FAQs

Students

Summer & Intersession

 

Yes, assuming you meet all of these qualifications:

  • Have the prerequisites for the courses you'll be taking
  • A cumulative 2.5 GPA or higher (some programs have a higher GPA requirement)
  • Are at least 18 years old at the time the program leaves
  • Not on academic or disciplinary probation

 

Applications will be accepted online through the LSU Abroad Portal. Each program has its own page. Click on the "Apply Now" button to start the application process.

 

There is a $500 deposit that is charged to your billing statement at the time your application is approved. It goes toward your overall program fee. Once the deposit is paid, you've already paid $500 toward your program fee. For example, if the program costs $3,300, you would only owe $2,800 after the $500 is paid.

If you are an LSU student, you will see the deposit added to your billing statement; if you aren't an LSU student, please mail a check or money order, made payable to Louisiana State University, to:

Academic Programs Abroad
103 Hatcher Hall
Baton Rouge, LA 70803


Be sure to write your name and the name of your study abroad program on the check!

 

The program fee you see charged on your fee bill is $500 less than the total cost of the program because we've already credited you for your $500 deposit. You can find a list of the full program fees on each program's webpage.

 

With a few exceptions, no. If the program you choose offers language courses and you want to take them, you must meet the prerequisites for those classes.
The only exception is LSU in the French Alps. In addition to meeting the prerequisites for the courses, students must pass a language proficiency exam, given by the director. Students who go on LSU in the French Alps participate in internships and must know enough French to function in the internships.

 

Yes. Any financial aid that you have for summer semester at LSU should apply to the program. Talk to Student Aid & Scholarships about what aid is available to you.

 

LSU does not have a scholarship specifically for study abroad for which you can apply. However, there are several nationally competitive study abroad scholarships. You can find more information on our scholarships page.

 

Since you are taking LSU courses, you will receive LSU credit, just as if your classes were meeting on the Baton Rouge campus. If you are a non-LSU student, you can request an LSU transcript at the end of the summer.

 

If you are a US citizen and your program is outside of the US, yes. If you are not a US citizen, you need to check with the embassy of the countries to which you are traveling to determine what documents you need in order to enter the country as a tourist.

 

That depends on your chosen program and your nationality. If you are an American citizen, your program director will tell you whether or not you'll need a visa.

If you are not an American citizen, you need to contact the embassy of the country to which you are going. Note: Because these are short-term programs, students who need entrance visas should inquire about tourist visas, not student visas. Student visas are for students who are going on semester or year-long exchanges.

 

Yes, but health insurance is automatically provided for all internationally-based programs and is included in the cost of the program. Students going on U.S.-based programs should make sure they have health insurance coverage for the duration of the program.

 

Tuition is not included. In most cases, neither is airfare. Passport and visa costs are also not included. Check individual programs for what is included. All of the programs do offer at least one meal a day and housing. Most offer ground transportation and field trips, too.

 

In most cases, yes. If airfare is included, it's noted on the program's webpage. Do not buy a ticket until your director tells you to do so. Your director will let you know which airports you should use.

 

Not all students want to leave from/return to the same airport. Some students choose to travel before the program starts, or after the program ends, in order to visit other locations on their own. These individual changes are not possible with group reservations. In addition, group flights don't allow students to use frequent flyer points or family passes to pay for their tickets.

 

Your program director will give you the information that you need to get from the airport to the housing. Most international airports have either a train or metro system leading into the city. Taxis are always available, although this will not be the cheapest option. Most students end up on flights with at least one other student from the program and have often arranged these things together.

 

Payments and Withdrawing from the Program

  • Deposit: A $500 non-refundable deposit will be placed on your LSU billing statement at the time that you click the "Commit" button and is due at the time that the charge appears. Students at other universities must send in a check or money order (made payable to "Louisiana State University") for the $500 deposit, along with their applications.

  • Program Fee: The rest of the program fee (minus the $500 deposit) will be added to your billing statement after the application deadline.

    The Faculty Led Program Fee will be billed to your student account and must be paid according to the LSU payment terms and conditions listed on your "Payment Policies Acknowledgement: Cancellation and Withdrawal Policy".

  • Withdrawal: All students who withdraw from a program are responsible for any financial and academic impact of withdrawing from a program. The later you withdraw from the program, the more you will have to pay (because the more we will have already paid on your behalf). These payments will be added to your LSU billing statement at the time that APA receives your written withdrawal.

