Blocks Away: Getting Started

Great to hear.  So, what do you want to look into now that you are on board?

• Billing & Aid Info: Check out the Billing & Finances page specific to Blocks Away. 
• Next Steps: To confirm and plan for your block away, try this PDF file. 
• Predeparture Planning:Our Predeparture page is a "must visit" info hub. 

We hope you are loving the experience.  But if you are looking for information on your travel insurance, or just wellness in general, this site is where you want to go. 

If you have questions about anything else on your program, we recommend emailing the Global Education Team at globaleducation@coloradocollege.edu

Remember that with a CC Block Away, your course is a standard CC course, so there is no concern about transfer credit. All the same policies about grade tracks, course grades, and credit are the same as if you were on campus. 

Welcome back.  So, now, how do you keep your study away experience from becoming just a piece of history?  How do you stay connected, make sense of the experience, and leverage it towards your future as you move forward? 

This site on re-entry from study away can help you do all three. 

Blocks Away are built out of Colorado College’s unique academic model and makes study away a reality for all students. A Block Away, or Off-Campus Block is ...

• a Colorado College course offering CC credit,
• taught by Colorado College faculty and populated by CC students,
• offered somewhere other than on our Colorado Springs campus,
• a unique experiential learning experience.

Many on-campus courses may include local or regional field experiences, but a CC Block Away is a course with a significant portion of the course taught at another location across the USA or around the world.

In a typical eight block academic cycle, Colorado College offers between 12-18 study away blocks, with another 8-12 available each summer. Courses are offered in almost every field of study from the natural sciences to the humanities to music and math. Students can fulfill general college requirements as well as major/minor ones by participating in one of these off-campus Blocks.

Summer Off-Campus Blocks are announced in Block 4 (November) while Academic Year blocks for the next school year are formally announced during Half-Block (January). You will be able to see all the new block offerings at our Current Blocks Away page as soon as they are announced. 

The application window for each type of Block Away is aligned with the date for the corresponding Study Away Fair. Those window dates are listed above. The Fairs will be on the following dates:

2027 SUMMER FAIR: Wednesday, December 2, 2026

2027-2028 STUDY AWAY FAIR: Thursday, January 28, 2027

We highly recommend that students apply as soon as possible within each application window as most programs use a rolling admissions process. 

1. Research:  Learn about the blocks at the Fair, from the faculty leaders, or on our website. It is always a good idea to speak with the faculty leader of a Block Away to get all the details, and then speak with your advisor to see how any given block may fit within your plans. 

4. Class Enrollment: Once you confirm, you will get an email with the course's COI Code (Consent of Instructor), also called the Pin Code for the course. With this, you can add the course when you complete pre-registration on Banner or through Add/Drop. 

Yes, but...

Just like selecting a college, having a ranking is a good idea. Once you receive acceptance notifications, you should return to Summit to complete the forms for your chosen block(s) and withdraw from any other blocks.  Failure to withdraw by the deadline could lead to unwanted fees for late withdrawal.

And can I join more than 1 block in a year?

Yes, but... 

• If you receiving aid is key to your ability to participate, remember that it is easier to get your first award than to get a second one, so you may need to self-fund a 2nd block if you do not receive 2 awards.
  
  
• Joining multiple programs too close together can lead to visa issues. Each block is less than the common 90-day allowance of tourist visas, but combining several blocks in the same country or region (the EU, for example) can be a problem because CC blocks away do not qualify for student visas that would allow you to stay longer. 

Yes, because all Off-Campus Blocks charge a program fee above the standard semester's tuition and room & board fees. However, for eligible students, there are possible aid awards to cover up to 90% of that fee as well as up to 90% of estimated airfare costs for the block. 

You can find out all the details about block away program fees and aid available for our blocks away on the Blocks Away: Billing & Aid webpage.

No. Students in a block away course retain their housing assignment on Colorado College's campus and are able to leave their belongings in their rooming assignment, with the exception being the final block of the year. Students who join a Block 8 off-campus course must move out at the end of Block 7. 

There is no housing refund for a 1-block study abroad program. However, students with a meal plan will,  receive a reimbursement through direct deposit for 1 block of meal points. Money you can and should use for meals while traveling on the block away. 

No. Both are considered semester away options rather than Blocks Away. They have different application and financial models.  You can explore these programs on our Semesters Away webpage.

It depends.

• If the program is within the U.S., then no passport or visa is needed. 
• For international programs, a passport is essential. 
• Whether or not you need a visa depends on the country the course visits as well as your country of origin (where your passport is from). Most U.S. passport holders do not need a visa for most blocks away, but there can always be exceptions. 
• International Students using non-U.S. passports often do need to acquire a visa for many programs outside the United States.

For details on passport requirements, visa processes, and potential concerns for students who seek to engage in multiple study away programs in the same year, please visit our Eligibility & Policies Website and review the information provided.