How to Study Abroad

Short answer

• To study abroad, start with your home college or university if you are already enrolled. Ask its study abroad office which programs are approved, how credits transfer, and how financial aid works for each option. Then compare programs by academic fit, total cost, language requirements, housing, and support services. Apply before the program deadline, confirm your credits in writing, and only then arrange travel documents, housing, insurance, and a budget. If you are not enrolled at a US college, the route is different: you usually apply directly to an institution abroad and follow that country's student entry rules. In both cases, check official government sources and your institution for the rules that apply to you, because requirements vary by destination, program length, and citizenship.

What Studying Abroad Means

Studying abroad means taking part in education outside your home country. For many US students, it means spending a summer, a semester, or an academic year at a partner institution while remaining enrolled at home. For others, it means enrolling for a full degree abroad, from a first degree through graduate study. The term is also used for shorter experiences such as language courses, field study, research placements, and internships that carry academic credit.

The experience is therefore not one single product. A semester exchange, a provider led program, direct enrollment at a foreign university, and a full degree abroad can look very different in cost, academic structure, housing, and daily life, even when they share the same destination city. That is why the first task is not choosing a country. It is deciding what kind of academic experience you want, what you need it to count toward, and what constraints matter most, such as budget, language, timing, and support.

It also helps to separate the academic decision from the travel excitement. A beautiful city can still be a poor academic fit if its courses do not match your degree plan, if classes are taught in a language you are not ready for, or if the term dates clash with required courses at home. A less famous location can be the better choice if it offers the right courses, a workable cost, and a program structure that suits you. Keep both questions in view: where do you want to live, and what do you need to learn?

How Common Is Studying Abroad?

The Institute of International Education (IIE) Open Doors report is a useful starting point for scale, because it counts US students who studied abroad for academic credit. In the 2023/24 academic year, 298,180 US students studied abroad for academic credit, an increase of 6 percent from the prior year. Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom, and France remained the leading host destinations, with nearly half, 45 percent, of all students studying in these top four destinations. Japan became the fifth largest destination for the first time in that year.

Those figures describe credit bearing study abroad from US institutions. They do not count every kind of overseas learning, and they do not mean that studying abroad is common for every student. Many students do not study abroad because of cost, degree requirements, work or family commitments, disability access needs, or a lack of information early enough to plan. Treat the numbers as context, not as pressure. Your decision should rest on your degree plan, finances, and readiness, not on whether other students chose the same path.

The Main Ways to Study Abroad

Exchange through your home institution

In an exchange, your home institution has an agreement with a partner institution abroad. You usually remain enrolled at home, pay home tuition or an agreed program charge, and take courses at the partner institution that are expected to transfer back, subject to approval. Places can be limited, and popular destinations may be competitive. This route often gives the clearest credit transfer path, because the partnership already exists, but you should still confirm each course in advance.

A program run by your home institution

Some colleges run their own programs abroad, led by their own faculty or in partnership with a host institution. The academic calendar, grading, and support may feel closer to home, which can help for students who want a structured first experience abroad. Course availability may be narrower than at a large host university, so check the course list before you commit.

A third party provider program

Provider programs arrange courses, housing, excursions, and on site support, often in partnership with a host institution. They can be helpful when your home institution does not offer a program in your chosen location or subject. Costs, inclusions, and academic oversight vary widely. Ask what the program fee covers, who awards the credit, how grades are recorded, and what happens if a course is canceled or changed.

Direct enrollment at a university abroad

Direct enrollment means applying to a university abroad and taking its regular courses alongside local students. This route can offer the widest course choice and the deepest immersion, but it also asks more of you: you may need to navigate a different academic system, grading scale, and course registration process with less hand holding. Language requirements are often higher, and credit transfer must be arranged with your home institution in advance if you plan to return home to finish your degree.

A full degree abroad

A full degree abroad means completing an entire undergraduate or graduate degree outside your home country. This is a longer commitment than a semester abroad, and the planning horizon is different. You will need to compare degree structures, total costs over several years, recognition of the qualification for your career plans, and entry and residence rules for the full length of study. If you later plan to work or seek licensure in another country, check early how that country treats a foreign qualification in your field. Do not assume that a degree accepted in one place is automatically accepted everywhere.

Short programs, language study, and research

Short programs during summer or winter breaks, intensive language courses, field schools, and research placements can suit students who cannot spend a semester away. They may carry fewer credits, or in some cases no credit, so confirm the academic value before you pay. A short program can also be a sensible first step: it lets you test living abroad, build language skills, and learn how you cope with being far from home before committing to a longer stay.