    To withdraw from a program, all students must complete the Faculty-Led Withdrawal Form found on the Academic Programs Abroad Portal APA Forms Page and submit it to Academic Programs Abroad at facultyled@lsu.edu. If your withdrawal is due to a medical or extenuating circumstance, please complete the Medical/Extenuating Circumstances Request for Faculty-Led Withdrawal Form from the Academic Programs Abroad Portal APA Forms Page and submit it to Academic Programs Abroad at facultyled@lsu.edu.

Withdrawal Calendar

Once Participation Confirmed and Prior to the Application Deadline: $500 Non-refundable Deposit
After Application Deadline: $500 Non-refundable Deposit + any non-recoverable costs
On or After Program Start Date: $500 deposit and $1,000 payment must be paid

 

Most of the programs have independent study courses set up. You may tailor those independent study courses, with permission from the faculty member offering the course. Apart from that exception, you can take only the courses offered on the program.

 

It varies from program to program, depending on what's included in the program fee. Directors will provide more details at spring orientation. The amount you need for souvenirs will vary from program to program and on your individual spending habits.

International Exchanges

LSU students interested in going on exchange

 

Come by 103 Hatcher Hall and speak with a peer advisor. They will help you figure out your best options and give you general information. Walk-in hours are 8:00-4:30 M-F.You can also begin researching schools online on our Programs page.

 

Not necessarily. There are several ISEP universities and Bilateral Partners that offer courses taught in English even in non-English speaking countries. Make sure you check the language requirements for specific universities.

Search for programs by language

 

No, all majors may participate in an exchange. You can search for a school abroad which has a program specific to your area of study. An exchange is a great opportunity to take courses not offered at LSU. General education requirements and electives usually transfer as well. Speak to your advisor from your college to discuss course limitations and credit transfers.

 

ISEP exchange: You pay LSU tuition and LSU room and board.

Note: Housing and meal costs may differ from that of LSU's. Depending on living expenses at your location, you may receive a stipend.

ISEP Direct: You pay the host university's tuition and room and board.

Bilateral: You pay LSU tuition. Room and board is paid to the host institution.

Note: Room and board abroad may be cheaper than at LSU. Also, some foreign governments offer financial assistance to students to help cover the costs of housing while abroad.


Compare Costs

 

In most cases, when you exchange through an LSU sponsored program, ISEP (With the exception of ISEP Direct) or a Bilateral Partner, you will be able to pay LSU tuition while using TOPS and most other financial aid and scholarships.

If you choose to study abroad with a non-LSU program, you will be subject to their fees, and you will not be able to pay LSU tuition. However, most scholarships will apply to these programs.

 

The application deadline is usually March 1 to study abroad in the fall semester or for a full year, and September 15 to study abroad in the spring semester.

 

Here at LSU, with the exception of Chancellor's Aid and Federal Work Study, most financial aid will apply to study abroad. To verify whether your financial aid will apply, please consult a counselor in LSU Student Financial Aid Office in Pleasant Hall.

 

There are several scholarships available to students studying abroad. You can find a list of scholarships on our Scholarships page. You may also come by the Academic Programs Abroad office in 103 Hatcher Hall to discuss scholarship opportunities with an APA Peer Advisor and/or an APA staff member.

 

Yes, as long as you take the necessary steps to ensure credit transfer. All courses you take abroad must be pre-approved prior to your departure to your host university. Check with your advisor from your college to make sure your anticipated course list will transfer. Be sure to bring the course descriptions (if available) when you meet with your advisor.
All students who have submitted an application to study abroad are required to attend the concurrent enrollment meeting to explain the process of course pre-approval, full-time status requirements, and credit transfer for exchanges. The process is straight forward as long as you follow all instructions given to you at the concurrent enrollment meeting.

 

It is a mandatory process that allows you to maintain your full-time student status at LSU while on exchange. To be considered an LSU student while abroad, and in order to use financial aid while abroad, you must be concurrently enrolled. A concurrent enrollment meeting is held every semester to explain the process of course pre-approval, financial aid, and full-time status requirements. Once you are accepted to a university abroad, you must attend a concurrent enrollment meeting before your departure.

 

Unfortunately, graduate LSU students cannot participate in semester/year-long exchanges through LSU. However, there are some LSU Summer Programs which offer grad-level credits.

 

You will need to consult with the Student Financial Aid Office to discuss the applicability of your scholarship to the program. In most cases, scholarships still apply. You must follow the steps for a non-LSU program to have the program approved for credit.

 

Our top priority is student fit. If we don't directly offer a program or exchange that fits your needs, we are happy to help you make it happen. We categorize all programs and exchanges not run through APA as non-LSU study abroad programs.

