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Study Abroad

Study Abroad Application Procedures

All UHV students can apply to study and intern abroad. Students must be in sophomore standing with 2.5 or higher GPA. Some programs may require 3.0 or higher GPA to be admitted to the program. Students must complete the University of Houston-Victoria (UHV) 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 as well as student conduct.  Study and Intern Abroad can be in the following depending on the interest in destination student will need find the best fit program.

  1. Exchange students
  2. UHV Affiliated Programs (a contract with UHV)
  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, call International Programs at 1-361-570-4106 or email StudyAbroad@uhv.edu. Students can stop by the International Programs Office, we cannot guarantee student will be able to meet with an advisor immediately. School specific programs must meet with the Study Abroad Advisor of the school the Study Abroad program is sponsored by.

STEP II: Submit the following documents 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

Please return all the items to the International Programs Office, at University West 228 or scan and email to StudyAbroad@uhv.edu  on 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 for study abroad in the spring semester: September 15
Students applying for study abroad/ internships abroad summer semester: March 1

 

International Programs recommends the student keep a copy of all student documents and records.

Key Information:

STUDY INTERN ABROAD FINANCIAL AID

Study Intern Abroad can be expensive. Students who are eligible can apply for Financial Aid if applying for their Study Intern Abroad experience.

Once you have completed the FAFSA and are chosen for verification as noted on Student Aid Report, you 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. Students may be required to turn in the “Satisfactory Academic Progress Appeal Form”. If you are required to do so attach supporting documents 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.

Using Financial Aid to Study Abroad

Student must be enrolled at UHV 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. For additional information visit Study Abroad Scholarships and Study Abroad Financial Aid.

Student may not postpone graduation in order to study abroad and receive financial aid. In these cases, participation must be at student's own expense.

There is no guarantee that Student will receive enough financial aid to completely cover the total cost of the study intern 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's account until ten days before for study abroad classes begin.

Students are strongly recommended to prepare for the study intern abroad experience 12 months ahead of anticipated study and Intern Abroad program start date. Students can use the 12 months to work and save funds for their Study and Intern Abroad experience instead of taking additional loans.

RECEIVING FINANCIAL AID

Financial aid for studying abroad, as with all other enrollment periods, cannot be authorized for disbursement to student's account until approximately 10 days prior to the start of study abroad classes. It is recommended that student determined refund preference as funds will be delivered to student based on the method chosen.

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.

International Students and other Non-Immigrant Visa Holders


Please note the Federal Financial Aid is available only to U.S. citizens. However, students can visit the Scholarships and Financial Aid Office to inquire on loans, grants and scholarships available to international students and others. International students and other non-immigrant visa holders are responsible for the entire Study Intern Abroad costs involved and must be paid in full prior to departure and must meet the payment deadlines.

REFUNDS

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 UHV. All other program refunds may apply according to the host institution and host organization refund policies. UHV will not refund once the program is started.

RISKS

Travel abroad involves some risks and uncertainties not present at UHV, including risks of injuries, damages, or other harm that may arise during the overseas study period. UHV students accept these risks and uncertainties as well as accept responsibility for their own safety. University of Houston-Victoria (UHV) cannot guarantee students safety while living abroad.

VOLUNTARY WITHDRAWAL

UHV students who choose to withdraw from the study intern abroad program must be aware that UHV will not assume any financial responsibility for such a voluntary withdrawal. Furthermore, UHV 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. UHV 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 effort to advocate for refunds of unspent expenses and course completion or programs should have an alternative plan in such cases. However, University of Houston-Victoria will not assume any financial responsibility for such involuntary withdrawals nor can guarantee course completion grades. 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 may 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 UHV Study Intern Abroad staff member to be certain they fully comprehend the academic and financial implications before making such decision. 

PROGRAM CANCELLATION

UHV 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 such as but not limited to political unrest, pandemic, epidemic, natural disaster. If the student is dismissed from the Study Intern Abroad program the student is responsible for all payments, no academic credit will be awarded, and the 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/INTERN ABROAD COURSE REGISTRATION

Students studying or interning abroad through a program affiliated through UHV 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.  Student may not add/drop courses on their own. If the student has questions on their place holder courses they  should contact International Programs or the Office of the Registrar. The course 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 the courses will be applied towards the degree plan. Students studying or interning abroad through a non-UHV 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 UHV approved Study Intern Abroad Programs are treated as UHV credits and grades. All UHV academic regulations and policies apply to students studying for UHV credit abroad. The courses, credits and grades are reviewed, approved, and posted on UHV academic transcript and course grades are calculated into the student’s cumulative grade point average. Students taking part in non-UHV 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 may 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 UHV.  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.  UHV 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 host country before taking the exams, students may fail the course and may not receive academic credit. UHV 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 the conversion scales that convert international grades to US grades.

GRADE PROCESSING

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 UHV Office of the Registrar. It is the student's responsibility to designate the Office of the Registrar 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 UHV Office of the Registrar receives transcripts from abroad it may take several weeks for courses to be posted to the UHV transcript.

GRADUATION

If a senior student, please note that UHV may not receive the final grades in time for the commencement that takes place immediately at the end of the semester, a student's graduation maybe postponed until the following semester. If you will not be in United States at the time of the official graduation, you will need to arrange to take part in the commencement at a later commencement ceremony by connecting with the Office of the Registrar.  If you wish to take part in the commencement without the official transcripts you should connect with the Office of the Registrar. Please contact your academic adviser concerning the intent to graduate.

Students studying or interning abroad through a program affiliated through UHV 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 to eight weeks.  Students may not add/drop courses on their own. If there are questions on place holder courses you should contact the International Programs or the Office of the Registrar. The course 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 the courses will be applied towards the degree plan. Students studying or interning abroad through a non-UHV 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.