All students are expected to meet Colorado College’s standards for academic performance. These standards also apply when considering eligibility for a study away program. 

Academic guidelines are in place to keep students on-track toward meeting the graduation requirements of the college (32 units with a cumulative GPA of 2.0). Students who do not meet Colorado College academic standards may be put on probation or suspended from the College. They may become ineligible to participate in the off-campus study until they are returned to good academic standing. 

MAINTAINING ELIGIBILITY

Failure to maintain minimum good academic standing between program acceptance and program departure is grounds for dismissal, and you may face financial consequences related to a late program removal.

• Every program, whether CC Faculty-led or through a partner organization, has a minimum GPA requirement.  Failure to maintain this minimum requirement in the time between program acceptance and program departure is grounds for dismissal. 
• Students on academic probation or suspension cannot study away during this period, or as their first term back from academic probation or suspension. 
• For a student placed on academic probation or suspension, a study away semester/year cannot also be the first semester of return as semesters away do not transfer GPA standing, so they cannot be used to improve a student's academic standing.  
• A CC-led study away experience cannot be the first academic coursework to follow a suspension or probation.  On-campus coursework is needed to reestablish good academic standing.
• A partner-led study away semester cannot be the first semester back from suspension or probation as these programs do not produce course grades, only credit.   

If you are applying for an approved non-CC partner program for study abroad or away, be aware that they may also have their own, different minimum threshold levels for GPA requirements and academic standing in order to be accepted. A student would need to meet both CC’s academic standards for off-campus study, as well as those of the partner program or host institution abroad/away.

For more information on Academic Standing categories, please visit this page from the Registrar's Office.

If a senior wishes to apply for a semester abroad or away during their senior year through an approved partner (non-CC) program, the additional required approval steps would be sought through the process of completing the required CC Internal Application for Study Away Approval in Summit. When a student indicates they’ll have senior standing on this application, a supplemental review step opens up in the application for you to complete. Please fill this out thoughtfully and thoroughly, and Summit will forward it for final review by the Dean of the College (again, this is automatically handled through Summit – you do not need to approach the Dean on your own for this exception). Make sure you have already spoken with your academic/major advisor about your academic plans before applying for off-campus study, as their approval in Summit is an integral step in the process of gaining permission.

For individual CC blocks off-campus or CC faculty-led programs during senior year, no additional approval steps are needed beyond applying through Summit as usual.

STUDY AWAY AND NEW STUDENTS

Due to the timing of the application processes for blocks away, new (first year and transfer) students typically begin to join block away courses in the summer after their first year of study. Semester and year-long off-campus study are generally open to sophomores, juniors, and Fall-semester seniors.

PASSPORTS

While it is not necessary to have a valid passport in order to be eligible to begin the CC application process for study abroad, you should begin the passport application or renewal process as soon as possible in order to ensure you will have the required documentation needed to participate in the program, if accepted.  

If you have never obtained a passport, currently receive need-based aid from Colorado College, and are in need of financial support to apply for a passport to participate in your study abroad program, you may apply for an Academic Opportunities Grant to help cover some of those expenses.   

If you currently hold a passport, make sure you know where it physically is (you would be surprised how often passports get misplaced in the process of moving to college), and then look to verify the expiration date on your passport (it may be sooner than you think!). Some countries require that your passport be valid for up to 12 full months after your planned departure date from the country/after the end date of your program abroad.  If it is close, it is time to renew. 

Standard passport processing times for U.S. passports can range from 8-16 weeks for standard processing. Expedited processing is available for an additional fee and usually is estimated to take between 5 to 8 weeks. You can check current processing times on the U.S. Passport Agency’s website.

Students who are unable to travel with a CC-led study abroad program due to an inability to acquire or renew a passport by the departure date could face significant financial ramifications for a last-minute withdrawal from the study away program. It is the responsibility of the student to ensure that they are able to obtain any required travel documents in time for initial program departure. 

ENTRY VISAS

A visa is essentially permission from another country to enter and remain in their country for a stated period of time, for the purposes of completing your study program. All students studying abroad through CC must obtain the correct visa(s) required by the country or countries they will be studying in. Visa requirements vary widely by country (based both on your country of citizenship/passport you will be traveling on, as well as your destination and their entry regulations). It is important that you know what visa requirements will apply to you so that you can prepare for this well in advance. Failure to obtain a visa will result in you not attending the program.

For many 1-block programs or 2-block half-semester programs, a student visa is often not required as students are not enrolling in a local university and are not staying abroad for more than 90 days. For most destinations, a tourist visa, or simply a passport is enough for entry and stay of up to 90 days. This can vary widely based on the country which has issued your passport. While most U.S. passport holders can visit a range of countries without a visa, this is not always true, nor is it true of travelers with other national passports. It is important for you to verify whether or not a visa is needed even for your participation even in a 1-block program. If a visa is required for a CC-led one- or two-block program, most of the time you would apply for the correct tourist/90-day visa and not a student visa, as programs led by CC do not have you enrolled as a student in a local foreign university.

If you do need a student visa, applying for it can be an involved process that requires your careful attention. You should begin to do research about the student visa requirements for the country or countries you will be visiting and living in even before you know you have been accepted to your program. Entry requirements can change at any time. We advise that you pay close attention to consular updates, as you are responsible for knowing and addressing the requirements for your host country and study abroad program. Gathering the required documentation for your student visa can take as much or more time than your study abroad application itself.

