Study Abroad Application Procedures
All Texas A&M University-Victoria (A&M-Victoria) students can apply to study and intern abroad. Students must be in sophomore standing with 2.5 or higher GPA. Some programs may require a 3.0 or higher GPA to be admitted to the program. Students must complete the Texas A&M University-Victoria study abroad application requirements to receive approval to study or intern abroad. Students must also meet admission requirements set by their chosen study abroad program and be accepted into the program. International Programs approval does not guarantee admission into any study intern abroad program. As part of the application to study and intern abroad students are required to complete a section on health and wellness and well as student conduct. Study and Intern Abroad can be in the following. Depending on the interest in destination, students will need find the best fit program.
1. Exchange students
2. A&M-Victoria Affiliated Programs (a contract with A&M-Victoria)
3. Faculty-led programs
4. Third party vendor programs
5. Virtual Intern Abroad programs
Step 1:
Make Study Abroad advising appointment with the International Programs to discuss Student plans. To schedule an appointment, Student can call International Programs at 1-361-570-4106 or email StudyAbroad@tamuv.edu. Student can stop by the International Programs Office, we cannot guarantee that Student will be able to meet with an advisor immediately. College specific programs must meet with the Study Abroad Advisor to the College the Study Abroad program is sponsored by.
Step II:
Submit the following documents to the International Programs
Completed Study Abroad Application
Completed Study Abroad Transfer Course Agreement Form (Faculty led Study Intern Abroad Programs will not need to submit this Form)
If Student have questions completing the Study Intern Abroad Application Packet, stop by the International Programs for assistance. Please make sure Student bring all Student paperwork to the appointment
International Programs fee of $100 each semester will be added to the student’s bill for each semester student studies abroad through a A&M-Victoria affiliated program.
Pay the necessary program deposits (faculty-led program, A&M-Victoria affiliated programs and non-A&M-Victoria affiliated programs).
Pay the non-refundable application fee of $225 to the International Programs
Step III:
Upon confirmation of Student Study Abroad participation from the Study Abroad Advisor, students must submit the following documents to the International Programs
Copy of Passport (picture page, passport number and expiration date)
Study Abroad Application Deposit __________ (varies according to the Study Intern Abroad Program). Must be paid to the Student Billing.
2 Academic or Professional Letters of Recommendation
500 word Study Abroad Essay
Please return all the items to the International Programs Office, at University West 228 or Student can scan and email to studyabroad@tamuv.edu or before the Study Abroad application deadline. Incomplete applications will not be accepted.
Study Abroad Deadlines
Students applying for study abroad in the fall semester: March 1
Students applying to study abroad in the spring semester: September 15
Students applying for study abroad/ internships abroad summer semester: March 1
International Programs recommends that Student keep a copy of all Student documents for Student records.
Key Information:
Passport must be valid at least 6-months or more BEYOND Student arrival back into the United States.
It is Student responsibility to know if Student need a visa to travel to another country. International Programs will assist Student with the paperwork process. If Student are not a U.S. citizen, if Student are a permanent resident or a student on a non-immigrant or immigrant visa status it is Student responsibility to check with Student home country government to confirm whether or not Student would need a visa. Student should also reference the State Department website to ensure that Student obtain all proper immunizations for the country to which Student will travel.
Study Intern Abroad: Applying for Financial Aid
Study Intern Abroad can be expensive. Students who are eligible can apply for Financial Aid If Student are applying for their Study Intern Abroad experience. First the student must meet with the Study Intern Abroad Advisor, determine the courses and the cost, second the student must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for the academic year in which Student are planning to study abroad in order to be eligible to receive aid awards prior to the deadline date. Student can apply online at www.fafsa.gov. If Student have not had financial aid previous to this academic year or Student do not currently have a financial aid in this academic year, please see Applying for Financial Aid at https://www.uhv.edu/financial-aid/getting-started/how-to-apply/.
Once Student have completed the FAFSA and if Student are chosen for verification as noted on Student Student Aid Report, Student can view these requirements via the financial aid portal or contact our office for required documents. This process can take up to 3 weeks or more to be completed, so plan. If Student are required to turn in the “Satisfactory Academic Progress Appeal Form”, please turn this in with any supporting to determine aid eligibility.
Be sure to monitor Student requirement online via the financial aid portal to see if any additional documentation is needed to determine Student aid eligibility.
Financial Aid for third party programs
Students will need to work with A&M-Victoria Financial Aid office prior to completing the Study and intern abroad application of their Financial aid package.
