FAQs for Colleges & Advisors

The Office of International Education would like to provide the following FAQs to assist with incoming questions and concerns that you may receive from your students/advisees as it pertains to study abroad programs.

For general student FAQs on study abroad, visit our Frequently Asked Questions for study abroad and encourage your students to check out the How-To study abroad tutorials.

APPLICATION & STUDENT NEXT STEPS

My advisee is interested in taking the next step into the study abroad process. Where can the student find more information?

Have your student explore the following links below:

Students can also set up an appointment with an education abroad staff by visiting our Study Abroad Staff Directory website. We encourage students to get in touch with our office as soon as they are interested in study abroad.

Can students apply to more than one program? Do students get to choose from programs they are applied and accepted to?

MUGlobal Portal, our online application system, allows students to apply for up to three study abroad programs in the same term. During the application phase, students are required to rank their applications in preferential order.

Our office will only consider the student's alternative applications (i.e. second and/or third) if they do not meet eligibility requirements of their first choice or the student is not accepted. Only one acceptance/approval is provided to the student.

Can a student whose program is cancelled able to apply/switch to a different study abroad program in the same term?

This is reviewed on a case-by-case basis. If a student is still interested in pursuing a study abroad experience, they should contact our office as soon as possible. We can contact our partner and see if space is still available. Students should note that there is no guaranteed admission into a program after original application deadlines. Eligibility and visa entry requirements still apply (varies across our partner programs) and the student will have to submit the required materials in a timely manner to be considered for study abroad. 

The same is applicable to students who submitted multiple applications by our application deadline. OIE allows students to submit up to three study abroad applications per term. If the first choice study abroad program is cancelled and the student is still interested in pursuing study abroad, OIE will review the student’s other application for availability of space and program viability at time of notice. 

I have a student who missed the application deadline for next term and really interested in study abroad. Is there any flexibility in your application deadline?

Application deadlines are meant to serve as a point within the study abroad process that best sets the student up for success and for administrative processes within our office and/or partners overseas to begin. Late applications are discouraged, but may be possible for a limited period of time past our application deadline.

Late applications may impact our internal deadlines and/or our international partners' processing timelines, therefore approval/acceptance by our office and/or host institution/provider is not guaranteed.

 

FINANCES & SCHOLARSHIPS

What is the withdrawal and refund policy?

Refer to the Withdrawal & Refund Policy tab on our Financial Aid webpage for more information.

If payment(s) have been sent, will they be refunded (if so when?) or held for a future study abroad trip?

Review 'What is the withdrawal and refund policy?' section.

If the student had to pay a tuition deposit to MU Central to secure their place for the study abroad program, and if the program is cancelled by Marquette University or the partner, students will receive 100% of their tuition deposit back, unless they indicate that they want it applied to a future term.  If students have direct deposit set up with MU Central, students can anticipate receiving the refund in this manner within the next two weeks.  If students do not have direct deposit set up with MU Central, students will receive a paper check to the home address (as stated in MU Central). Checks that are being mailed will be received in approximately 2-4 weeks.

Any other expenses paid directly by the student to either the host institution or third party provider (i.e. for housing abroad) does not fall under OIE’s refund policy and/or administrative tasks.  Students are encouraged to thoroughly review withdrawal/refund/cancellation policies and/or reach out to the partner or responsible party to inquire on these policies.  OIE will make every effort to assist students where possible.

Can student(s) submit study abroad program deposit electronically through MU Central’s online payment system?

Yes, starting J Session 2024-2025 students can now pay the MU study abroad program deposit using the online payment system.

To pay a deposit, click on the "Pay Now" button found within the Deposit section. You can pay via debit card, credit card, or echeck.  Please note that paying via credit card will incur a 2.5% service fee.

It may take a few moments for this deposit material within your MUGlobal Portal to be marked as "complete" once the online transaction is complete.

Do students pay double tuition for study abroad? What about students with tuition remission benefits?

Students participating on an international experience do not pay double tuition. Each program is set up differently, but for most Marquette partner programs offered during a semester term (fall & spring), students pay Marquette tuition during the term abroad. Note that tuition for study abroad does not include non-tuition related expenses (e.g., housing, meals, airline tickets, visa, passport, etc.). These may be individual, separate expenses to be paid by the student. Each program available to Marquette students will have a budget sheet to assist students in planning and budgeting for a specific program. Short-term experiences (summer, J session, and spring break) will vary in costs so students should refer to the specific program's budget sheet under the Finances tab on MUGlobal Portal for more details. 

Students who receive employee dependent tuition, FACHEX, or TEP may be able to apply this toward a study abroad experience which is a full-term, semester-long program and is held in either the traditional fall or spring semester. Employee dependent tuition,FACHEX, and TEP awards may be applicable for summer and short-term programs. Further details are available in the Education Abroad bulletin.

Are there additional funding opportunities for study abroad students?

Yes, there are Marquette scholarships and awards in addition to external study abroad funding opportunities. See below for a list of MU aid for study abroad applicants (for full details visit our Scholarships website) -

Do student’s MU, state/federal aid apply/travel with them during a term abroad?