The process for getting a non-LSU program approved is straightforward. You will need to secure admissions and APA approval so that we can confirm that you will have help and resources while abroad. We also take care of transferring all of your credits and financial aid (if applicable).

International students interested in studying at LSU

 

MyLSU is a web portal for LSU students, faculty, and staff where campus services are consolidated into one dashboard. Once you have been accepted to LSU, you will receive an email with a MyLSU ID and log-in instructions. Your MyLSU account will be a very useful tool for you, and you should be familiar with what you are able to do from it, as you will most likely be using it on a day-to-day basis. From your MyLSU account you will be able to choose and schedule courses, view your degree audit, pay your fee bill, access Moodle, and access all of the campus services.

 

Moodle is an online course management system that your instructors and professors will use to post grades, important course information and syllabi, assignments, and quizzes. You can access Moodle from your MyLSU account. Like your MyLSU account, you will probably be using Moodle on a daily basis and should be familiar with how to use it. Once you have registered for courses, you should log into Moodle to see if your professors or instructors have posted a syllabus or important course information.

 

A few weeks after you apply for on-campus housing, you will receive an email from the office of Residential Life with instructions on the online room selection process, which begins in April for fall housing assignments.

 

The Residential Life staff works to ensure that there is a place for every student who wants to live on campus; their goal is to provide on-campus housing to everyone that applies. Students are encouraged to apply early, for housing selection is based on the housing date-of-application. On-campus housing is recommended, but it is not required and not guaranteed.

 

It is never too late to apply for housing. However, we encourage students to apply early. Students must be admitted to the University before they can apply for housing. Since assignments are made by a priority number based on the date we receive your housing application (housing date-of-application), early submission increases your chances of being able to select your choice of building or type of room. Even if on-campus housing fills up, Residential Life may be able to assign you to a room due to cancellations.

 

Possibly. Many classes have prerequisites, and you will not be able to enroll in them unless you have the requirements. Even if you do meet the requirements, since you are not an LSU student yet, the LSU online registration system may not be able to tell whether you meet the prerequisites for a course or not, and it may not let you register in a course with prerequisites. In this case, you should send an email to your host coordinator with the course name, number, and section that you would like to take, and the coordinator will assist you with further information.

 

Not necessarily. Not all courses listed in the General Catalog are offered every semester. Courses are usually offered from year to year but not always. For example, if you would like to have a good idea of the courses that will be offered in the fall of 2024, and the list of fall 2024 courses is not available yet, you should look at the list of courses offered in the fall of 2023.

 

To be considered a full-time student, you must enroll in a minimum of 12 LSU credits per semester if undergraduate and at least 9 LSU credits per semester if graduate. Most classes at LSU are three credits (hours/week, but not always), and most full-time undergraduate students enroll in 4-6 courses/semester. Be sure to check the catalog course listing for how many hours your courses will count for.

 

All International exchange bilateral students will be charged for LSU health insurance coverage upon arrival unless LSU receives proof of alternate insurance coverage that meets LSU requirements. In order to avoid an LSU insurance charge, your insurance carrier must complete and sign our J-1 Insurance Coverage Evaluation Form, and you must submit the form upon arrival, or before if possible. For specific questions about LSU’s health insurance requirements, you may contact Ms. Janice Goodloe (jgoodlo@lsu.edu) who works directly with health insurance compliance.

 

You will be required to be at LSU until the last day of final exams. Full-year exchange students will need to return to LSU before the beginning of classes for Spring semester.

Domestic Exchanges (NSE)

 

There is a list of basic NSE eligibility requirements on our eligibility page. The official NSE site also has a list of complete requirements. Here is the quick list:

  • Full-time student
  • Minimum GPA: 2.5 (some schools require higher)
  • Good academic standing (no academic holds or probation)
  • 24 LSU credits by the time of exchange (cannot go during freshman year)
  • No incomplete grades
  • No disciplinary or probationary status on or off-campus (academic, conduct, legal)
  • No outstanding financial obligations

 

NSE has two payment plans that determine the amount of tuition and fees you will pay while on exchange:

Host Pay (Plan A): "Pay Away"

Students on Plan A pay in-state tuition and fees at the host university. This option is very attractive for out-of-state LSU students and their families.

Home Pay (Plan B): "Pay Back Home"

Students on Plan B pay their regular tuition rate and fees to LSU, while studying at the host university. While on a Plan B exchange, you remain eligible for all forms of financial aid just as if you were still a student at LSU.