For language preparation in general, it helps to start early and to practice in realistic settings rather than only through vocabulary lists. Our guide to how to learn a language covers methods for building steady listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills over time.

A Step by Step Plan

The steps below follow the order that prevents the most common problems. The most expensive mistake is to apply, pay, or book travel before confirming credits, aid, and entry requirements. Work through the academic and financial checks first, even if that feels less exciting than choosing a city.

Step 1: Clarify your academic goal

Write down, in one paragraph, what the experience must achieve. Examples include: earn 12 credits toward your major, complete a language requirement, take courses unavailable at home, gain research experience, or test whether you want a full degree abroad. Share that paragraph with your academic adviser. It makes the rest of the process easier, because every program can then be judged against the same goal.

Also note your constraints. These may include: the semester you can be away, courses you must take at home in a particular term, a maximum budget, language level, accessibility needs, medication or health care needs, and work or family commitments. A program that ignores a hard constraint is not a good fit, even if it looks attractive in other ways.

Step 2: Visit your study abroad office and academic adviser

If you are enrolled at a US college, your study abroad office is the first stop, not the last. Ask for the list of approved programs, application deadlines, and the credit approval process. Ask how grades from abroad appear on your transcript, whether they affect your grade point average, and what happens if a course changes after arrival.

Meet your academic adviser separately. Bring the course descriptions for programs you are considering and ask which courses are likely to count toward your major, minor, or general requirements. Get approvals in writing where possible, and keep copies of every approval, email, and form. If a course is later changed, ask for a fresh approval rather than assuming the original approval still covers the replacement.

If you are not enrolled at a US college, contact the international admissions office of each institution you are considering. Ask about entry requirements, language requirements, application deadlines, tuition and fees, and the documents you will need for entry to that country. Keep a separate file for each institution, because requirements will differ.

Step 3: Compare programs on total cost, not headline price

A low program fee can still lead to a high total cost once housing, meals, local travel, books, insurance, visa and entry costs, airfare, phone service, and personal spending are added. A higher fee that includes housing, some meals, and on site support may cost less overall than a cheaper fee with many extras. Ask every program for a full cost breakdown and a list of what is not included.

Also ask about payment dates, refund rules, and what happens if the program is canceled or if you must withdraw for health or family reasons. Read those terms before you pay a deposit. If a deadline or refund rule is unclear, ask for it in writing.

Step 4: Check financial aid and scholarships early

Financial aid for study abroad depends on your institution, your program, and your enrollment status, so treat general statements with care. For short term study abroad, the US Department of Education’s Federal Student Aid guidance explains that aid is processed by the student’s home institution in the US, and that a foreign institution would not be authorized to certify loans or deferments for a US study abroad student who attends for a semester or a year to earn credits that transfer into a US degree program. That distinction matters: the home institution remains central for semester and year abroad aid.

Ask your financial aid office, in person or in writing, whether your existing aid can be used for the program you are considering, whether your cost of attendance budget will be adjusted for the program, and which forms or agreements are needed. If a third party provider or host institution is involved, ask whether a consortium agreement or similar arrangement is required. Do not assume that a scholarship, grant, or work arrangement automatically transfers. Some aid is tied to enrollment at home, to a particular program list, or to conditions that must be rechecked for study abroad.

Scholarships for study abroad come from many sources, including home institutions, host institutions, providers, governments, and private organizations. They vary in value, eligibility, and deadlines, and many close months before departure. Start the search at the same time as the program search, not after acceptance. Students at different stages should also note that scholarship options differ by level: our guides to scholarships for high school seniors and scholarships for graduate students explain how aid searches differ by stage, even though the study abroad rules themselves still depend on your institution and program.

Never borrow or commit to a program on the assumption that a scholarship will arrive. Treat any award as confirmed only when you have it in writing, with its amount, conditions, and payment date.

Step 5: Choose a destination with your eyes open

Destination choice should balance academic fit, language, cost, safety, climate, distance from home, and daily life. A country where you already speak the language may let you take a wider range of courses. A country where you are still learning the language may offer language courses and a slower academic load, but it may limit your course choice in your major.

Cost of living varies sharply by city, not only by country. Housing in a capital city can cost far more than housing in a smaller city in the same country, and food, transport, and health costs vary too. Look for recent, city specific cost information from your program or host institution rather than relying on a single national average.

