You are fortunate to be a University of Minnesota student because of the University's flexible policies for study abroad. You may participate on any program that is not listed in the Learning Abroad Center's catalog as long as you will receive an official transcript from an accredited tertiary level degree granting institution. We call these "Outside Programs", and directly enrolling in universities abroad is included in this category.

It is imperative you review the Choosing an Outside Program page prior to committing to an Outside Program.

Learning Abroad Center staff provide the following services for students on Outside Programs:

• FOST (foreign studies) registration to maintain student status while abroad and a transcript memo that states you were abroad and where you went
• Access to study abroad scholarships at the Learning Abroad Center
• Guidance with applying for transfer credit (you can only receive transfer credit)

You do not need to follow the Outside Program process in every situation. Please read through the Process for Not Using the Learning Abroad Center section of this site to learn if you need to use our services.

If you would like to study abroad in a country that has a US State Department travel warning, please read through Travel Warnings and Outside Programs for details on the required petition process.

Many universities do not allow their students the flexibility of Outside Programs because there are extra considerations involved with this method of study abroad. Read through the Disadvantages to Outside Programs to verify that you understand the process.

Guidelines for Outside Programs
You may find application instructions for the Outside Program process on the Apply Now page.

Please note: CISI international health insurance is mandatory for all study abroad participants as stipulated by the University of Minnesota's legal counsel. To see details of the coverage, visit the international health insurance web page. To read the University of Minnesota policy, go to the University of Minnesota policy web page.

Review the "Know Before You Go" Guide. It contains valuable information for all students.

You are required to pay an administrative fee of $100 for the services provided for Outside Programs. If you prefer not to use the Outside Programs process please see the Process for Not Using the Learning Abroad Center page.

Last modified on February 18, 2009