FAQs for Families

It is important that students take the driver's seat in this journey while families help guide them when they need support. Additionally, because of federal regulations such as FERPA, the Education Abroad Office cannot always provide family members with specific details about a student's program, coursework, etc. unless the student has granted them access. Here are some important questions you should be asking your student and that they should be able to answer:

• What type of program is your study abroad experience? MUDEC? Faculty-Led? Provider Program? Approved Non-Miami? Co-sponsored? Exchange?
• Where are you studying abroad? What country? What city?
• Have you spoken to an Education Abroad advisor to make sure you are completing the necessary steps before going abroad?
• Have you spoken with your Academic Advisor and is this program going to help you make progress toward your degree?
• Have you confirmed with One Stop that your financial aid will be eligible to be used abroad?

If your student cannot answer these questions or is just starting the process, please visit our Get Started page for more information about starting the process.

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) is a Federal law that protects the privacy of student education records, both financial and academic. Study Abroad and Away falls under FERPA protection. Global Initiatives, the Education Abroad office, and MUDEC cannot share student-specific study abroad information with parents, guardians or others without the student’s permission as expressed by the signed FERPA release. This can include information about a student's participation in a study abroad program, the location or itinerary for the program, payment information, remaining application requirements, and academic records (including credit and grades). We encourage all students to have a FERPA release on file for all parents or guardians before they go on a program.

Complete the FERPA Release

Your student should be in the driver's seat throughout this experience; we recommend that you ask your student for detailed information. They may already be equipped to give you that information. If not, they should be the ones reaching out to the appropriate source, whether that is Education Abroad, faculty leaders, or the host provider or institution. (Due to FERPA regulations, Miami University cannot share information with anyone other than the student without their express permission.)

Students receive information from many different sources, including the Education Abroad office at Miami, Academic Advisors, One Stop (financial aid services), as well as from the program provider or host institution where they will be studying abroad. You can find basic information under the program name on our Programs website.

Students will also be enrolled in a Canvas course that will help them to prepare to go abroad. This course is the main way that the Education Abroad office will communicate and disburse information to students.

The Miami University Dolibois European Center (MUDEC) is a Miami center in Luxembourg in Central Europe where students earn Miami credit and pay Miami tuition and fees. If your student is doing a MUDEC program, please review the MUDEC Resources for Families page.

Faculty-led Programs are short-term workshops which run during the Winter term, Summer term, or over Spring Break. These programs are run by a Miami faculty member who will lead a group of students abroad, while teaching Miami-credit-bearing courses. The most up-to-date list of these programs can be found on the Explore Programs page under Miami Programs by Term. Included in the program brochures are details about the itinerary, course offerings, and cost.

Provider Programs are programs where students are earning credit through another institution and transferring it back to Miami. These programs are offered for a Summer or Winter term, a full semester, or full academic year. These programs do not take place on Miami campuses and are not facilitated by Miami professors. Students from across the United States (not just from Miami) participate in Provider Programs.

Miami University has partnered with many study abroad providers to offer hundreds of Provider Program options, all of which fall into one of two billing categories: Approved Non-Miami or Co-Sponsored. Be sure your student knows which billing method they are enrolled in.

Approved Non-Miami Programs are programs that are facilitated by one of Miami's approved study abroad providers and are considered a Provider Program. Students completing one of these programs are not earning Miami credit directly, rather they will be earning credit from another institution and transferring it back to Miami. They can still be making progress toward their degree. These programs can be short-term (Winter or Summer term) or long-term (Academic Year or Semester-long).

Students participating in Approved Non-Miami Programs do not pay Miami tuition, rather they will pay a program fee to the provider. This program fee typically includes their tuition and housing, among other things. Details about program fees can be found on the provider's website. The only fee paid to Miami for this program type is the $175 Education Abroad Administrative Fee that will be assessed on the student's Bursar bill.

Co-Sponsored Programs are a type of Provider Program. Students completing one of these programs are not earning Miami credit directly, rather they will be earning credit from another institution and transferring it back to Miami. They can still be making progress toward their degree. The only difference between Co-Sponsored and Approved Non-Miami Programs is what institution bills the student — nothing changes about the courses offered.

