UCI Study Abroad Center

NEED TO KNOW

Need to Know
Airline Ticket
Disability Services
Fees & Enrollment at UCI
Financial Aid & Scholarships
Health Insurance while Abroad
Housing at UCI
How to Get Credit
How to Prepare
Notary
Participant List
Passport
Photos
Returnee List
Student Visa
Update Your Contact Info

Need to Know Information

Review the headings above to determine which topics you have questions about, and read the tabs that are relevant to you.

Airline Ticket

After you have been accepted by your program and know the official dates, confirm with your program to determine if you should buy your airline tickets on your own or if they will be assisting you with this. If needed, advice on buying airline tickets can be found on the Study Abroad Center web site at: Getting There. Students concerned about financing their roundtrip airfare might want to consider STA Travel's Airfare Deposit Program. Questions? Ask STA Travel.

Disability Services

If you require special assistance to obtain equal access to the program while abroad because of a physical (e.g.: mobility, hearing, visual or chronic systemic condition), or hidden (e.g., ADHD, learning, psychological condition) disability, you should notify your study abroad program and follow their instructions. They may require a letter from the UCI Disability Services Center describing your needs.

Fees & Enrollment at UCI

This page contains UCI fees and enrollment information for While You Are Abroad and for your Return to UCI.

FEES & ENROLLMENT AT UCI WHILE ABROAD

Do NOT enroll in any classes at UCI for any quarter you will be abroad.

UCEAP Students: The Study Abroad Center will enroll you -- about one week before the UCI enrollment deadline for the quarter you will be abroad -- in a special EAP code giving you full-time UCI student status while abroad.
IOP Students: You are not a UCI student for the term(s) you are on IOP, so do not enroll at UCI for the term(s) you will be abroad.

Do NOT pay registration fees to UCI for any quarter you will be abroad.

UCEAP Students: While abroad you are paying your fees to the UCEAP Systemwide Office instead of UCI. The Study Abroad Center will waive your UCI Registration fees -- about two weeks before the UCI fee payment deadline -- for the quarter you will be abroad. If you receive an e-mail from UCI and/or see that your registration fees are not paid on your Zot Account on-line, do not worry. You can check your Zot Account on-line a few days before the UCI fee payment deadline to verify that your UCI fees have been paid.
IOP Students: While abroad you are paying fees to your IOP program directly. If you receive an e-mail from UCI and/or see that you owe registration fees on your Zot Account on-line, you should contact the UCI Registrar and tell them you will not be enrolled at UCI for the quarter(s) you will be abroad.

Do NOT leave any unpaid bills at UCI (library fines, lab fees, housing fees, etc).

UCEAP Students: If you have any unpaid bills at UCI we cannot enroll you in EAP, which means you will not be a UCI student and you will not receive your Financial Aid or be able to enroll at UCI upon return.
IOP Students: If you have any unpaid bills at UCI you will have a hold placed on your record and you will not receive your Financial Aid or be able to enroll at UCI upon return.

Do NOT apply to graduate for a term that is before the conclusion of your study abroad program. UCEAP students must be UCI students the entire time they are abroad in order to participate on EAP. IOP students who want credit for their study abroad program on their UCI transcript must wait to graduate until UCI receives the study abroad transcript. If needed, contact your Academic Counselor in the School of your major to change your graduation date to after the conclusion of your study abroad program, and also notify Registrar of any changes.

DO contact your Academic Counselor in the School of your major to ask about how courses taken abroad can fulfill your degree requirements. For more details and contact information, refer to the Study Abroad Center's How to Get Credit.

DO check your Zot Account on-line before you go abroad to make sure you do not owe any money to UCI. If you owe anything besides Registration fees (such as lab fees, library fines, housing fees, etc.) you must pay those fees before the fee payment deadline!