Safety and health preparation should use official sources. The US Department of State’s studying abroad guidance advises students to research their destination using its Travel Advisory and guidance information, to learn local laws and customs, and to follow local laws while abroad. It also advises enrolling in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program, known as STEP, to receive safety and security information from the US embassy or consulate. Use that guidance alongside your program’s own safety briefing, and keep emergency contacts saved both on your phone and on paper.

Step 6: Prepare your application carefully

Application requirements vary, but most programs ask for some combination of: an application form, academic transcripts, a personal statement, references, proof of language proficiency where required, and a course plan. Some programs ask for an interview. Deadlines are often 6 to 12 months before departure for semester programs, and earlier for competitive or scholarship linked places.

Write your personal statement around your academic goal, not only around travel enthusiasm. Explain what you plan to study, why that location and program suit your degree, what preparation you have done, and how you will handle academic and practical challenges abroad. If you are applying to a college program for the first time, the writing habits in our guide to how to start a college essay can help you structure a clear opening and a focused argument, even though a study abroad statement has its own purpose.

Ask referees early, give them your goal paragraph and deadline, and confirm that they can write about your academic readiness, not only your character. Check every document for name spelling, dates, and file format before submission, because a mismatch between your passport name and your application name can cause delays later.

Step 7: Confirm credits, housing, and support in writing

After acceptance, confirm three things in writing before you book nonrefundable travel: the courses you will take and how each one counts at home, your housing arrangement and its cost and dates, and the support available on site, including an academic contact, a housing contact, and an emergency contact. If any course is listed as subject to change, ask what alternatives are available and how a change would be approved.

Also confirm the academic calendar: start and end dates, exam periods, holidays, and the date by which grades will be sent home. A program that ends after your home institution’s next term begins can create a difficult overlap. A program with exams after your planned return date can create a worse one. Resolve calendar clashes before departure, not after arrival.

Step 8: Handle entry documents through official channels

Entry requirements vary by destination, citizenship, program length, and purpose of stay. Some students need a visa or residence permit before travel; others may enter under a different arrangement and register after arrival. Processing times, fees, and required documents also vary, and they can change. This article gives no advice for any individual case. Use the official government sources for your destination country, your host institution’s international office, and your home institution’s study abroad office for the rules that apply to you, and start early enough to allow for delays, appointments, and extra documents.

In general, keep your passport valid well beyond your planned stay, because many destinations require validity beyond the travel dates, and keep copies of your passport, acceptance letter, housing confirmation, insurance details, and financial documents separate from the originals. The State Department’s student guidance also notes the importance of following local laws and customs and of knowing how to contact the nearest US embassy or consulate. Save those contacts before departure.

Step 9: Sort insurance, health, and money before you fly

Ask whether your home institution or program provides health insurance abroad, what it covers, and where it is accepted. Many home health plans offer limited or no cover abroad, and some host countries or institutions require specific cover. Ask about medical evacuation and repatriation cover, mental health cover, cover for pre existing conditions, and the process for making a claim from abroad. If you take regular medication, ask your clinician and your program how prescriptions, supply, and local legality work in your destination, and carry documentation as advised by your clinician and program. Laws on medicines differ by country, and a medicine that is routine at home may be restricted abroad.

For money, tell your bank about your travel dates, check card acceptance and ATM fees in your destination, and plan how you will receive funds. Carry a backup payment method, keep emergency funds separate from daily spending money, and learn the local norms for cash, cards, and tipping. Budget in the local currency where possible, and track spending weekly during the first month, when costs are hardest to predict.

Step 10: Prepare for arrival and the first two weeks

The first two weeks abroad often set the pattern for the whole stay. Before departure, confirm airport arrival support if your program offers it, your housing check in time and key collection method, and your first class or orientation date. Pack for the climate and for daily life, not only for sightseeing, and check baggage rules for your airline and any internal travel.

On arrival, complete any required local registration, open any local accounts or transport passes you need, and test your phone service. Attend orientation even if it feels optional: it is where you learn about academic expectations, grading, safety procedures, housing rules, and local support. Introduce yourself to your academic contact early, so that a later problem is not your first conversation with them.