Summer Programs and Summer Internships
Students taking part in summer Study Abroad programs and Internships Abroad will only need to complete the Summer Aid forms. For questions and information please visit the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid.
Using Financial Aid to Study Abroad
Student must be enrolled at A&M-Victoria in a degree-seeking program and participating in a University-approved study abroad program, enrolled at least half-time, and making Satisfactory Academic Progress as defined by the University and by the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid at https://www.tamuv.edu/financial-aid/policies/. Student may not postpone Student graduation in order to study abroad and receive financial aid. In these cases, participation must be at Student own expense.
There is no guarantee that Student will receive enough financial aid to completely cover the total cost of the study abroad program. Student will need to pay all required deposits for Student Study/Intern Abroad program, since financial aid funds are generally not available on Student account until ten days before Student classes for study abroad begin.
Receiving Financial Aid
Financial aid for studying abroad, as with all other enrollment periods, cannot be authorized for disbursement to Student student account until approximately 10 days prior to the start of Student study abroad classes. It is recommended that Student are sure of Student refund preference as funds will be delivered to Student based on the method chosen. Student can check out Student refund preference at General Refund and Withdrawal Information.
IF ANY INFORMATION CHANGES ( i.e. dates, credit hours , or anything else about the program) the student is required to notify the office of Student Financial Aid. Student eligibility may then need to be recalculated.
Refund
Refunds may be applied depending on the participating program but not guaranteed. If the student is taking part in faculty-led programs the refunds will not be applied unless the program is cancelled by A&M-Victoria. All other program refunds may apply according to the host institution and host organization refund policies. A&M-Victoria will not refunds once the program is started.
Risk
Travel abroad involves some risks and uncertainties not present at A&M-Victoria, including risks of injuries, damages, or other harm that may arise during the overseas study period. A&M-Victoria students accept these risks and uncertainties as well as accept responsibility for their own safety. Texas A&M University-Victoria (A&M-Victoria) cannot guarantee students safety while living abroad.
Voluntary Withdrawal
A&M-Victoria students who choose to withdraw from the study intern abroad program must be aware that A&M-Victoria will not assume any financial responsibility for such a voluntary withdrawal. Furthermore, A&M-Victoria students must pay careful attention to the cancellation/withdrawal policies of the host university program or program provider.
The International Programs will notify Financial Aid of Student withdrawal. Please note that students who withdraw after a program begins should expect to repay any financial aid, including scholarships and loans, awarded for the Study Intern Abroad program.
Involuntary Withdrawal
Students who are involuntarily withdrawn or dismissed from a program are responsible for all program costs and may receive no academic credit. Students will not be able to register for classes on-campus during their assigned registration appointment until their withdrawal is fully recorded by the registrar office. A&M-Victoria students may be required to withdraw from a Study Intern Abroad program involuntarily. Reasons could- but are not limited to - medical needs, political instability, natural disasters or other evacuations, pandemic, epidemic. The International Programs will make every reasonable effort to advocate for refunds of unspent expenses. However, A&M-Victoria will not assume any financial responsibility for such involuntary withdrawals. It is expected that after a program is cancelled or after it is determined that a student must withdraw from a program involuntarily, the student will depart from the program location within 24 hours. In some cases, a student be asked to sign a document acknowledging that her/his participation in the program has concluded.
Deferring Program Participation
Students who withdraw may not defer their application to a subsequent term, but they are welcome to re-apply. Students who withdraw after the deadline will not receive deposits or application fee. Students are strongly encouraged to discuss their intent to withdraw with an A&M-Victoria Study Intern Abroad staff member to be certain they full comprehend the academic and financial implications before making such decision.
Program Cancellation
A&M-Victoria reserve the right to alter or cancel all Study or Intern Abroad programs at any time. Programs may be cancelled due to health and safety reasons or other unforeseen circumstances. If the student is dismissed from the Study Intern Abroad program student is responsible for all payments, no academic credit will be awarded, and student may face student conduct if the reason is a student conduct issue. Students who are on Financial Aid/ Loans are still responsible to complete payment for the Study Intern Abroad program.
Study and Intern Abroad Credit Transfer Process Explained
Students must always refer to the Study and Intern Abroad policy and practices handbook which was emailed to Student at the time of the program confirmation to the Study and Intern Abroad program. Students must complete the Transfer Credit Agreement (TCA) to the academic advisor and to the International Programs. Now let’s understand how the credit transfer process works. A majority of study abroad programs through A&M-Victoria will count as transfer credit upon the students return to A&M-Victoria (Faculty-Led courses are direct A&M-Victoria courses and will not be counted as transfer credits). With careful planning with Academic Advising and Study Intern Abroad Advisor Student can apply abroad credit towards Student degree requirements at A&M-Victoria. Here are some of the ways how Student can apply the transfer credit from abroad:
Elective Credit: Almost all courses offered through approved A&M-Victoria Study Intern Abroad programs can earn general elective credit. Students earn the number of credit hours (or equivalent) towards graduation. In the TCA, students must list whether the course is elective or major requirement.
