Policies and Procedures for Study Abroad - Center for International Education

Timing of Study Abroad

Students must be 18 years of age or older to participate in a study abroad program, regardless of parental consent. Students are not permitted to study abroad on a semester or year abroad program in their first year at Juniata. First year students are encouraged to consider participating in a short-term course abroad. Transfer students must consult with the Dean of International Education about their eligibility for study abroad and timing of enrollment on a program abroad.

Seniors who wish to study abroad during their final semester at Juniata must defer graduation. For example, students studying abroad during the spring of their senior year would graduate in August and would be considered walkers in the May ceremony. After consultation with their advisors, seniors wishing to study abroad during the final semester of their senior year must visit the Registrar’s office to change their degree date, review POE forms, and confirm that their general education requirements have or will be met.

Eligibility

To be eligible to apply to study abroad while at Juniata, students must meet the following requirements:

• good academic standing, with a GPA of at least 2.7 or the minimum GPA as determined for the program, whichever is higher (some programs have a minimum 3.0 GPA)
• clearance from Accounting Office
• Outstanding student accounts must be settled with the Accounting Office by the preceding Nov. 15 for spring study abroad, and by March 15 for fall.
• clearance from Dean of Students Office
  signed form stating that student has medical insurance valid overseas
  required forms froom the Center for International Educaiton
  additional eligibility criteria may apply; program determines additional eligibility requirements. 

In order to maintain eligibility for study abroad, students must:

• submit all application materials to the Center for International Education (CIE) by the deadlines
• attend all pre-departure orientation sessions
• complete all online pre-departure activities and read required materials in the Terra Dotta study abroad portal
• maintain the minimum required GPA (2.7 or, for some programs, 3.0) through the final semester before study abroad

Students who may be on a leave of absence the semester / year prior to study abroad for a semester or year program, will need to submit a petition to be reviewed by the Center for International Education, the Dean of Students and their academic advisors.  The review of the petition will determine whether a student will retain eligibility for study abroad in the semester immediately following a semester during which the student was on a leave of absence.  Each case will be reviewed individually and a recommendation may be made for the student to defer participation on a study abroad program to a future semester / year.  The petition should address a student’s readiness and academic plan for study abroad and why a deferment of study abroad to another semester may not be possible.    

Notices of concern and incident reports during the semester preceding study abroad will prompt review of your application and may affect your eligibility to study abroad.

Application Process and Deadlines

Except for Juniata direct exchange programs, students must submit 2 complete applications, one to Juniata, and one to the host institution or provider. While the CIE will facilitate the second application, students are ultimately responsible for ensuring that all application materials and documents are submitted to the host institution or provider. In all cases, students must receive approval both from Juniata and from the host institution or provider. Students are not guaranteed their first program choice, especially in programs designated as Limited Enrollment (LE). LE program assignments will be made by the Dean of International Education in consultation and in some cases, with the International Education Committee. Preference will be given to the suitability of a study abroad placement for a student’s academic and personal goals. For semester and year-long programs, students must submit and online application which requires recommendation forms and an essay in early December of the year prior. Summer study abroad program applications are due February 15. Other short-term programs have separately-determined application deadlines.

Academic Credit and Transcripts

Students will develop a course schedule in consultation with their academic advisors. Students may apply courses taken abroad to fulfill general education requirements. Course conversion for credits already evaluated can be viewed on the International Course Database. For new courses, please keep all course information to be evaluated by the CIE upon your return; the Dean will work with the department chairs to create a transmittal form. Students who wish to apply courses abroad to their POE must receive departmental permission before they leave campus. A student may only register for an independent study while abroad if a faculty member at the host institution agrees to oversee the project, or if the student registers for the course and completes the project during the semester following study abroad.

Students must follow all academic policies set forth by Juniata while abroad. The minimum number of credits a student should take abroad is 12 per semester and the maximum is 18 per semester. Anything above 18 credits per semester is considered an overload and may be subject to a course overload fee. 

