Parents/Guardian's Frequently Asked Questions

No. Study abroad is a privilege for which students must carefully prepare and apply. No student is guaranteed a study abroad placement, nor is any student guaranteed placement on any specific program in any specific semester.

Applying for study abroad has a lot of similarities to applying to college in that admission is not guaranteed even for applicants who meet minimum or average qualifications and many criteria are taken into consideration as part of the decision making process. Past academic performance plays a large role, as does the quality of how well the student expresses his/her motivation for study abroad at a particular partner university or program.

Each semester the applicant pool is different and so admission to each program might be more or less competitive in an individual semester. Depending on the strength of the applicant pool, students who meet the minimum qualifications, or even exceed them, may not be able to be placed on a particular program. However, each semester, many qualified applicants are able to be approved to study abroad at a partner university of their choice.

Students on or who have been on conduct or housing probation may be denied the opportunity to go abroad, depending on the offense and recommendation of the respective Dean’s office, as well as the policy of the program or institution abroad.

It is possible but extremely uncommon for students to be approved to take part in non-Richmond semester abroad programs. It is much easier for students to be approved to take part in non-Richmond summer abroad programs. The procedures for non-Richmond study abroad are explained here.

Please note that it is not possible to withdraw from Richmond, take part in a non-Richmond semester abroad program, and then transfer credit back to Richmond from that program.

Also, Richmond students may not study at Richmond exchange or affiliate programs and transfer credit back to the University without having been accepted into the program through the Office of International Education.

If your student has signed the FERPA release and has given the Office of International Education (OIE) permission to share general study abroad information, the OIE will send an email to you with basic information about semester study abroad as per the email address provided by the student in his/her study abroad application. If no email address is provided, the OIE will mail a letter to the student’s home address.

Beyond this general email/letter, no information about study abroad is sent directly to the parent(s)/guardian(s). Contact is made only if there is a critical situation regarding the health and safety of the student. FERPA is a law that all employees at Richmond must follow.

If a parent/guardian contacts the OIE by phone or email, OIE staff may answer general questions about the program abroad, but cannot discuss specific academic or other issues pertaining to a particular student. The only exception is if the student has waived their FERPA rights by signing the FERPA release described above.

Since students are over 18, we expect them to be responsible for sharing information about their study abroad program with their parent(s)/guardian(s). We suggest you ask your student to share this information and coach them on asking questions of OIE staff on their own behalf when they are confused, have doubts or any other problem. Please note that the majority of the information and instructions are provided to your student in the “Learning Content” section of his/her online study abroad application on GatewayAbroad, and/or via emails sent from members of the OIE study abroad team. Therefore, we recommend that you sit down with your student and have him/her sign into GatewayAbroad to review this information together.

Once accepted, your student will receive information from the host program abroad in various forms at various times. Some universities send a packet of information, some have this information on their web page while others have an intranet system that requires a user name and password, which is sent to the student once he/she has been officially accepted to the program. It is important that students read everything carefully and adhere to all deadlines.

The OIE also provides all approved students with a “Vital Documents” packet containing a "Study Abroad Information for Your Family" sheet, which includes contact information to the OIE, program/institution abroad, U.S. consulate abroad, the insurance company, as well as additional useful information and links. We encourage all students to give their informational sheets to their parents/guardians.

Logistics vary by study abroad program. Each UR program has its own brochure page with cost and date information, as well as information about academics, housing, and eligibility requirements. The travel allowance amount for each program can be found here as well.

Note that cost estimates on the study abroad program page do not include the student’s personal recreational travel and entertainment. Recreational travel is the single greatest discretionary expense for most study abroad participants.

In most cases, Richmond programs charge Richmond tuition, but not housing and food, for the semester abroad. Financial aid applies. Housing fees are usually paid directly to the institution or landlord abroad. Most universities abroad do not have meal plans, so students "pay as they go" in university dining facilities or they prepare their own meals in shared kitchens in dormitories or apartments. Cost estimates for each UR semester abroad program can be found on that program’s brochure page.

In addition, financial benefits are provided to all students on UR semester or year abroad programs through reimbursements and allowances, and Richmond offers several study abroad scholarships. Please note that students must submit their eligible reimbursement requests to the Office of International Education within 60 days of the date on the receipts to ensure our office has time to meet the University’s processing guidelines.

While abroad, most program participants spend $2,500 to $4,000 per semester above and beyond living costs. These expenses include entertainment, souvenirs, and cultural events, but the biggest single category of discretionary expense is recreational travel beyond the student’s host city. Students considering study abroad should be encouraged to start saving early if they plan to travel extensively while abroad. Expenses can be reduced by traveling to nearby cities as well as visiting local sites. We suggest students not travel too much outside of their host city or else they will not be able to develop relationships with local students and persons and will not really know the city or town where they are spending the semester.

Most students use an ATM card to withdraw cash in the local currency while abroad. See the “Money Matters While Abroad” section of the UR Study Abroad Handbook for more details. There is often a fee charged by both the U.S. bank and the foreign bank for using a U.S. ATM card to withdraw cash abroad. Students should check with their individual US banks to find out what these fees will be and if there is any way to have them reduced or waived.