Core Requirement: Many students find Study Abroad programs offer a great opportunity to work on A&M-Victoria core requirements. Submit the TCA in advance to determine if they meet the criteria for Core requirement. The International Programs in collaboration with the Academic Department and Academic Advisors will review the transfer credit requests.
Major or Minor Credit: Courses taken abroad may count towards Student major or minor. The academic departments at A&M-Victoria are responsible for reviewing transfer credit requests for majors and minors. Students must clearly indicate in the TCA whether the course is a major or minor.
Pre-Requisite Courses Taken Abroad: Yes, students may complete a pre-requisite course abroad. However, students must receive approval from the academic advisor in doing so.
Foreign Language Credit: Students can earn language credit towards core, major, minor or elective requirement. Must receipt approval from the academic department.
Internship Credit: Yes, students can earn internship, co-op credits while studying and interning abroad with approval from the academic department.
*If a student selects higher level courses the course may count towards upper division/ lower division course.
A&M-Victoria is unable to provide advising for non-A&M-Victoria affiliated programs. The students must work independently with the program provider. A&M-Victoria cannot take responsibility for the academic quality of non-affiliated programs, nor does the University carry any liability for A&M-Victoria who choose to participate in them (non-affiliate programs are not exchange programs set forth by the International Programs Office. Non-affiliate programs are the ones that students decide to study on their own)
All course work on non-A&M-Victoria courses is considered transfer credit. After completing the program, an official transcript should be submitted to the A&M-Victoria ‘s Office of the Registrar’s and Student academic advisor to process academic credits.
Students are required to keep all documents (syllabi, course descriptions, tests, papers, etc) from the program in base transfer credit specialists/ academic advisors have questions regarding the course work taken abroad.
Students must research the academic quality of their selected study abroad program, as well as their health and safety practices. Students are strongly advised to speak for former participants to verify the quality of the program and have realistic expectations. Contact the program provider and request contact information of the previous participants.
While participating in a non-affiliated program, students are NOT considered A&M-Victoria students, thus students may not have access to some of the services provided by A&M-Victoria to matriculate students only.
Students who are not enrolled at A&M-Victoria are not eligible to receive financial aid through the university. Therefore, students participating in non-affiliated programs may apply for financial aid through the institution offering the program. Students are strongly encouraged to discuss their study abroad plans and financial situation with the A&M-Victoria Financial Aid and Scholarships Office before they commit to any Study Intern Abroad Program.
The federal government required that aid eligibility only be based on those courses that count toward the completion of a degree. To be considered a full-time student for financial aid purposes, students must be enrolled in 12 credit hours as an undergraduate and 9 credit hours as a graduate student that count towards a degree. To be eligible for most financial aid, students need to be enrolled fulltime.
Students seeking transfer credit for foreign languages are advised to consult with the department chair or academic advisor prior to participating in a study abroad program to determine which courses may be applied towards the requirements, minors, and majors at A&M-Victoria .
A minimum of 15 classroom hours must be completed and reported to receive one semester hour of credit (15 class hrs= 1 semester credit hour). Class hours are restricted to actual classroom instruction. Other activities such as field trips, family/community interactions etc do not apply.
A minimum stay of two weeks is required for each three semester hours of credit:
| Semester Hours Needed |
Class Hours Required |
| 3 |
45 |
| 4 |
60 |
| 6 |
90 |
| 8 |
120 |
| 12 |
180 |
A&M-Victoria cannot guarantee credit upon return to A&M-Victoria for courses that are taken that are not pre-approved by A&M-Victoria. If a student decided to take a course without pre-approved or adds additional courses apart from the course listing in the TCA, the student will risk not receiving credit for that course, which might cause complications, such as delaying course registration for the next semester, affecting financial aid eligibility, and/or delaying graduation.
The TCA form completed prior to Student departure is not final. Students can make changes to their scheduled courses upon arrival at the host institution, however if any courses are added, Student must complete a new TCA and obtain necessary approval.