Co-Sponsored is a billing method for a limited number of semester-long programs. The list of Co-Sponsored Programs available can be found on the Co-Sponsored Programs webpage. The Co-Sponsored agreement allows students to pay their Miami University tuition promised rate, a reduced program fee, and the $175 Education Abroad administrative fee through the Miami University Bursar bill. and Miami, in turn, pays the study abroad provider on the student's behalf. Students should schedule an appointment with an Education Abroad Advisor to discuss which billing format works best for them.

Co-Sponsored Programs are good for students who have full or close-to-full tuition remission in the form of Miami tuition-based scholarships or waivers. Because students doing a Co-Sponsored Program are paying Miami University tuition, they may be able to use those scholarships or waivers toward their study abroad program.

Co-Sponsored Programs allow students to choose between the Co-Sponsored billing method (where tuition and fees are paid to Miami) or the Approved Non-Miami billing method (where the program fee is paid to the provider directly and only the Education Abroad administrative fee is paid to Miami). Students should meet with an Education Abroad Advisor to discuss which program type would be best for them once they know the details of their financial aid package. You can also find more information to help your student make this decision on the Provider Programs webpage.

Exchange Programs are programs where a student will be directly enrolled at a partner university outside of the United States for a semester or academic year. Miami has exchange agreements with many universities around the world allowing Miami students to trade places with students at the partner universities abroad. In an Exchange Program, students will pay Miami University tuition and, depending on the program, Miami University housing or host institution housing. Students earn transfer credit, meaning they are not earning Miami credit directly, rather they will be earning credit from their host institution and transferring it back to Miami. However, they can still be making progress toward their degree. More information about can be found on the Exchange Programs webpage.

It is important that your student learn about their host country before going abroad. As a support system, you may also be interested in learning more about the place where your students will be going as well. There are many great, free resources in which to do so.

The CIA World Factbook is a free resource developed and published by the CIA is a useful tool for learning about the country or countries in which your student will be studying abroad. It provides basic information on the history, people, government, economy, energy, geography, environment, communications, transportation, military, terrorism, and transnational issues.

Learn About Your Destination is a website where you can learn about the Department of State's current travel advisory level of your student's host country, as well as quick facts and more in-depth information related to embassies and consulates, entry/exit/visa requirements, local laws, health, safety, and more.

This depends on multiple factors: the program duration, the host country, and the citizenship status of the student. Travel authorization and visa requirements standards are set by each country individually and Miami University has no control over those requirements.

Students can find resources on the embassy website for their host country and will receive guidance on visa requirements from their host institution, program provider, or faculty leader.

Be sure to make a plan with your student before they leave on their program on how and when you will keep in contact. International messaging applications like WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, iMessage, FaceTime, etc. can be good ways of avoiding pricey international SMS and calling plans. With these applications, you can message and voice call when connected to WiFi.

Additionally, set a realistic timeline for when your student will be able to contact you once they arrive. Keep in mind, it may take them some time before they are able to get a stable internet connection so they may not be able to contact you immediately when they arrive in their host country. Give them time to get settled before you expect a call.

Set up a time to check in with them regularly. For example, you can plan to have a weekly call on Sundays at 12 p.m. EST. Keep in mind the time difference from their host city and where you live.

On top of the tuition and program fee, students will incur out-of-pocket expenses while going abroad, such as round-trip airfare to and from the host country, meals, and other personal living expenses. It is important that students approach this with a plan so as not to overspend at the beginning and run out of money by the end of the program.

Determine what will be the most cost-effective and accessible method of payment. Be sure that your student knows what their bank or credit card company's policy is on foreign transaction fees. Additionally, VISA and Mastercard tend to be the most widely accepted types of debit and credit cards internationally, while American Express and Discover tend to be less widely accepted. You can help your student do some research on their host country to determine what is most common there.

Help your student create a budget for the time they will be abroad. You can create a budget for the entire duration that the student will be abroad and on a weekly basis. This will allow your student to track expenses and stay on budget throughout their term abroad. Remind them that spending over their budget early on may limit their access to other activities later on in the program.