Choosing Between Similar Programs

When two programs look similar, compare them on the factors that affect your degree and daily life most:

• Course match: how many courses count toward your degree, and how firm is that approval?
• Language: are courses taught in a language you can study in, and what language support is offered?
• Total cost: what is included, what is extra, and what are the refund terms?
• Housing: where will you live, with whom, for which dates, and at what cost?
• Support: who helps with academics, housing, health, and emergencies on site?
• Calendar: do term dates, exams, and grade reporting fit your home degree plan?
• Community: will you study mainly with other visiting students, with local students, or a mix, and does that suit your goal?
• Work and volunteering: what, if anything, are visiting students permitted to do, and what permission is needed? Rules vary, so check official sources rather than assuming.

A program that scores well on course match, total cost, and calendar fit is usually a stronger choice than a program that scores well only on location appeal. If you must trade off, trade off a preference, not a degree requirement or a hard budget limit.

Costs in Practice: What Varies and Why

Study abroad costs vary for reasons that are easy to overlook. Tuition arrangements differ: some students pay home tuition, some pay host tuition, and some pay a provider fee that bundles tuition, housing, and support. Housing differs by city, room type, and whether meals are included. Exchange rates move, and a budget set months before departure can shift by the time you arrive. Airfare varies by season, route, and booking date. Personal travel, which many students hope to do, is often the largest variable cost of all, and it should be budgeted separately from academic and living costs, not treated as an afterthought that quietly consumes the whole budget.

As of November 2026, no single average cost can describe study abroad fairly, because a summer language course, a semester exchange, and a full degree abroad differ so much in length and structure. Build your own budget from your program’s cost breakdown, your host institution’s living cost guidance, and a realistic allowance for travel, insurance, and personal spending. Then add a contingency amount for price changes, medical costs, or a changed flight. If the total exceeds what you can fund without hardship, a shorter program, a lower cost city, or a later term may be the wiser choice. Delaying a well planned experience is better than starting one you cannot afford to finish.

For the wider cost picture at home, our guide to how much is the average college tuition for 4 years shows why multi year totals matter more than a single term figure. The same logic applies abroad: compare the full length of the experience, not only the first payment.

Academics Abroad: What Changes

Academic systems differ in ways that surprise even strong students. Class sizes, contact hours, assessment methods, and expectations for independent study can all change. Some systems rely heavily on a final exam; others use continuous assessment, presentations, or long essays. Grading scales differ, and a grade that looks low in one system may be a strong grade in another. Ask your program how grades will be converted or recorded at home, and do not judge your early marks by home standards alone.

Attendance, participation, and academic honesty rules also vary. Plagiarism rules, citation expectations, and rules on collaboration or the use of study aids may be stricter, or simply different, from what you are used to. Ask for the host institution’s academic rules at orientation, and follow them as written. If you are unsure whether a study method is allowed, ask before you use it.

Keep your own academic records abroad: syllabi, reading lists, assignment briefs, graded work, and transcripts. These documents help your home institution award credit, help a future employer or graduate program understand your experience, and protect you if a course description is later disputed. Store copies online as well as on paper.

Language, Culture, and Daily Life

Language preparation pays off in academic and daily life, not only in class. Even if your courses are taught in English, learning the local language for everyday use helps with housing, health care, transport, and friendships. Even if your courses are taught in the local language, daily conversation practice outside class builds the fluency that lectures alone may not provide. Start before departure, keep practicing after arrival, and accept that progress will be uneven. A plateau after the first rapid gains is normal.

Culture shock is also normal, and it does not mean you made the wrong choice. Many students feel excitement, then frustration or homesickness, then gradual adjustment. The pattern and timing vary. Practical steps help more than willpower alone: keep a routine, join one regular activity, learn a few local norms early, and build at least one local contact outside your visiting student group. If low mood, anxiety, or health problems persist, use your program’s support services and local health services early. Seeking help is part of managing the experience well, not a sign of failure.

Practical daily life also deserves attention. Learn how local transport, banking, phone service, laundry, cooking, and health services work in your first week. Learn local emergency numbers, the location of the nearest pharmacy and clinic, and the rules for your housing. Small practical knowledge reduces daily friction and leaves more energy for study.

Working, Internships, and Volunteering Abroad

Some students hope to work, intern, or volunteer while abroad. Permission for these activities varies by destination, visa or residence status, program type, and employer. Some visiting students may work limited hours; others may not work at all; internships may need separate approval or a different permission. Never assume that the rules at home apply abroad, and never start work without confirming permission through official sources and your program. An unauthorized job can affect your status, your program standing, and your future applications, so check before you accept any offer, paid or unpaid.