DO enroll in classes for the quarter you plan to return to UCI from abroad. You will need to access the Schedule of Classes (SOC) and enroll in classes via the UCI web site. You can view the SOC and find out when your enrollment window opens beginning 7th week, and registration begins 8th week of the preceding quarter. See the Registrar's Course Enrollment web page for more details. Look at the Calendar to see when your enrollment window opens.

IOP Students: Make sure you complete the IOP Advance Readmission form prior to departure if you are participating on a non-summer program so that you will be assigned an enrollment window for the quarter you return to UCI.

DO pay your fees to UCI for the quarter you plan to return to UCI by the fee payment deadline.

Financial Aid & Scholarships

If you are on financial aid and/or wish to apply for scholarships, be sure to review Financial Aid & Scholarships.

You will be notified via e-mail when your Financial Aid Orientation has scheduled. You may wish to view the powerpoint presentation from the most current orientation.

Health Insurance While Abroad

Make sure you have adequate health/medical insurance coverage before, during, and after your time abroad. Carefully confirm the dates of coverage of your insurance while abroad, and verify that you have insurance before and after your international program. Make sure to purchase additional coverage if necessary. Not having adequate health insurance coverage can be very costly! If you need help determining if you need to purchase additional health insurance, contact the Study Abroad Center.

UCEAP participants: For more information, see the Insurance Information tab on the UCEAP Participants web page for your program.
- NOTE to EAP participants who are normally covered by USHIP and going abroad during the Academic Year: While on EAP, the EAP insurance automatically takes the place of USHIP - you are not covered by both at the same time if you are on a fall, spring, or year program. Carefully check the USHIP dates of coverage to determine if you will have coverage before and after your EAP program.
IOP participants: For more information, see: Health Insurance.

All UCI study abroad participants are strongly advised to register for the UC Traveler Insurance. It is FREE to you. UC already pays the premiums for this insurance. There is NO COST to UCI study abroad participants.
Details of coverage and on-line registration are at: http://www.uctrips-insurance.org/
To register, click on "Apply by Completing this Form."

Tips for completing the registration:
- For "Purpose of Trip" choose "Other".
- For "UC location" choose "Irvine Campus".
A few highlights of the coverage include: medical emergency evacuation, security evacuation (non-medical), various accidents, sickness, and more. For coverage details click on, "Travel Benefits Comparison for Students".

Make sure you are not left without health insurance at any time!!

Housing at UCI

If you need help finding housing at UCI before or after your time abroad, or need to find someone to take your space in your housing while you will be abroad, review the Study Abroad Center's Housing Information for Continuing UCI Students.

How to Get Credit

If you wish to receive UCI credit for your study abroad program, be sure you review and follow the instructions on How to Get Credit.

How to Prepare

The World at Your Fingertips is an online resource designed to provide you with information to help you prepare for your experience abroad.

Notary

If any of your study abroad participation forms require your signature in the presence of a Notary Public, see: Notary Information (PDF).

Participant List

Access the Study Abroad Center Participant List to connect with other UCI students going to the same country/program as you.

Passport

All Students:

A valid passport is required for all participants. If you do not currently have a passport that is valid until at least six months after the end of your program, apply for one immediately.

The name on your passport should be the same name that appears on your study abroad program information. Ideally, it should also be the same as your name on your UCI records. You should not officially change your name in the middle of applying for or participating in your study abroad program.

For more information, see: Travel Documents.

U.S. Citizens:

Routine processing for a U.S. passport can take up to 6 weeks. You may visit the UCI Passport Office web site for more information on obtaining a passport.

Non-U.S. Citizens:

Non-U.S. citizens must obtain a passport from the embassy of your country of citizenship.

Photos

If any of your study abroad forms or instructions require photos of you, you can obtain them at the UCI Passport Office or the Photo Boutique across the street from UCI in the University Center.

Returnee List

Access the Study Abroad Center Returnee List to connect with UCI students who have studied abroad, and international students studying at UCI, to ask them questions about your country/program.

Student Visa