Student FAQs

General Information 

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Faculty-led programs

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  • The Academic Advising Form for the Faculty-Led Programs is located in your education abroad application as well as available for download on the faculty-led application process webpage. Please download the form and fill in all information before sending it to your advisor. Once the advisor signs the form, you can scan or take a picture and upload it to your application. 

    Academic Advising Form for faculty-led program

  • Once your application is submitted, it goes through several steps at the EA office. The EA office will verify with the Dean of Students that you do not have anything preventing you to go, that you have uploaded a completed Advising Form, and we will confirm you have completed all information before we send your applicaton for your faculty member to approve. It can take up to two weeks for this process before it is sent for APD appoval. 

    Some APDs wait until their program is full before they approve any students. If your application have been in Apllication Submitted for over two weeks, please feel free to contact the EA office or the APD for your program. 

Affiliated programs

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  • Make sure you meet with the Education Abroad staff member. Once you have completed both applications, through the Education Abroad office and your Affiliated provider, you will receive instructions on what courses you will register for while you are abroad. 

  • Yes, you will need to complete two applications, one with Education Abroad office and one with your Affiliated provider.

  • Applications for most programs are due the semester before the program begins. Since program space is limited, we strongly recommend that students start planning at least one year prior to their semester(s) abroad. There are two applications Texas State students must complete in order to participate in an Affiliated program: 

    1. Texas State Affiliated program application
    2. Provider's application 

    The Texas State Affiliated program application dates/deadlines are as follow: 

    Fall, Academic Year (AY), and Winter Applications: 
    Open: October 15
    Close: June 1st

    Spring, and January Term (Jan term) Applications: 
    Open: March 15 
    Close: October 1st

    Summer Applications: 
    Open: November 15
    Close: April 1st

    For specific deadlines regarding the Affiliated provider's application, please contact the program provider.

  • Make sure you have completed the Education Abroad Affiliated program application. Once you have been "committed" into your program, Education Abroad will contact you regarding course registration and mandatory forms. 

  • Students are required to complete three forms while they are studying abroad to be in compliance with financial aid and education abroad regulations. Please visit our while abroad webpage for more information. 

  • You pay everything directly with your affiliated provider. If using financial aid, the money will be disbursed to you 10 days prior the departure date. 

International Exchange programs

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  • Most long-term study abroad programs require a student visa. It is important to contact the embassy or general consulate of students' country of destination to inquire about specific visa requirements as early as possible. Visas may take months to be issued and it is recommended to apply for it as soon as students receive the official acceptance letter from the host institution. Once students are accepted by the host university, the host university will provide a guidance on how to obtain a student visa to their country. More information about student visas can be found on our once approved webpage. 

  • The application for fall semester will be open in November and for spring semester in March; therefore, students should start their Texas State Exchange Program Application a year prior to their selected semester abroad.

    Fall or Academic Year Applications
    Opens: October 15
    Closes: February 15

    Spring Applications
    Opens: March 15
    Closes: October 1

  • Students need to complete only one application and at the general section of the Texas State Exchange Program Application, list other two university choices. If later students decide to apply for another university, the Exchange Program Coordinator will switch the applications to reflect these changes.

  • Specific course information can usually be found on each university’s website. Please check the individual exchange program pages for the most up-to-date information under Exchange Destinations.

  • The language of instruction varies depending on the exchange program. In some universities, courses are taught in English and foreign language skills are not particularly required. However, where the language of instruction is not English, fluency in the language of the host country will be required. Each university brochure on our website has a link to courses taught only in English.

  • On behalf of the students, the Texas State Exchange Program Coordinator will contact the host institution to clarify any specific details regarding the exchange, courses, transfer credits, etc. Once the students are accepted by the host institution, they are encouraged to have a direct communication with the coordinator at the host institution.

  • The Exchange Program Coordinator will be reviewing all applications within two weeks after the application’s deadline. The Texas State Exchange Application is considered approved once the application status is changed from “pending” to “committed”.  During the next two weeks our partner universities will receive students’ nomination and once nominations are accepted (it usually takes between 3-5 days), students will receive further instructions from the host institution on how to complete their application process.

