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| hope college > academic departments > international ed |
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Frequently Asked QuestionsChoosing a Program
Applications
Pre-Departure
Classes, Credits and Registration
Billing and Financial Aid
Choosing a ProgramWhether you’ve decided you’re definitely going off-campus or are still thinking about it, it’s best to come into the International Education Office to explore your options. There are over 200 off-campus options for Hope students in over 60 countries on 6 continents. You can review program brochures, videos, books and other resources to help you narrow down your search. You can also check out the International Programs page or the Domestic Programs page for a full list of Hope’s official off-campus opportunities. To help you focus your search, look for programs that specialize in your major. If you are a language student, consider lesser-known areas for a more unique study abroad experience. As always, when making academic decisions, be sure to discuss your options with your advisor.
No. Some programs in non-English-speaking countries offer courses in English. These programs offer at least an introduction to the region’s language; most offer a semester-long language course that can count toward the language component of Hope’s general education requirement. Of course, there are study options in English-speaking places like England, Scotland, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand.
Yes. Your Hope College student status is maintained as long as you are enrolled in an official Hope program. You keep your Hope College email account and access to KnowHope and VanWylen Library.
ApplicationsStudying off-campus requires two applications. Preliminary applications to participate in off-campus study are available in the International Education Office. The fall semester and the full academic year are on one application. The spring semester application is separate and requires an academic reason approved by your advisor to study off-campus in the spring. When your complete preliminary application (including essays, unofficial transcript and two recommendations) is received by the International Education Office, our staff will circulate the application to the Off-Campus Programs Committee made up of four faculty members for their approval. If you are approved for off-campus study, you will be notified of your approval. After your approval, you must complete a program application which can be picked up in the International Education Office or downloaded from your program’s website. Complete the application and submit ALL required parts to the International Education Office and we will forward it to your program. Your program will notify you directly of your acceptance. For more information about applications and deadlines, click here. Fall Semester / Academic Year: Spring Semester:
You must complete a program application. Each program has a different application and required parts. Pick up an application in the International Education Office or download it from your program’s website. Once you have all parts of the application (including essays, an official transcript, recommendations, application fee, etc.), bring it back to the International Education Office. BE SURE TO BRING ALL PARTS OF YOUR COMPLETED APPLICATION TO THE INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION OFFICE. Your recommendations and official transcript may be sent directly to us. But please do not have any part of your application sent directly to your program. We will complete the study abroad advisor section and forward your complete application to your program.
You must be responsible for your own education. It is critically important that you read every last detail of the material your program sends you and respond when asked. Failure to do so may mean that you will miss important deadlines concerning deposits, courses, housing, visas, etc.
Pre-DepartureYes. There is a mandatory on-campus orientation during the semester before your off-campus study. You will receive more information about date, time and location after your program application has been processed. You must attend this Saturday morning orientation or you risk your off-campus approval being revoked. Your program will also provide you with an on-site orientation once you arrive. You will receive more detailed information from your program about its orientation once you have been accepted.
Your program can advise you about visa requirements. It is imperative that you read all the material your program sends you. If you have questions about visa requirements, contact your program.
The Health Clinic can fill out your physical form. Complete the Study Abroad Physicals form and submit it to the Hope Health Clinic. But be aware that your HopeHealth insurance will not cover the cost of the physical; payment is expected up front. Cindy Sabo at the Health Clinic (x7585) is available to answer any questions or to recommend a travel medicine specialist who can advise you about immunizations and precautionary measures that may be required for certain African, Asian and South American countries.
Classes, Credits and RegistrationAs you are considered a Hope College student while off-campus, you need to register your off-campus program with the Registrar’s Office. You will need a registration form signed by your advisor with the program listed as the only class. Come to the International Education Office to get your program’s code and then take your registration form to the Registrar’s Office. You cannot register for your off-campus program online.
Your program will let you know if you need to register for classes before departing or if registration is done while on location. Many programs with language requirements require a placement test, taken on-site, before students register for courses. Be sure to look at the program’s website or brochure to see what kinds of courses are offered so you can discuss your options with your advisor before leaving.