NOTE: Though every effort will be taken to ensure your preference, exchanges on a particular plan cannot be guaranteed. Certain schools only participate on Plan A or Plan B, though most accept both. Often, acceptance rates vary based on the payment plans.

 

Here is a breakdown of fees:

  • APA and NSE charge a combined application fee that totals $460.00
  • Tuition depends on your payment plan.
    • Important note: with both plans, most financial aid (including TOPS) transfers fully to help pay any associated costs. It is a great way to study out-of-state and still use your TOPS!
  • Housing, meals, travel to the host campus, and any incidentals are all the responsibility of the student.

 

It depends on the payment plan:


Host Pay (Plan A)

    • Pay tuition and fees to other school; must receive financial aid through host institution
    • Provided student is enrolled for 12 hours, student can use cash award and the tuition portion of their exemption awards; nonresident fee waivers cannot be used
    • Room and board exemptions cannot be used, as the student is not using on-campus housing at LSU
    • TOPS funds will credit during the first week of class
  • Financial Aid: In some cases when the host university tuition is less than LSU's tuition, your financial aid package and/or TOPS may cover more than the cost of tuition. If this happens, you can use this money to pay for housing, meals, etc.

 

Home Pay (Plan B)

  • Paying tuition and fees to LSU; receive financial aid through LSU
  • Students can use cash awards and scholarship exemptions provided they enroll for full-time hours
  • Room and board exemptions cannot be used, as the student is not using on-campus housing at LSU

 

Yes, though with some qualifications. The easiest way to exchange to a quarter school is to go for the entire year. Because LSU's semesters are 15 weeks long, LSU mandates that you must receive at least 15 weeks of instruction per LSU exchange period (this has to do with financial aid, course transfer, and full-time status). Since quarters are only 10 weeks long, you will have to exchange for at least two quarters. This is only feasible during LSU's spring semester as quarter schools offer winter and spring quarter during that time. Fall quarter only exchanges are not possible.

 

Yes! NSE makes it easy with the "linked students" option. As "linked students," two or more individuals are either all accepted or all rejected from various campuses. One of the best parts of the "linked students" option is that linked students don't have to be from the same home university. Do you have a friend from high school who went to a different university? Both of you could do an NSE exchange to a third campus and study together!

 

Yes! As part of the advising process, the NSE coordinator will talk about how courses will transfer back as LSU credits, including major and general education requirements. LSU students have taken some fantastic courses on exchange, like ice climbing in Alaska and volcanology in Hawaii and had them appear on their LSU transcript!

 

Each campus works a little differently. Some offer NSE students priority in registration. Others do not. The best way to see possible courses is to browse the member campus pages on NSE.org. Most campuses have a link in the bottom left corner to their course catalog. This is a great place to start.

You will schedule your LSU courses for your return in the same way as current LSU students. The only tricky part will be remembering the time zones between your host campus and LSU! APA even updates your status to include courses you take on exchange so that you have the correct priority status.

 

Since most types of financial aid and LSU require that students on exchange maintain full-time hours, exchanges to quarter schools are complicated. When considering exchanging to a quarter school, we recommend you exchange for the whole year or just the spring quarters to avoid losing financial aid, etc. Fall-only exchanges are extremely rare due to the academic calendar issues and LSU eligibility requirements.

 

NSE places the majority of students at the annual Priority Placement Conference in March. At this conference, NSE coordinators from around the country meet to place students for the entire upcoming school year. This means that students who want to study away during the 2025-2026 school year are placed in March 2025, etc. While it is possible to secure a placement outside of this conference (called a "post-conference placement" in NSE lingo), we highly recommend you aim for the conference as approximately 30% of schools and payment plans are no longer available after the conference. Completed applications are usually due at the end of February prior to the March conference. Check the LSU Abroad Portal program page for exact deadlines and dates.

If you cannot meet the priority placement schedule, don't fret! We place students throughout the year as "post conference placements." These placements are handled on a rolling, case-by-case basis depending on availability. Stop in to the APA front office to find out more about open schools.

 

The first step is to do some preliminary research about destinations and meet with APA's Peer Advisors in 103 Hatcher Hall. You will discuss basic eligibility and other requirements and make sure you understand the process. They will also make a one-on-one appointment for you to meet with the NSE coordinator. Prior to this one-on-one meeting, it is important to have a list of possible schools.

During the meeting with the NSE coordinator, you will discuss the application process in detail and go over statistics regarding your placement schools. The coordinator will answer all of your questions and help you along the path towards application and acceptance!