Aid eligibility depends on the type of program (e.g. partner, non-Marquette, sponsored or externally approved) and term the student is pursuing a study abroad experience. Generally on semester study abroad experiences, aid is transferrable excluding non-Marquette and external program providers (e.g. CIEE, SIT, DIS, CRCC, Arcadia, and Amideast). Generally for short term experiences (especially for majority of summer options) MU aid may not apply, only federal or state aid.

Students can review aid eligibility for a specific program by visiting the individual program's brochure program on MUGlobal Portal via the Information Sheet, see example below - 

As each student's aid and financial situation is different, the Office of International Education strongly encourages students to confirm aid eligibility by confirming directly with the Office of Student Financial Aid in MU Central, Zilber Hall.

 

GRADES & CREDIT TRANSFER

What can I do to assist my advisee in the study abroad process?

Students are advised by our office to get in touch with their college academic advisor(s) to inform you of their interest in pursuing a study abroad experience. We hope that with that initial conversation with you, students will obtain an understanding of their remaining degree requirements, coursework restrictions (if any), flexibility in courses, etc. that will assist in identifying a program best aligned with the student's goals and academic needs.

If you are advising a student wishing to pursue study abroad in their last year at Marquette, clarification on residency requirements is essential. Review the Marquette graduation policy on the bulletin.

I do not see my advisee's study abroad credits on the Marquette transcript and it has been a considerable amount of time following their study abroad experience. Who should I connect with?

It is important to note that the receipt of study abroad transcripts can take up to three months following the student's return to Marquette. Once received at our office, it can take another two weeks for us to process and have it sent to the Office of The Registrar for posting. If it has been longer than this timeframe and/or your advisee has received notice that their study abroad transcript was received at our office, feel free to connect with the appropriate Education Abroad staff member.

Study abroad courses will not be listed individually on your advisee's transcript. Instead what will appear is the name of the host institution/program and the number of credits earned from their study abroad experience, see example below -

How does my advisee get study abroad courses approved to transfer back to Marquette?

There are designated individuals within each Marquette college that assists with study abroad course approvals. Students should work with their college academic advisor(s) and the designated college contact for study abroad course approvals to determine Marquette equivalencies for study abroad. Review contacts and the full course approval process for study abroad on our Course Approval and Credit Transfer Process website.

Students are advised to do the following - 

  1. Download the .pdf fillable course approval form (CAF) from the Course Approval and Credit Transfer Process website.
  2. Fill out the top section (i.e. name, study abroad program, graduation term, etc.) and the first, two columns of the chart on the CAF.
    • List all courses of interest on the study abroad program to account for scheduling conflicts, eligibility, capacity, etc.
    • Third column is optional. Recommended if the student is seeking a specific MU course equivalent.
  3. Email the completed CAF form to the appropriate college contact listed on the website and form along with the course syllabi or details.

Once the college contact is able to obtain all the appropriate signatures (i.e. in the grey-shaded columns of the chart in the CAF), a completed copy should be provided to the student and our office. This process is generally recommended to be completed prior to application deadline or following acceptance into the study abroad program. The study abroad course approval form is generally due two weeks prior to student's departure for the study abroad experience.

We recommend students and academic advisors to reference the Evaluated Course Equivalencies table available for each program through MUGlobal Portal via the Academics tab. This is not a comprehensive list of courses available through the host institution and should not be used for course enrollment purposes, see screenshot below - 

 

HEALTH & SAFETY TRAVEL RESOURCES

Are study abroad programs still being offered?

Yes, programs are still being offered. If any program cancellations occur, we will be in touch with active student applicants to notify them.

Note that Marquette’s travel and vaccination policies apply to study abroad students. Failure to comply may result in ineligibility and/or limited mobility abroad.

Can a student delay participation in a study abroad program in the upcoming year to the next available term?

OIE is here to assist students as best as possible with the decision that they make. Students can withdraw their application in the system at any time prior to decision notification (please refer to the program's brochure page for decision date). Once decision notifications are sent, students who wish to decline/withdraw their study abroad place can do so by notifying their education abroad contact via email or studyabroad@marquette.edu. OIE may be able to rollover the student's application to a future term. If a student pursues this option, they may be required to go through the application review process again, as each term is individually reviewed by our office and international partners.

If a student has been accepted to a program which had a tuition deposit, they can choose to have their tuition deposit rolled to the following term, or we can refund the tuition deposit and they will have to pay it again before the application deadline of the new term to which they are applying. Any other fees paid or owed to Marquette, at time of notification by the student, may or may not be refunded based on expenses OIE is able to recover on the student’s behalf.

What factors are being considered when cancelling a study abroad program?

The health and safety of our Marquette community remains of primary importance. OIE takes into account several different factors and consults various international and local health authorities to determine if a study abroad program should be cancelled including, but not limited to:

  • Partner universities abroad closing and/or suspending programs
  • Program start date and availability and requirements for student study visas
  • Alert Traveler updates regarding border closures or travel restrictions
  • CDC Travel Health Notices
  • U.S. Department of State Travel Advisories
  • COVID-19 incidence rates and access to medical facilities

All programs are assessed individually.

 


Don't see your question(s) on this page? Submit your question(s) to studyabroad@marquette.edu. We aim to respond to your inquiry within 48 hours.

For general student FAQs on study abroad, visit our Frequently Asked Questions for study abroad.