Non-IU Academic Policies

I. Eligibility Criteria

• Class Standing: Students are advised to apply to Non-IU study abroad programs after they have completed at least one full semester at Indiana University. Education Abroad will not sign program approval forms nor register students in a placeholder course if the student does not yet have an IU academic record with confirmation of satisfactory academic progress towards their degree.
• GPA: The Non-IU program provider makes the final application decision once a student applies to the program. If a student would like to apply to use federal financial aid towards the costs of a Non-IU program, they must have a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or above. A student who is on academic probation may be denied enrollment in a Non-IU placeholder course.
• Academic Progress: To be eligible to apply for study abroad, a student must be in good academic standing according to University policy (e.g., not on any kind of academic probation), as of the student's last major semester (fall semester or spring semester) of full-time enrollment at IU. If a student would like to apply to use federal financial aid towards the costs of a Non-IU program, they will need to have their academic advisor confirm that the coursework they will take on the program will fulfill major, minor, general education, or other degree requirements. A student who is not making academic progress or would be extending their studies past four years will not be approved to enroll in a special placeholder course.
• Language Requirements: Students can check with the program provider to see if there are language requirements for the program to which they are applying.
• Program-Specific Requirements: Check with the program provider to see if there are additional eligibility requirements.
• Lower Age Limits: Education Abroad does not permit high school students or students under the age of 18 to enroll in a placeholder course.
• Disciplinary Status: Many program providers will require a disciplinary check as part of the application process. Please note that Education Abroad does not have access to student disciplinary records. In order to have a disciplinary record verification, a student will need to work with the Office of Student Ethics, 801 N. Eagleson Ave, Bloomington, IN 47405. Ph: 812-855-5419. Since disciplinary records are confidential, the student will need to complete a “Release of Information-Student Disciplinary Record” form with the Office of Student Ethics in order for them to be able to release a student’s disciplinary record information to a third party. Please allow up to two weeks for the Office of Student Ethics to process the request once it is submitted.

II. Selection Process: The selection process is up to the program provider or host university. To find out more about the selection process, please contact the program provider. Permission to be enrolled in a placeholder course while abroad (OVST Y496 or OVST Y498) is always contingent upon a student showing evidence of intent to enroll in a full-time course of study at an institution whose work can be transferred to Indiana University based on documentation provided to the IU Office of International Admissions.

III. Other Factors: For many programs, eventual program participation is contingent upon the student's ability to obtain travel documents (i.e., passport, visa, work permit, etc.). These documents are issued at the discretion of U.S. and foreign government offices. While Education Abroad and co-sponsoring agencies can provide documentation in support of applications, the government bodies have final authority over issuance of travel documents. Applications may be denied for any reason, including insufficient documentation, pending legal action, past criminal history, etc. Application procedures and requirements may vary based upon citizenship. Non-U.S. citizens may have significantly different conditions to meet to obtain travel documents and should look into the timeline for obtaining the required travel documents prior to applying for a program.

In a limited number of cases, program providers are prohibited or unable to accommodate citizens or passport holders of a given country. If a student will not travel on a U.S. passport, they should inquire with their program provider to clarify eligibility.

Advising: All students accepted to a summer, semester or academic-year Non-IU program should complete a Credit Transfer Agreement form. IU only awards transfer credit based on an official transcript from a recognized or accredited institution of higher education. Credit Transfer Agreements are processed by the Office of International Admissions and can take four to six weeks for review. Once a student receives their reviewed credit transfer agreement form back, the student will know whether or not IU will accept credit for the program they have selected. Students can also check the Credit Transfer Service to see if a particular transcript has previously been accepted by Indiana University. Students should meet with their academic advisor to talk about their Non-IU study abroad plans and to see what degree requirements they may be able to fulfill overseas.

Course Load: Students are advised to complete a full-time load of credits so they can stay on track for graduation.  Only courses completed with a grade of a “C” or better can be transferred back to IU.  Undergraduate students must complete a minimum of 12 credits for semester programs in order to maintain full-time student status and six credits in the summer.  Full-time status is a requirement for anyone using financial aid to study abroad.