If work or an internship is part of your academic plan, raise it at the application stage, not after arrival. Ask whether the program includes an internship placement, whether credit is available for it, who supervises it, and what permission it requires. If the answer is unclear, get it in writing from your program and the relevant official source.

Returning Home: Credit, Reflection, and Next Steps

Plan your return as carefully as your departure. Before you leave the host institution, confirm that your transcript will be sent, to whom, and by when. Keep copies of your grades, course descriptions, and any certificates. On return, meet your academic adviser promptly to confirm that credits have been recorded as expected, and raise any mismatch early, while records are still easy to correct.

Returning students often experience reverse culture shock: home feels familiar but slightly strange, friends have moved on, and the experience abroad is hard to explain in a short conversation. Give yourself time to readjust, keep in touch with friends from abroad, and use the experience deliberately. Update your resume with specific academic work, language gains, and projects, rather than only listing the destination. If you plan to apply for graduate study or jobs, ask a host instructor or supervisor for a reference while the work is still fresh, and keep their contact details.

For students weighing a longer break from study, a gap year can be a different route to time abroad or time away from formal study. It is not the same as study abroad, because it may carry no academic credit, but comparing the two options can clarify whether credit, structure, or exploration matters most to you.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Choosing a program for its location alone, without confirming course credit.
• Assuming financial aid, scholarships, or housing automatically transfer or apply.
• Booking nonrefundable travel before credits, housing, and entry documents are confirmed.
• Budgeting only the program fee, without housing, meals, insurance, travel, and personal costs.
• Ignoring language requirements until after acceptance.
• Skipping orientation or failing to learn local academic rules.
• Assuming work permission, health cover, or medication rules are the same as at home.
• Leaving transcript and credit confirmation until after returning home.
• Treating a scholarship or award as confirmed before it is confirmed in writing.
• Comparing programs by headline price instead of total cost over the full stay.

A Planning Timeline

Timelines vary by institution, but the following planning example shows why early action matters. Adjust it to your program’s actual deadlines, and treat your program’s dates as governing, not this example.

Twelve to nine months before departure: clarify your academic goal, meet your study abroad office and adviser, compare programs, and start scholarship research. Nine to six months before: apply to programs, confirm credit approvals, and check financial aid arrangements. Six to three months before: confirm housing, insurance, and entry documents through official channels, and complete health preparations. Three to one month before: confirm travel, housing check in, orientation dates, and emergency contacts, and prepare a realistic budget in the local currency. In the first two weeks abroad: complete local registration, attend orientation, confirm courses, and learn local practical systems. Before returning home: confirm transcript arrangements and keep copies of all academic records.

If you are starting later than this example, do not skip the academic and financial checks to catch up. A shorter program in a later term, with credits and aid properly confirmed, is a better outcome than a rushed semester with unresolved credit or funding problems.

Making the Most of the Experience

The students who gain most from studying abroad are rarely those who travel most widely. They are often those who engage steadily: attending classes, learning the language, joining a local activity, and building relationships over time. Travel can enrich the experience, but it should not replace the academic and local engagement that justify the time and cost.

Keep a simple record during your stay: courses taken, skills learned, challenges solved, and contacts made. That record will help you write applications, prepare for interviews, and explain the experience honestly later. It will also help you notice growth that is easy to miss day by day, such as improved language fluency, greater independence, or stronger problem solving in unfamiliar settings.

Studying abroad can also shape your next steps in ways that are hard to predict. Some students return with a clearer major, a new research interest, or a career direction they had not considered. Others return sure that they prefer to study at home, and that clarity is also valuable. Judge the experience by what you learned and what you can now do, not only by whether every day felt enjoyable.

For life after arrival, practical skills matter as much as academic ones. Building a network abroad, for example, can help with course choices, local knowledge, and future opportunities. Our guide to networking tips for college students covers how to build contacts in a natural, respectful way, which applies just as well to a new campus abroad as to a home campus.

When Study Abroad May Not Be the Right Step Yet

Study abroad is not right for every student at every moment. It may be wiser to wait if your degree plan has no room for transfer credits in the term you would be away, if funding would require hardship borrowing, if a health condition needs stable care that cannot be arranged abroad, or if you have not yet confirmed the academic value of the program. Waiting is not giving up. A later term, a summer program, a virtual exchange, or a domestic opportunity may give you similar academic benefits with fewer risks.