After a student has completed a program abroad, an official transcript is sent to the Center for International Education.  Institutional calendars vary widely, so the end of the semester and the release of transcripts may not follow the Juniata academic calendar.  Please note there may be some delay in receiving a transcript abroad based on calendars and processes at institutions abroad.    

The Dean of International Education may consult with academic departments to determine the designations for transfer of courses from abroad in the cases when a course is not already in the International Course Database.
Save all syllabi and coursework from courses you took abroad.
A transmittal document will show all courses and grades - including failing grades - as they appear on the original transcript from the institution abroad.  Failing grades cannot be omitted from the transmittal document if they appear on the original transcript from abroad. 

The Center for International Education cannot intervene in the case when students may have a grievance about a grade received for a  course abroad.   

The original transcripts and the transmittal document prepared by the Dean of International Education are sent to the Registrar's Office for processing.  Before the transfer of courses is submitted to the Registrar's office, Juniata requires completion of an end of program survey/assessment.  The student will receive an email reminder and link to the survey. 

Students must stay enrolled full-time at Juniata during their time abroad at a Juniata-affiliated program in order to be eligible for transfer of credits abroad.  Students are not permitted to directly enroll in and transfer credits back from a university or program abroad that is an approved Juniata-affiliated program. 
 
 Internships

Internships abroad at Juniata are offered through enrollment in the EPA Internships in Europe and IFE Internships programs. Students are required to work through Juniata Career Services office for credit internships and non-credit, transcript notation internships. Discuss your plans with your academic advisors. Identify a faculty sponsor for your for-credit internship. This is usually your academic advisor, the internship coordinator for your POE department, or a faculty member with expertise in the area of your internship. Read more about Internships Abroad procedure abroad.

Petition of Exception

Unless otherwise noted, exceptions to any of the policies must be requested in writing and emailed to the Dean of International Education studyabroad@juniata.edu, with supporting letters from both student advisors. Petitions will be denied if you fail to provide two letters from two advisors. If you are applying after the deadline, would like to change your program from a semester to a yearlong program, or have a GPA that is lower than required, you will need to fill out a petition of exception. Petitions of Exception will not be considered after March 1 for fall/year programs and after October 15 for spring programs

Limited Enrollment Surcharge

Juniata encourages study abroad for all students. There are some program sites abroad which are designated as Limited Enrollment (LE). The LE designation indicates that a program has limited spaces for enrollment because of either increased institutional costs and/or competitive placement, i.e. higher requirements for placement.  The program sites to be designated as limited enrollment will be determined on a year-to year-basis by the Dean of International Education.  The number of placements available at each site will also be determined on a year-to year-basis by the Dean of International Education.   Not all applicants who apply may be offered placement at a study abroad site designated as limited enrollment.  LE programs usually have higher minimum GPA and other requirements such as additional application requirements in the case of internship placements.  The International Education Committee will review the applicants for limited enrollment placement separately from the non-LE sites in December each year.

A student may apply for two semesters (one academic year) at a limited enrollment site, but may be asked to pay a one-time surcharge for that placement that may range from $3,000 - $8,000. Some limited enrollment sites will not be available for a year long placement. A student may apply for two sites that are designated limited enrollment within an academic year, but if placed at both sites the student will be required to pay a surcharge of $5,000 - $10,000 as determined by the Dean of International Education and based on budgetary impact.  The student will be apprised in writing of the surcharge at the time of notification for placement on study abroad.

Non-Affiliated/Non-Juniata Programs

Students must stay enrolled full-time at Juniata during their time abroad at a Juniata-affiliated program in order to be eligible for transfer of credits abroad.  Students are not permitted to directly enroll in and transfer credits back from a university or program abroad that is an approved Juniata-affiliated program. 

Students who wish to study abroad on a non-affiliated program must complete and submit a Leave of Absence notification to the Dean of Students. The student is responsible for getting pre-approval for courses taken abroad in a non-affiliated program. The Study Abroad Leave of Absence Form assists with this process. 