Study/Intern Abroad Course Registration
Students studying or interning abroad through a program affiliated through A&M-Victoria will be registered for Study Intern Abroad placeholder courses the term the student is abroad once the program deposit is paid and study and intern abroad placement is confirmed. This process may take two weeks to 8 weeks. Students may not add/ drop courses on their own. If the student has questions on their place holder courses, the student should contact the International Programs or the Office of the Registrar and Student Records. The courses registration and all questions pertaining to courses must be resolved prior to the departure and must be enrolled in the courses according to the courses listed in the TCA agreement. Once the student submits the official transcript to the Office of the Registrar and Student Records the courses will be applied towards the degree plan. Students studying or interning abroad through a non-A&M-Victoria affiliated program must be cautious on course registration and must work with the institution or organization on Financial Aid and course registration as well as other pertinent information. In such case, International Programs will guide the student to proper channels, but the student is responsible for all program planning, logistics, payments, course enrollment, transfer of courses and conclusion of the program.
Credit and Grades
Credits and grades earned for approved courses on all A&M-Victoria -approved study intern abroad programs are treated as transfer credit. All A&M-Victoria academic regulations and policies apply to students studying for A&M-Victoria credit abroad. The courses, credits and grades are reviewed, approved, and posted as transfer credit on the student’s A&M-Victoria transcript. Students taking part in non-A&M-Victoria affiliated program must consult their academic advisor to ensure the courses completed outside of the U.S. will transfer over to the degree plan. In such case, a course-by-course evaluation will be required to apply the transfer credit to the student degree plan. Students with failing or incomplete grades will not receive transfer credit and may not fulfill the degree completion requirements.
Final Exams
This section is relevant to students who will enroll in coursework at an international host institution. Most institutions abroad have more formalized exam periods than what students may be used to at A&M-Victoria. The official exam timetable is usually posted during the month before the exams are held, students may not know the dates of the exams for specific courses until quite late in the semester abroad. For this reason, when purchasing plane ticket students are encouraged not to depart the host city until the day after the last day of the scheduled exam period. A&M-Victoria makes every effort to provide students with program dates well in advance of Student departure, although in some cases the dates may not be finalized until after student arrives on-site. In general, students will not be allowed to take exams early, and if students do leave Student host country before taking the exams, students may fail the course, students may not receive academic credit. A&M-Victoria can proctor the exam, however it is dependent on the host institution examination policies.
Grades Abroad
This section is relevant to students who will enroll in coursework at an international host institution (not applied to faculty-led programs). International Programs and/or Student program provider will provide conversion scales that convert international grades to US grades.
The International Programs do not interfere with the academic judgment of student professors overseas. A&M-Victoria will not award grades, nor do we “round up” low grades on Student behalf. We simply convert the final grades from abroad to A&M-Victoria grades, using a predetermined scale (see the site-specific section of Student orientation materials for the grade conversion scale for Student host institution, if applicable) and then share the grades recommended by the host institution to the Office of the Registrar and Student Records at A&M-Victoria .
International Programs will not mediate grade disputes between students and professors abroad. If a student has not dealt with the problem on-site, International Programs will assist the student from this end by helping the student to get in touch with the professor abroad, but student will be responsible for pleading Student own case. More information on grades can be found under the A&M-Victoria Academic policy on grades.
International Programs do not have the option to ignore a grade on a transcript. The only recourse students will have will be to appeal to the A&M-Victoria upon Student return for a retroactive late drop, but these cases are taken very seriously and cannot be put forward without the support of Provost and/or Dean of the College.
Transcripts
At the end of the study or intern abroad program, the program provider or host institution will send the student’s official grade report or transcript to the A&M-Victoria Office of the Registrar and Student Records. It is the student’s responsibility to designate the Office of the Registrar and Student Records as the place to send their transcript with their study and intern abroad program. The students are strongly advised to connect with the host institution ahead of time to request the official transcript. Typically, transcripts are received from abroad between 2 weeks to 3 months from the completion of their study intern abroad program. Students who intend to apply for national fellowships, or graduate programs, should keep this time frame in mind at the time of application for study and intern abroad programs. Once the A&M-Victoria Office of the Registrar and Student Records receives transcripts from abroad it may take several weeks for courses to be posted to the A&M-Victoria transcript.
Graduation
Students who are seniors and studying abroad should be aware that Texas A&M University-Victoria (A&M-Victoria ) may not receive final grades in time for the commencement ceremony held at the end of the semester. As a result, graduation may be postponed until the following term. Students who will not be in the United States at the time of their official graduation must contact the Commencement Team in the Provost’s Office to arrange participation in a future ceremony. Those wishing to take part in commencement without an official transcript should consult the Office of the Registrar. All students intending to graduate must consult with their academic advisor.
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