If cost is the main barrier, compare the full range of options before ruling study abroad out: a shorter program, a lower cost destination, an exchange with home tuition, a program with included housing, and scholarships with early deadlines. If the barrier is academic fit, ask whether a different term, a different host institution, or a different course mix would solve the problem. If the barrier is readiness, language preparation and a short program can build confidence for a longer stay later.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I start studying abroad if I am already in college?

Start with your study abroad office and your academic adviser. Ask which programs are approved, how credits transfer, what the deadlines are, and how financial aid works for each option. Confirm your course plan in writing before you apply, so that your time abroad counts toward your degree as expected.

How long does it take to plan study abroad?

For a semester program, allow 9 to 12 months where possible, because applications, credit approvals, scholarship deadlines, and entry documents each take time. Short programs may need less lead time, but credit and aid checks should still come first. If your program gives earlier deadlines, follow those dates.

Can I study abroad for a full degree instead of a semester?

Yes, you can apply directly to an institution abroad for a full degree, but the planning is different. Compare degree structures, total multi year costs, language requirements, and how the qualification is recognized for your career plans. Entry and residence rules for a full degree also differ from those for a semester exchange, so check official government sources and the institution for your case.

What is the difference between college and university abroad?

The words college and university are used differently in different countries, and sometimes differently within the same country. In some systems, a college is a smaller institution or part of a larger university; in others, it is a distinct type of institution. Do not rely on the word alone. Check the institution’s status, the qualification it awards, and how that qualification is recognized. For the US distinction, see our guide to the difference between college and university.

How much does it cost to study abroad?

Total cost varies by program type, destination city, length, housing, and personal spending, so no single average is reliable. Build your budget from your program’s full cost breakdown, host living cost guidance, insurance, entry costs, airfare, and a contingency amount. Compare total cost over the full stay, not only the first payment, and treat any award as confirmed only when it is confirmed in writing.

Can I use financial aid to study abroad?

It depends on your institution and program. For semester and year abroad study that earns credit toward a US degree, aid is generally processed through your home institution, and your financial aid office is the authority on whether your aid can be used, whether your budget will be adjusted, and which forms are needed. Ask that office early, in writing, and do not assume that every type of aid transfers in the same way.

Do I need to speak the local language?

It depends on the program. Some programs teach in English and offer local language courses for daily life. Others require proficiency in the language of instruction and may ask for test scores or prior coursework. Check the language of instruction for each course you plan to take, not only the program’s general description, and start language preparation early.

Do I need a student visa?

Entry requirements vary by destination, citizenship, program length, and purpose of stay, and they can change. Some students need a visa or residence permit before travel, while others follow a different process. This article gives no advice for any individual case. Check official government sources for your destination, your host institution’s international office, and your home institution’s study abroad office, and start early enough to allow for appointments and delays.

What if my courses change after I arrive?

Ask your program for alternatives and get fresh credit approval from your home institution before you settle on a replacement course. Keep copies of the original approval, the changed course description, and the new approval. Do not assume that a replacement course counts simply because it has a similar title.

Is studying abroad worth it?

That depends on your academic goal, total cost, and readiness. Study abroad can offer new courses, language gains, independence, and a broader view of your field, but it can also delay graduation if credits do not transfer, or create financial strain if costs are underestimated. Judge the value by confirmed academic credit, realistic total cost, and what you will learn, not by destination appeal alone.

Sources & references

• US Department of State, Studying Abroad guidance, travel.state.gov: research your destination using Travel Advisory and guidance information, follow local laws, and enroll in STEP for safety information from the US embassy or consulate. Page opened and checked 4 November 2026.
• US Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, study abroad and exchange information via studyabroad.state.gov and exchanges.state.gov, as referenced on the State Department studying abroad page. Checked 4 November 2026.
• Institute of International Education, Open Doors 2025 press release, iie.org, 17 November 2025: 298,180 US students studied abroad for academic credit in 2023/24, up 6 percent; Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom, and France leading destinations at 45 percent combined; Japan fifth. Page opened and checked 4 November 2026.
• US Department of Education, Federal Student Aid, Foreign School Frequently Asked Questions for Students, fsapartners.ed.gov: short term study abroad aid is processed by the student's home institution in the US; a foreign institution would not certify loans or deferments for semester or year study abroad to earn credits toward a US degree. Checked 4 November 2026.
• US Department of Education, Federal Student Aid Handbook, 2026-2027, citizenship and eligible noncitizen requirements, fsapartners.ed.gov: federal student aid eligibility requires US citizenship, US nationality, or eligible noncitizen status, among other requirements. Checked 4 November 2026.