Students are responsible for submitting the Leave Of Absence Form to the CIE and the Registrar's office before departure, and for obtaining their transcripts from the program. The Study Abroad Leave of Absence form must be submitted to the Registrar's Office no later than NOVEMBER 1 for spring study abroad and APRIL 1 for fall or academic year study abroad. 
 
On their applications to non-Juniata programs, students must choose the "US School of Record" option for their transcripts. 

Fifteen credits is the maximum number that can be transferred in from a non-Juniata program with only 8 allowed for the POE and only credits with a C- or above are accepted for transfer. 

No institutional financial aid will apply during the Leave of Absence period. (The institutional aid may be reinstituted when the student re-enrolls at Juniata.)

Senior year spring term is not recommended and must be petitioned to Student Academic Development (SAD)

Costs and Financial Aid

Each Juniata student may include study abroad at a Juniata-affiliated site as part of the academic plan for up to one year (two semesters). Students who wish to study abroad while enrolled at Juniata will pay Juniata tuition for the semester or year in which they are enrolled.
Students who wish to study abroad more than two semesters must confer with the Dean of International Education. 

When you are accepted for placement you will be assessed a $30 acceptance fee. If you do not accept your placement or decide at a later time to not participate on study abroad, the fee will still be assessed. The fee will appear on your billing statement in January after the decision date. 

Scholarships

Students are encouraged to apply for internal Juniata scholarships. Information found here.

• Eagles Abroad Scholars may not receive the Thomas R. Kepple, Jr. International Opportunities Endowment Scholarship for the summer study abroad period.
• St. Andrews Scholarship recipients may not receive a Kepple Scholarship for the academic year study abroad period covered by the St. Andrews Scholarship.
• The Kepple Scholarship will not be awarded for post-graduate study.
• A student may receive multiple Kepple grants but the total of all grants will not exceed $1,500.
• Students who apply for the Gilman Scholarship are eligible to receive at least $500 if they apply to the Thomas R. Kepple, Jr. International Opportunities Endowment Scholarship.  Students ARE NOT required to submit the essay as part of the application for the Kepple if they have submitted an application to the Gilman.

Insurance Requirement

All students on a Juniata College approved study abroad program will be automatically enrolled in a Cultural Insurance Services International (CISI) insurance plan. This is a plan specific to Juniata students and covers a variety of issues such as medical treatment, emergency evacuation, travel delay, and more. Full details of the plan can be found above. The cost of the plan is $39.00 per month and will be automatically billed to the student as part of the fees for students abroad.

Some programs that are through a third party provider will provide insurance coverage for you.

Some locations, such as Australia, New Zealand, and the Czech Republic will require you to participate in their local insurance. You cannot refuse to enroll in the local  insurance policies. In addition to their policy, you will also be enrolled in a full policy with CISI at $39.00/month.

Germany requires you to carry an insurance policy with a higher amount of coverage ($250,000). You will be enrolled in a CISI policy at $53.00 a month.

All participants on short term programs are required to carry CISI coverage. This will not be waived. The cost of the policy is included in the short term course bill that is placed on your bursar account.

Withdrawals

If, for any reason, a student chooses to withdraw from a program, a statement in writing (an email from that student's account is permissible) must be submitted to the international office. A withdrawal is not considered final until the student receives written confirmation from the CIE.

Refunds

If a student withdraws from a study abroad program prior to the completion of a semester or year, refunds for tuition, room and board, etc. will be based on the Juniata calendar, rather than the calendar of the host institution. Any direct costs to Juniata will be deducted from the refund.
 
Should circumstances force a fully-paid student to withdraw from a study abroad program prior to departure from the United States, a full refund, except for the application fee, the confirmation fee, and any non-refundable housing costs incurred, will be made.
 
Whenever a student wants to withdraw from a program for any reason, he/she is strongly urged to confer as soon as possible with the Center for International Education to discuss any financial ramifications of the decision.

The link for Juniata’s regular refund policy is found here under Refund Policy:  https://www.juniata.edu/catalog/finances.php