abroad should reflect a thoughtful process on both of these, as well as decisions about language study and other specific objectives.

Approved Programs

Students must participate in a program approved for credit by W&L if they wish to be granted W&L credit for their work. Such approval is granted through the Center for International Education and the Committee on International Education.

W&L does not maintain an absolute approved programs list but rather maintains relationships with a number of overseas programs and universities (as listed on our web site) and encourages our students to utilize these except where there may be a compelling academic or personal reason to choose another program.

There are many programs for which W&L will not approve participation for credit. It is therefore important that a student determines the status of a program early on in his or her deliberations through consultation with the Director of International Education.

A student should choose the best possible program based on her or his academic interests, needs and priorities.

The Application Process

Students must file an Application for Degree Credit for Off-Campus Study which may be obtained from the center for International Education or the University Registrar's office. The same form is used for domestic or international study, though some policies and procedures will differ. The form must be signed by the student's academic adviser before submission and must also have the signatures of department heads for course credit approval. The student must also file any necessary application materials to the program or university to which she or he is applying.

Grades and Credit Transfer

Summary:

Grades do not transfer unless it is a course cross-listed in the W&L catalog.

Credit will be transferred for any course for which a student has received departmental approval on his or her Application for Degree Credit for Off-Campus Study at a credit level as determined by the Department Head, Dean, and/or University Registrar once a complete official transcript of the student's study abroad work has been received by the University Registrar.

Credit to fulfill General Education requirements may be granted by the Department Head for an equivalent course to one already approved for General Education credit; if there is no equivalent course, a student must petition the committee on Courses and Degrees for approval for General Education credits.

Credit towards the requirements of a Major must be approved by the Department Head, except for summer cstudy wneh a student must petition C&D for major credit.

Financial Aid

Financial aid, including both grants and loans will usually transfer at an equivalent amount, pro-rated where the fees are significantly different than those at W&L, up to but not to exceed the amount of an award that the student might receive if in residence. I

f a student who receives a grant to cover tuition here chooses to study at a university where the tuition fee is much lower than at W&L, that student will receive a grant to cover the cost of tuition at that university. If a student on full financial aid chooses to study on a program where the total fee exceeds the normal financial aid package that would be awarded to the student while in residence, the student must bear the extra expense.

Normally, financial aid will not be awarded to cover air fare or other transportation costs.

International students will not receive W&L financial aid to return to study in their home country.