Parents

Summer & Intersession

 

Any program run by APA that’s less than one semester long. These can include: fall break, spring break, spring intersession, summer, and summer intersession. The majority of our short-term programs are offered in summer semester, and many of the dates you will see on this website are for summer semester. If your student is doing a short-term program that’s in intersession or fall/spring break, you’ll want to check the program’s page to see if application, withdrawal, and registration dates are different.

 

All summer and intersession programs are charged a program fee and tuition. The program fee is charged in two increments: a deposit that’s charged at the time the student applies and the rest of the program fee, which is added to the student’s summer (or intersession) fee bill. The tuition and fees for the courses will also be added to the fee bill.

For specifics on what is covered in the program fee, please check the program’s webpage and look for the “Dates and Cost” tab. Each program has a specific list of services covered by the program fee, although all the program fees cover housing, some meals, excursions, and ground transportation.

Costs not covered by the program fee include tuition, airfare, souvenirs, passports, and some meals.

 

The program fee you will see charged on your student’s summer (or intersession) fee bill is $500 less than the total cost of the program. You can find the cost of the total program fee on each program’s webpage.

 

LSU/APA does not buy group airfares because not all students want to leave from/return to the same airport. Some students chose to travel before the program starts, or after the program ends, in order to visit other locations on their own. These individual changes are not possible with group reservations. In addition, group flights don’t allow students to use frequent flyer points or family passes to pay for their tickets.

Program directors will give students detailed instructions on when/how to purchase airline tickets and will let students know when/where they should arrive. As soon as the program has enough students and the program director is sure the program will be financially viable, the students will be sent information on purchasing tickets. Students should not book non-refundable tickets until they have heard from their program director about purchasing airfare.

 

The program director will give the students the information that they need to get from the airport to the housing. Most international airports have either a train or metro system leading into the city. Taxis are always available, although this will not be the cheapest option. Most students end up on flights with at least one other student from the program and have often arranged these things together.

 

Our program directors take every possible precaution to ensure that their programs are as safe as possible. They look into several locations for housing to make sure they are in good neighborhoods that are close to transportation, grocery stores, etc. All of our program directors and instructors are required to complete risk management training annually. Each student is insured during the duration of the program by an LSU-affiliated insurance company.

In case of an emergency, please call International SOS; they will work to resolve any issues. They can be reached at www.internationalsos.com or 215-942-8478. For more information about International SOS, please see LSU Risk Management.

International Exchanges

See the "International Exchanges" tab under the "Students" tab.

Domestic Exchanges (NSE)

See the "Domestic Exchanges" tab under the "Students" tab.

Faculty

 

If you want to be a program director, please fill out a proposal. If you don't want to direct, but want to teach on one of our already established programs, contact the director of the program(s) you're interested in and let them know that you're interested. We're always looking for new faculty and new areas of study!

 

Program directors choose their own faculty. If you want to teach on an already established program, the best way to start the process is to get in touch with the director of that program.

If you're interested in starting a new program, talk to APA. All program proposals are reviewed by APA staff and an academic review committee.

 

The faculty teaching on each program are the most effective recruiters for that program. APA recruits for all of our study abroad programs, but students want to hear from the faculty with whom they will be traveling.

 

The most effective recruitment strategy is classroom presentations. Ask colleagues if you can have five minutes in their classes to talk about your study abroad program. Then, any time a student expresses interest, follow up! Keep a list of students who have expressed interest in the program and make sure you have weekly contact with that interest list. More recruiting ideas can also be found in our First-Time Directors' Companion.

 

Each program charges a program fee to students who participate. This is in addition to the tuition and fees that students pay for the courses. The program fee covers student costs and all faculty travel expenses. Faculty costs, including airfare, housing, per diems, and ground transportation, should be calculated into the program budget. See the First-Time Directors' Companion for a detailed description of program budgets.

 

Ultimately, program directors are responsible for making sure that all logistics are taken care of for their programs. However, APA maintains a list of third-party providers who can provide onsite support. From travel agents that only make hotel reservations to companies that specialize in all onsite logistics for study abroad, we have a broad range of service providers that can help you with any/all aspects of your program design. Contact APA to find out which providers work in the location(s) of your program.

 

Yes! We're always on the lookout for programs in new locations. The only restriction on location is travel to areas for which the U.S. State Department has issued a travel warning. More details on this travel restriction and details of the steps involved in seeking permission to take a group into an area for which there is a travel warning can be found in AS-18.