Internship courses: Students will need approval from their IU academic department in order to earn academic credit for an internship taken on a Non-IU program. Students should consult with their academic advisor regarding permission to earn internship credit before they go on the program. Please note that not all academic departments have internship courses.

Placeholder courses: Education Abroad offers two zero-credit placeholder courses for students to enroll in while they participate on a Non-IU program. Enrollment in the placeholder course allows students to maintain their IU student status while studying abroad. The two Non-IU placeholder course options are outlined below.

• OVST-Y 496

  Students who receive or have previously received federal aid or loan money:

  • *Students who previously havehad federal loans or grants as well as those who wish to continue receiving federal loans or grants (including private loans that are normally disbursed through IU), must enroll in a special placeholder course (OVST-Y 496).

  Eligibility:

  • Student MUST be enrolled full-time overseas and have endorsements from their academic department and Education Abroad based solely on academic need.
  • The credits MUST satisfy a student’s degree requirements (major, minor, distributional, required electives, etc.). A program of elective credits abroad, above and beyond the minimum credits required for a degree program, does not qualify a student for enrollment in Y496.
  • Students must have a cumulative GPA of no less than 2.0 and not be on academic probation.
  • The Y496 process must be initiated before your program abroad begins.
  • Credit from your program must be transferred within six months of the termination of the program otherwise all financial aid will need to be repaid and/or future financial aid will be cancelled. The transferred credit must show that you were enrolled full-time while abroad.

   

  *Exceptions:

  Summer: During the summer term, if student does not have federal aid available, or does not want to use federal aid (or need a loan deferment for summer enrollment), student will enroll in OVST-Y 498.

• OVST-Y 498

  All other students:

  • *Students who do NOT receive or have NOT previously received federal loans or grants OR
  • Students who receive institutional, or IU departmental, or external scholarships or grants OR
  • Students who do not receive any financial assistance

  Eligibility:

  • Student must be registered in a credit-bearing program that has been approved by Indiana University.
  • Students must meet the enrollment expectations of their scholarship or grant provider (if applicable).
  • The credits MUST satisfy a student’s degree requirements (major, minor, distributional, required electives, etc.). A program of elective credits abroad, above and beyond the minimum credits required for a degree program, does not qualify a student for enrollment in Y498.
  • Students must have a cumulative GPA of at least 2.0.
  • Credit from the program must be transferred within six months of the termination of the program otherwise all financial aid (if applicable) will need to be repaid and/or future financial aid will be cancelled.

  *Exceptions:

  Summer: During the summer term, if student does not have federal aid available, or does not want to use federal aid (or need a loan deferment for summer enrollment), student will enroll in OVST-Y 498.

Pass/Fail Option: Students on Non-IU programs should not take courses pass/fail since a pass would not provide sufficient information to transfer the credit back to IU. Students need to complete their coursework with a grade of a “C” or better in order for it to transfer back to IU.

Withdrawal from a Non-IU program: Students should be in touch with the Non-IU program specialist in Education Abroad should they need to withdraw from a Non-IU program after it has begun. We cannot guarantee that a student will be able to earn transfer credit if they withdraw before completing all of their coursework.

Dropping and Adding Courses: Reasonable deadlines for dropping classes are established by the program provider or host university based on the program’s academic calendar. Keep in mind that students must complete a minimum of 12 credits of coursework with a grade of a “C” or better in order to maintain full-time student status for a semester program.

General Education coursework: If a student is looking to fulfill the World Languages and Culture requirement by participating in a Non-IU program, the program must be at least six weeks and six credits in length and the student must complete a Credit Transfer Agreement. For students looking to fulfill breadth of inquiry arts and humanities or social and historical credit, they should work with the appropriate department to have their coursework evaluated for IU course equivalencies that carry those designations. Students can also complete a petition form once their credit has been posted to their IU record to request that the undistributed transfer credit be evaluated for possible application to their general education breadth of inquiry requirements.