  • Once the nomination has been accepted by our partner university, students will receive an email or link from our partner university to complete their application and submit all required documents by the specified deadlines. It usually takes between 1-3 months for our partner university to issue the official acceptance letter. Students will receive the official acceptance letter via email and/or by post.

  • Students are required to complete three forms while they are studying abroad to be in compliance with financial aid and education abroad regulations. Please visit our while abroad webpage for more information. 

  • The tuition and insurance fees will be sent to students’ bill. The deadline to pay these fees is according to Texas State payment deadlines. Students can use three payment options to pay the balance due – Payment Options.

    The housing and boarding (in most cases) will be paid directly to our partner universities. These balances might be pay before or after students’ arrival to the host university. Students need to follow instructions provided by our partner university.

  • At Texas State, students will register for International Student Exchange Program (ISEP) courses (place holders) via Catsweb, following the instructions provided by the Education Abroad Office.

    At the host university, students will register for selected courses, in most cases, after arrival. The host university will provide a guidance and assistance during on-site orientation.

  • Students will receive instructions regarding housing arrangements after their nominations are accepted by the host university. Types of accommodation will vary from one location to another, whether it be a university dormitory, apartment, hotel, camp, or with a private family. 

Transferring credits

Students participating in International Exchange or Affiliated programs will transfer credits.

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  • For International Exchange and Affiliated programs, students need to complete a Transfer Credit Agreement Form (TCA) to determine if the courses will satisfy their degree requirements. 

    This form is used to evaluate the classes students plan to take while on their Education Abroad program. We highly recommend submitting this form before students make their final decisions regarding the program they will attend. 

    If students want to add later additional courses to the previously evluated TCA form, they will have to submit a new TCA form to their Education Abroad advisor. Students can submit a TCA form once they are abroad as well. 

  • TCA is the Transfer Credit Agreement form used to evaluate the classes you plan to take while on your Education Abroad program. 

    When completing the TCA: 

    • you will make the best course selection for your international program after talking to your advisor about your academic goals and degree plan. 
    • you will understand how the classes you plan to take and credits you earn will apply towards your major, minor or general university requirements. 
    • You will have a documented, and approved academic plan for your Education Abroad program. 
    • If you do not complete this process, you may not receive academic credits for courses completed and may not be eligible for financial aid. 

  • Undergraduate steps for transferring Education Abroad credits: 

    • Locate the Undergraduate TCA in your program application. 
    • Complete TCA form and course descriptions, and email them to the Education Abroad office or Education Abroad staff member directly. 
    • It is strongly advised to select more courses than what your really intend to take in case of course cancellations or schedule conflicts. Be sure to attach all course descriptions or syllabi (in English), which you can find in university catalogs, program websites, etc. 
    • Obtain as much information as possible about each of the courses you plan to take. It is your responsibility to obtain course descriptions from your prospective institution or affiliated provider. 

  • The Transfer Credit Agreement for is used to evaluate the classes students plan to take while on their Education Abroad program. 

    International Exchange students: we highly recommend submitting this form before they make their final decisions regarding the host university for their exchange program. Students can submit the TCA forms for up to three universities to determine which partner university is the best fit for students based on their course approvals. 

    Affiliated students: submit the form before completing their affiliated program application.

    If students want to add later additional courses to the previoulsy evaluated TCA form, they will have to submit a new TCA form to the Exchange or Affiliated Program Coordinator. Students can submit a TCA form once they are abroad as well. 

  • For International Exchange and Affiliated programs, transcripts are usually issued by the grading system of the country where the institution is located. Texas State Admissions Office will convert grades to the American grading scale (A, B, C..), and those are the grades that will be posted on the student's Texas State transcript. The Admissions Office uses Wes table of conversion depending on the country of origin.

  • All grades, which are listed at the official transcript from your program abroad, will be transferred back to the students' degree plan. Grades will be entered as “transfer credits”. Students can replace this grade only if they take the same class at another university and will have a “transfer credit” for this class. 

  • Contact the Academic Advisor who evaluated your TCA. Their information can be found on your evaluated TCA.