It is recommended that when students withdraw cash from an ATM that they withdraw the maximum daily amount and then carry around a small portion of it, keeping the rest safely hidden and locked in their rooms. This will help keep withdrawal fees to a minimum.

Students should be aware that credit cards may work differently abroad than in the United States. This article and this article contain very useful information about this. As with ATM cards, U.S. banks often charge foreign transaction fees for credit card purchases at foreign vendors.

Some students may choose to open a local bank account in order to get a regional debit card and avoid fees from the U.S. bank. If this option is taken, it should be done soon after arrival, as it can take a couple of weeks to open the account, receive the details such as the PIN number and debit card, and set up online banking. Depending on the bank and country, this option may only be practical for students who will be abroad for the entire academic year.

We reimburse semester- and year-long study abroad students for a variety of expenses related to their study abroad experiences, with exceptions, and only for receipts under 60 days old. For more information, please visit our Reimbursements webpage.

While abroad, students must remain enrolled in a minimum equivalent of 3.5 Richmond units. Transfer credit policies and procedures can be found on the Registrar’s website. Robins School of Business students have additional study abroad requirements. Specific information about the credit and grade conversion can be found on the UR program abroad webpage.

If your student does not enroll in a minimum equivalent of 3.5 units while abroad, she may lose all of the privileges carried with full-time student status, including financial aid and possibly health insurance. It is your student’s responsibility to discuss courses abroad with her Richmond academic advisor and determine how these credits will transfer back so that she can graduate as planned.

University of Richmond cannot issue official transcripts from other institutions, nor can we request them on a student’s behalf. The OIE receives one official abroad transcript for each study abroad student, which is then kept by the Registrar for the student’s permanent UR academic record.

To request the official transcript from abroad, the student will need to contact that university directly. The transcript request procedures are usually available on the abroad university’s website. Some institutions charge a fee for each transcript and/or may charge for shipping. Some may also limit the number of transcripts they will issue at one time.

Yes. We automatically enroll all students in the ACE Travel Assistance (AXA) insurance plan. The cost of the ACE Travel Assistance (AXA) health and travel insurance is paid by the University. Non-immigrant international students are only excluded from enrollment in the ACE Travel Assistance (AXA) plan if they are studying abroad in their home country. Non-immigrant international students’ health insurance coverage through Trawick International will also continue while they’re abroad.

Discuss health and safety issues with your student, including matters related to insurance, emergency preparedness, and living in the host country. Your student will be provided with extensive information about these topics after acceptance to study abroad. Encourage your student to share this information with you.

Obtain a passport or renew yours if it will expire within the next year in case you should need to go overseas to visit your student in the event of emergency. Keep in mind that passport-processing time is currently six to eight weeks for new passports, so apply early.

Keep in touch with your student while abroad, but understand that he or she may not be able to communicate with you as often as when on campus. Encourage your student to stay “in the moment” while abroad so they do not miss out on important opportunities abroad in lieu of spending all their time communicating with family and friends back home.

Arrange in advance for how your student will contact you at the earliest possible moment in the event that a crisis should occur abroad in a location where your student is likely to be. This may be in your student’s host country, or in a nearby country or region, since many students do travel recreationally on short notice while studying abroad.

Richmond has a crisis management plan as well as insurance that can provide assistance in unusual circumstances––for example, evacuation to a safe location––should this become necessary. However, this has never been necessary in the 20+ years that Richmond has been providing international education.

If your student spends more than four weeks in a country with a high incidence of tuberculosis (TB), we strongly recommend s/he get tested for TB approximately 8-12 weeks after returning from abroad. All countries except the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and those in Western Europe are considered high risk. For more information, please visit http://www.cdc.gov/tb/publications/factsheets/general/tbtravelinfo.htm.

Accommodations abroad will be different from the experience of living in a Richmond residence hall. For many students, the new experience of living more independently will be a time of growth and greater responsibility, which can be both rewarding and challenging.

Information about housing options available for each Richmond semester or year abroad program is provided on the program brochure page for that program.

Residences abroad will be different than at Richmond, particularly with regard to convenience or amenities. Housing abroad, is often in older buildings, and living spaces may be smaller and more sparsely furnished than student rooms at UR. Many student residence halls abroad include kitchen facilities and students are expected to cook their own meals. A meal plan is almost never available, although pay-as-you-go cafeterias are often available at student-friendly prices.

Although there are some exceptions, universities abroad rarely have a campus environment like one is accustomed to in the U.S., so students should not expect to live "on campus." Residence halls, apartment buildings, and home stays will be located throughout the host city and a commute (walking or public transportation) will likely be required to reach the academic buildings or the residences of other students. Residence halls and apartment buildings may not have card or key security at the front door, and there may not be 24-hour security provided at a front desk, even for residences located in urban areas. Repairs (except for emergencies) may take longer than what students are used to on Richmond’s campus. Student housing, regardless of whether it is a residence hall, apartment, or home stay, may not be directly adjacent to public transportation, so students may need to walk 10 minutes or more to reach their residence after getting off the metro/bus/tram.