You will register for your classes online, just like if you were on campus. You will be assigned a specific registration time. However, you do not need a PIN from your advisor. Maura Reynolds, Director of Academic Advising, will contact you as registration time gets closer. If you are unable to get to a computer at your assigned registration time, Maura will register for you. She can also assist you in getting permission for restricted courses and will register you for those courses as you cannot do it online. You can email her at mreynolds@hope.edu if you have more questions.
The credits you earn off-campus will transfer as Hope College credits and will appear on your transcript. You need to decide how you want your credits applied (i.e. as a general education requirement, major/minor credit or an elective). You must complete a credit transfer form that can be picked up in the Registrar’s Office. That form must be signed by the head of the department from which you would like to receive credit. If you want to receive major/minor credit, be sure to talk to the appropriate advisor to find equivalent courses. For general education courses, talk to the Registrar, Jon Huisken.
Very few universities outside the United States have grading procedures like American universities. Your program will send an official transcript to the Registrar’s Office. The grades you earn while off-campus are converted into letter grades according to your program’s recommended scale. Those grades will appear on your transcript and are then figured into your overall GPA.
Billing and Financial AidOnce you have registered for your off-campus program, as part of the college’s regular registration process conducted by the Registrar each fall and spring for the coming semester, you will receive a bill from Hope College Business Services. (See Why do I still need to register for my semester off-campus? for more information about registration.) If you and/or your family typically participate in the Budget Payment Plan and you have sent Business Services the enrollment form (an annual requirement), you will be billed on a monthly basis.
Your tuition charges will reflect Hope College tuition rates for a full-time student, unless the program’s tuition is greater than Hope’s, in which case the program’s tuition will be charged. Your room and board charges will come directly from your program so they will not appear on your Hope College invoice. You may be asking why the charges are assessed this way. First, the entire time you are studying off-campus, you are earning Hope College credit. Your Hope College transcript will note the name of the program in which you were enrolled, list the courses you took and the grades you earned. Second, Hope College allows students to take their financial aid package with them on off-campus programs to the point of exporting your tuition dollars directly to other programs and colleges. Hope’s financial aid packages are based on Hope College fees charged for attending Hope. Therefore to avoid recalculating and then readjusting each off-campus student’s financial aid package based on each program’s different cost, the College uses its published charges. Further, the practice of charging a college’s own tuition, room and/or board costs for off-campus programs is common among colleges similar to Hope.
The college will send you a bill for your semester off-campus just as it does all other college bills: early July for the fall semester and early December for the spring semester. If you are planning to study off-campus during the fall semester, you are still required to pay the $200 fall registration deposit. It will appear on your billing statement as a credit and be applied to your tuition charges for off-campus study. Remember you are a Hope College student while you are studying off-campus and so you must pay this returning student deposit. Some additional items to note:
Once you have been admitted to your program, you will receive a letter of confirmation from the program sponsor, along with an acceptance package of material particular to your program. To confirm your place in the program, you will be requested to send a non-refundable deposit directly to the program. This is your responsibility. You will normally have a period of 2-3 weeks in which to send this deposit. That deposit money will then be credited toward other program charges.
For more information about how your financial aid might be impacted, visit http://www.hope.edu/admin/finaid/offcampus.html. If you continue to have questions, contact the Office of Financial Aid.
The Office of Financial Aid will review your aid package to determine if it will be necessary to adjust other aid in your package. If this is necessary, they will make every effort to first reduce your least desirable forms of aid (loans and employment). If you are selected to receive such a scholarship, please contact the International Education Office and we will supply the Office of Financial Aid with documentation regarding the additional expenses related to your off-campus study. In doing so, it may be possible for you to retain your full aid package (along with your off-campus program scholarship). However, this is a decision made by the Office of Financial Aid and is contingent on the regulations and policies governing the aid you are receiving.
Please inform your parents of how deposits and billing work for you program and be sure they know the amount of money to expect on a bill. If they have questions, they are welcome to contact the International Education Office or Business Services.
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