Procedures for students accepted to study abroad
Procedures for Accepted Students
If your notification of acceptance is mailed directly to you from the host institution or program, be sure to forward a copy to mhancock@roanoke.edu to keep the Coordinator of Global Engagement in the loop!
Do not delete that acceptance email - you may need a print-out to apply for your visa or upon arrival at the overseas airport. If your notification comes to Roanoke College, we will provide you with a copy for your use.
Complete and return any forms your program or host university may require regarding your course choices, housing, etc.
Check your program information to see if you need will need a student visa. Apply for your visa early, but no sooner than 3 months prior to departure.
Attend the mandatory pre-departure orientation program (these happen at the end of the semester before you travel abroad).
We strongly encourage you to prepare a budget, including air fare, personal expenses, independent travel, and an emergency fund. Determine how you will meet these expenses.
Ask your bank about the fees that will be charged for accessing funds at ATMs overseas. The fees vary substantially from bank to bank and it may be worth your while to open an account at a more globalized bank for the duration of your study abroad. Before departing the U.S., notify your bank that you will be abroad for an extended period so they do not put a hold on your account when they see overseas charges.
Check with your health insurance provider to ascertain what coverage, if any, you have outside the U.S. Note that many countries require documentation of health insurance as part of the visa application process. Purchase any necessary supplements or riders or purchase special study abroad health insurance for the period you will be overseas.
Register your intended dates of travel with the U.S. Department of State. You will also find country information, travel alerts, and other useful information for U.S. citizens living or traveling overseas on the "International Travel" page on the website www.travel.state.gov. Note that Roanoke College policy prohibits students from studying for RC credit or with the benefit of RC financial aid in countries under Department of State travel warnings. We also strongly discourage students from traveling independently to countries under travel warnings during their study abroad period.
Once on site at the host program/university, contact our office to indicate you have arrived safely. If you have to change your course registration due to unexpected circumstances (a very common occurrence), your advisor and the registrar can help you obtain new course approvals. Questions or concerns about your housing, meals, or other on-site issues are best directed to the staff at your program or host institution. Keep our office in the loop about these issues, but be mindful that our assistance is from a great remove!
Most programs will routinely send a transcript of your academic work abroad to Roanoke College at the end of your study abroad period, but it is important to check to be sure this will be done. You cannot receive any credit for your work abroad until the Registrar's office has received an official transcript. If you need to request the transcript, have it sent to mhancock@roanoke.edu.