Smoke and carbon monoxide detectors and fire extinguishers may not be standard amenities; students who wish to purchase these items abroad can be reimbursed for the cost by the Office of International Education.

Students should be aware of all of these differences when choosing a study abroad program and when selecting their accommodations. Advising and information is available to help students choose the most suitable residence. If a student has a particular concern about housing on a particular program abroad, they should bring it to the attention of their Richmond study abroad advisor immediately.

Using telephones abroad can be very expensive, especially if one takes a Blackberry, iPhone, or other U.S. mobile device abroad. The majority of Richmond students purchase a mobile phone while abroad because texting and incoming calls are less expensive in many other countries. However, some students and parents may prefer to rent an overseas mobile phone from the host university or program abroad (not available in all locations), or purchase a mobile phone prior to departure using a company like Piccell Wireless.

Students will have access to Internet at the university or program abroad. In some cases, but not all, Internet access may be available in the housing abroad. There may be an additional fee for this service or the student may have to set up wireless services at his or her expense.

In addition to email, your student may wish to start a blog to keep family and friends informed about their transformative experiences from abroad.

More information about communication can be found on the SAFETI website.

Unless it is an emergency, we generally advise against shipping items abroad. It is expensive and import taxes on packages sent from the U.S. to the student overseas can be VERY high. (For example, one mother sent packages to Europe with shipping fees of $50; the import tax, which the student had to pay, was $112). Your student should talk to someone in the host country to learn how import tax rates are calculated.

While abroad, your student may have experienced "culture shock.” This well-studied phenomenon refers to the loss of emotional equilibrium suffered when one leaves a familiar environment, especially when moving between countries or cultures. Now, as your student returns home, “reverse culture shock” can occur and can be, for some students, a more difficult transition.

Although the symptoms of reverse culture shock are similar to those of initial culture shock, they are often unexpected. The symptoms can vary in severity and may include minor illnesses, depression, withdrawal, lethargy, and excessive longing to go abroad again. Your student may be concerned about the pressures of returning to the University of Richmond, sorting out transfer credits, adjusting to the next academic year, and/or planning for life beyond graduation.

It is not uncommon for returning students to be surprised that life at Richmond has continued without them and to find that they are out of touch with happenings and people on campus. In addition your student may be eager to talk about his/her experiences abroad, but his/her friends who did not study abroad may not be as eager to listen and may not understand where your student has been – both in a physical and psychological sense. These are all normal reactions and part of the re-entry process.

In order to help returning students with re-entry or reverse culture shock, our office offers various events and opportunities. One of our first events of the year is a re-entry event where returnees are invited to come and talk, laugh, and reflect about their time abroad. We ask returning students to participate in the annual study abroad fair and to be our “expert” advisors at pre-departure orientations.

Returned study abroad students are encouraged to join our Ambassador Club, a buddy system that pairs them with new international students, and to participate in international events and organizations on campus. We hope they will also see that international learning can be a permanent and evolving part of their lives.

As parents, you can help by continuing to offer patience, love and support as you did throughout your student’s time abroad. You might also wish to consult the following parent’s re-entry guide, which was designed by the School for International Training, which can be found online at https://studyabroad.richmond.edu/?go=SITParentReentryHandbook. We feel the SIT handbook is a good resource from which parents of students returning from any study abroad program can benefit.

"I knew from the beginning of our daughter’s time at UR that she would be seeking a study abroad opportunity. I had no idea what a truly enriching experience she would have, and how all of us as a family would get to see life a little differently because of it.

Not only did she really dive into Argentinean culture, but over the semester in the house where she stayed, Kristy was blessed to live with women from all over South America, gaining perspective and personal insight into life far beyond the classroom. She took in real life in so many ways: helping build houses in the slums, fixing meals with housemates, busing everywhere, being part of a local church, etc.

Through the ExSpanish program and flexible design of UR’s international programs, Kristy was able to travel and tour many wonderful areas of the country, meeting other international students and making memories of a lifetime. Imagine having lunch in Buenos Aires, Argentina with a new Japanese friend while speaking Spanish! Or hiking Patagonia glaciers with friends from France and the Czech Republic. We watched from afar as she navigated all over — and the world became just a little smaller, even for our 7-year-old son!

It was a treat to be able to visit and get a small taste of this incredible experience. There is nothing like being there to really get a sense of a culture, and I highly recommend it to other parents."

— Mother of Kristen S. (Universidad Torcuato di Tella, Argentina)

“Austen had a great experience in Sweden. He worked pretty hard in his classes, met friends from other cultures, got to know and appreciate the Swedish culture, learned a bit of the language and he was forced to live a whole different way than he does at UR.

We send him back to Richmond a more mature individual and better for this unique experience.”

— Mother of Austen K. (Uppsala University, Sweden)