Parents & Family

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Your student is about to embark on an experience of a lifetime, one that presents unique challenges and opportunities andÌýrequires independence and self-reliance! Year after year, we watch with admiration as students grow, engage in new ways, and accomplish amazing things. We approach our work with a student-centered direct advising approach. Our goal is to help students build self-advocacy skills, and so our primary constituent and point of contact is your adult student. Each student is assigned a program manager in our office, and we are here to provide your student with support every step of the way!Ìý

Legally, there are some things our office is unable to discuss with you without a completed FERPA Consent to Release and Authorized Payer Access from your student. If they have not done so already, encourage your student to complete both forms.Ìý

FERPA Consent to ReleaseÌýÌýAuthorized Payer Access

We ask that students take the lead when communicating with our office. We encourage parents and family to speak to their student first when you have questions. However, we know you likely still have a lot of questions, so we've made this resource just for you! We also attempt to share as much general information as possible on our website so you have access to it.Ìý

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Health & Safety

The health and safety of your student during their education abroad program is our utmost concern. Ensuring students’ health and safety during their program requires collaboration among students, parents/guardians, and our professional staff. Education Abroad provides students with extensive program- and location-specific health and safety information, contact with program providers, health insurance, and on-site staff knowledgeable in the area. While abroad, students have access to on-site staff and our 24-hour emergency phone. See our Health & Wellness, Safety & Security, and What to Do in an Emergency pages for more info.Ìý

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Finances & Billing

The page provides an exact program fee and what it covers, an estimate of other program costs, and withdrawal fee schedule. may be used on ¶¶ÒõÂÃÐÐÉä Boulder education abroad programs and are available. Once accepted to a program, students will need to read and commit the Student Contracts, including the Financial Contract, in order to confirm their spot on their program.Ìý

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Academics

Programs offered by ¶¶ÒõÂÃÐÐÉä Boulder Education Abroad have been vetted and approved by the Education Abroad Committee.ÌýWith proactive planning, students can remain on track with their degree requirements during their education abroad program. Courses already approved to fulfill ¶¶ÒõÂÃÐÐÉä degree requirements on our programs by reviewingÌýCourse Approvals List.

Colorful Houses in Bo-Kaap District, Cape Town

Housing

Housing will vary greatly, even on the same program. Longer commutes of up to an hour are normal in bigger cities. Students will likely be living in older buildings (especially in Europe) and amenities like air-conditioning, dishwashers, and clothes dryers are uncommon. Many cities are experiencing housing shortages which includes student housing. The Off-Campus Life office provides resources to help students fill their Boulder housing while abroad.Ìý

FAQs

Education abroad is the exciting pursuit of educational opportunities in another country. Our office offers a few domestic programs too, including ¶¶ÒõÂÃÐÐÉä in D.C. Students can go abroad during a summer, semester, year, or even during winter break and earn credit toward their degrees at ¶¶ÒõÂÃÐÐÉä Boulder. There are many different program types, which provide different opportunities within the program and affect what a student's day-to-day experience is like.

At the University of Colorado Boulder, over 30% of students who enter the university as first-year students and graduate attend an educationÌýabroad program. This number is expected to grow as the university puts a high priority on international experience for students in its Flagship 2030 Strategic Plan. Nationwide, approximately 10% of college students go abroad.

¶¶ÒõÂÃÐÐÉä Boulder students who go abroad graduate at the same speed as students who did not go abroad. Your student can earn credit toward their degree while abroad, including major, minor, certificate, core and elective credit. Ideally, your student will start planning at least a year in advance. Your students should work closely with their Academic Advisor and the Education Abroad office.

There are hundreds of ¶¶ÒõÂÃÐÐÉä Boulder-approved education abroad programs, so your student has a lot of options! ÌýOur programs are generally in one of three categories: affiliated programs through education abroad organizations, faculty-led Global Seminars, and exchanges/other partnerships. The benefits of ¶¶ÒõÂÃÐÐÉä Boulder programs are many, and include earning ¶¶ÒõÂÃÐÐÉä Boulder credit, the ability to use federal/institutional/state financial aid, and more.

If your student is interested in learning more or is ready to get started, your student should complete Abroad 101. Through Abroad 101 students learn about reasons for going abroad, differences between ¶¶ÒõÂÃÐÐÉä Boulder and non-¶¶ÒõÂÃÐÐÉä Boulder programs, program types, housing options, major/minor credit, College of Arts & Sciences core, credits, grades, eligibility requirements, the application process, deadlines and graduation information. There is also an overview of the financial aspects of education abroad, including program costs and financial aid.

We provide a variety of services to students before, during, and after their education abroad experience. Examples include:

  • Advising and resources to select the program most suitable for your student
  • Assistance through the application process
  • Assistance with determining how credits earned abroad may help your student fulfill their ¶¶ÒõÂÃÐÐÉä Boulder degree requirements
  • Connection with a program manager who is an expert on your student's program
  • Resources on how to obtain a passport and/or visa
  • Assistance in working with various ¶¶ÒõÂÃÐÐÉä Boulder administrative offices
  • Advising regarding opportunities and pathways for financing education abroad
  • Continued registration as a full-time student at ¶¶ÒõÂÃÐÐÉä Boulder
  • Provision of pre-departure preparation and resources

It is not recommended to visit your student during their program, but is definitely encouraged to visit afterwards.

Please check with your student's program as in some cases visitors are not allowed at all.

We also strongly recommend that at least one parent or guardian have a valid passport while your student is abroad. (This would be a critical piece if your student has an emergency and you wish to travel to be with themÌýin a time of need.)

An educationÌýabroad organization or program provider is an organization that we partner with which organizes education abroad programs. Examples of program providers are Arcadia, CEA CAPA, CIEE, IES, SIT, Syracuse, WorldStrides, etc. Program providers have on-site staff to assist if there is an emergency, help students register for classes, coordinate housing, provide support for students' academic and personal needs, and much more. Providers are a great resource for answering site-specific questions like "In which neighborhood are the host families?" or "How will a vegetarian fare on this program?" Not all programs are with providers. We also have great direct exchange/other partnership programs and faculty-led Global Seminars.

We'd love to speak with you! You can contact us from 9:00am to 4:30pm Monday through Friday by calling 303-492-7741 or emailing abroad@colorado.edu. If you are in Boulder you are also welcome to come by during business hours to meet with an Education Abroad Advisor in person. You can also view our Contact Us page and reach out to the appropriate regional advisor directly.Ìý