Incompletes: Students are expected to complete all coursework before they leave the study abroad site. A course with a grade of an Incomplete will not transfer back to IU.

Course and Credit Requirements: Students should follow the program’s minimum requirements for coursework; courses will most likely include required reading, written coursework, exams and papers.

Course Approval and Course Equivalencies: Courses on Non-IU programs are reported by the Office of International Admissions with IUB course titles and numbers when possible; however, grades do not transfer back and the credit is considered transfer credit. Most courses will initially transfer back as undistributed 100-level credit (DEPT-UN 100). Students can consult the Credit Transfer Service (CTS) to see if a course has already been evaluated by an IU department. If a student needs courses from their program to complete requirements such as 300/400 level hours, major/minor or general education requirements, they will need to have their coursework evaluated by the relevant IU academic department or school. In order to have courses evaluated, students will need detailed course descriptions and syllabi to submit to the relevant department. Students will want to keep their course materials including papers or exams if they plan on having coursework evaluated by an academic department.

Residency: Non-IU programs do not count towards residency credits. Students should check with their advisor about how many credits can be taken off campus during the time planned abroad.

Grading Policies: The program provider or host university should have outlined grading policies. After departure from a program site abroad, should students have questions about how a final grade was calculated, the student may submit an inquiry to their Non-IU program provider following their specific procedures and within their specified time lines. However, it is extremely unusual for grades to be changed after the fact.

Online "Study Abroad" Programs:

1. Virtual programs, that is, programs that are conducted 100% online with no physical participation abroad, through a study abroad provider, foreign institution, or U.S.-based institution providing content designed for study abroad students, cannot fulfill study abroad requirements, such as Gen Ed World Languages and Cultures and Global Civilizations and Cultures. Consequently, such programs do not need approval from Education Abroad.  This also means that students cannot be enrolled in a placeholder course nor can they apply study abroad scholarships to these on-line courses. Students who choose to apply independently to a virtual program should seek approval from their academic (major) department. Note: IU’s Office of International Admissions will continue to process official transcripts and post transfer credit from accredited institutions but transfer credit cannot be verified beforehand vis-à-vis the Credit Transfer Agreement.

Living Abroad Independently and Enrolling in Online Classes: Independent students who will take only on-line courses while living abroad should:

1. Check country-specific regulations regarding appropriate visa status for living abroad while not being enrolled in classroom or field-based courses
2. Enroll in the Department of State’s Smart Travelers Enrollment Program (STEP) since the only resources available to them in country will be those available to U.S. citizens in general
3. Verify what type of health insurance coverage is recommended, including medical evacuation and repatriation
4. Check with Student Central regarding the impact of being off campus on residency status, financial aid portability, future registration plans, repayment of loans, time to graduation, etc.
5. Discuss their plans with an academic advisor to determine whether this is the best course of action for meeting academic progress expectations
6. Make arrangements ahead of time with IU’s Credit Transfer Service if any of the on-line enrollment involves credit from another institution and consult an advisor since external enrollment will impact degree progress, billing issues and financial aid
7. Not expect to room with friends in study abroad programs since providers and institutions do not allow students to share their housing arrangements with independent travelers

Students who are unsure whether living abroad independently while enrolled in on-line classes is the best choice for them should consult an advisor at Education Abroad. For instructions on how to make an appointment, see: https://overseas.iu.edu/contact/schedule-appointment.html.

All students must respect and abide by the academic regulations of both IU, any co-sponsoring agency and the local host institutions. Any acts of academic misconduct, including cheating, fabrication, plagiarism, interference, violation of course rules or facilitating academic dishonesty, will be adjudicated by local academic officials and then be referred to the judicial process on the student's home campus.

All students must respect and abide by the laws and customs of the host country, the IU Code of Student Rights, Responsibilities, and Conduct, and any rules and regulations for student conduct made or adopted by IU, its employees, agents, consortium partners, and partner institutions abroad, from the published official program arrival date through the official program completion date, including but not limited to host institution rules and regulations for student conduct designed to safeguard health, well-being and safety.