If you are participating in a CC-approved partner program abroad, usually your program will be your primary source of the most current visa application process information, as well as the issuer of any required documentation needed to obtain your student visa, as their student for that semester or year. If you require a Verification of Enrollment letter (or similar) from Colorado College as your home institution, you can request that letter from the CC Registrar.

The Center for Global Education at Colorado College is not responsible for obtaining student visas nor can we be responsible for visa complications, delays, or visa denials. Unfortunately, Colorado College does not have the ability to change visa requirements, nor does it help if we call consulates or embassies on your behalf. Though we're happy to help you in whatever way we can through the timely issuance of required documentation when this comes through CC, the decision to issue you a visa rests solely with the consulate or embassy.

Please be aware that the visa application process for some countries may require students to surrender their passports for several weeks or months before starting the study abroad program. These consular requirements may impact students' independent travel plans. Visa requirements should be investigated and considered by all applicants prior to planning independent travel (including travel over breaks or arriving early to your program site). All students are required to be in possession of the proper visa documentation in order to participate in any program.

INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS & ENTRY VISAS

International (non-U.S.-citizen) students at Colorado College may have additional costs and requirements related to studying abroad which are not common for U.S. citizens. 

• You may be required to obtain a visa to enter the program’s host country when U.S. citizens do not. Visas commonly require paying a fee.
• You may need to schedule visa appointments through consular offices outside of Colorado and travel independently to these appointments.
• If your program is a CC faculty-led program, you will likely need a letter from Colorado College to support your visa application. Please allow at least two weeks for these letters to be issued before your visa appointment; waiting until the last minute to request these may mean that we do not have time to issue them to you.
• You may need to apply well in advance to obtain a visa appointment.  Do not wait until the final weeks before departure to begin this process. We recommend beginning the visa process as soon as is allowed (for example, Schengen visa applications can now be initiated 180 days/6 months before program departure, rather than the previous 90 days).

CC Financial Aid does not cover these costs connected to applying for visas for any CC block abroad programs. If you believe you will need financial support in order to obtain the necessary visa for a program to which you have been accepted, please contact CC Global Education.  Funds are available (on a limited basis) from Global Education.

In the event a student utilized CC funds in order to obtain their visa for study abroad only to later withdraw from the program, that student may be billed for the visa expenses as these are only supported by CC when the visa leads to participation in study abroad.  It is important that students understand the financial implications of a late withdrawal from a study abroad program.  

• Study Away is not recommended for First Year Students.  The transition to college is significant, and adding the additional layer of a study away program can produce less than desirable outcomes.  Furthermore, the application periods for study away often preclude students from engaging in the initial application, putting them at greater risk of denial of participation or inability to acquire aid.  
  
  
• While it may be possible, based on the timing of the application cycles, for First Year Students to apply for a Block Away in Blocks 7 or 8, as well as a Spring Semester Away, be advised that many programs require sophomore status for approval, and that internal financial aid from Colorado College is not typically available to students earlier than the summer following their first year.  
  
  
• We also believe it is important to work with your advisor to develop an intentional, purposeful, and well-considered plan for study away, which is often not possible during the first semester of a student's first year, which is why we recommend looking at the summer following your first year as the earliest study away window you should consider. 

• Because off-campus programming requires advance reservations and bookings, the timeframe for application and registration is earlier and longer in duration than the simpler process for on-campus course registration.  
• All CC-led and Partner-led programs have application periods or application deadlines which occur well before course registration for a given semester begins, and often fill on a rolling basis. 

• All applications begin on the SUMMIT online platform.  Enrollment in the course through the standard course enrollment process happens later in the process.
• Both CC Faculty-led Programs and Partner-led Programs may use rolling admissions. Regardless of the final date for applications in each program type, we always recommend early application whenever possible.
• It is essential that students apply to, and be accepted into, a study away program in Summit before attempting to register for any courses for the semester in question.
• Students applying for a Partner-led study away program (semester or year away) must complete both the CC process in Summit and the provider's own application.  These can be done simultaneously.  
  

Once approved to join either a CC-led or Partner-led study away program, all students are required to complete a confirmation process in Summit, in order to "lock in" their roster spot/confirm intent to participate on the program, and for CC-led programs to receive the appropriate enrollment consent codes needed to enroll in the course(s) as part of their registration for the appropriate semester or summer coursework. Only students who have completed all post-approval documents and waivers in Summit will be eligible to enroll in the appropriate study away courses.  

The post-approval forms for CC-led programs away (found on Summit and required of all students) include the following:  

• Behavioral Contract:  Expanding upon the CC Code of Conduct already in effect for all students.  
• Program Fee Agreement:  Outlining the financial commitments involved with the study away program and the financial ramifications of a post-deadline withdrawal.  
• Independent Travel Waiver:  Defining the student's responsibilities should they travel independently during the course of the study away program as well as the limitations of support or responsibility held by Colorado College should students opt to travel independently prior to, or following conclusion of the group program, block or multiple-block away program. 

In addition to these forms, students will have to upload passport information (international programs only) and acknowledge receipt of information relevant to several offices on campus. Upon completion of all of these elements, the student will be asked to confirm their acceptance of their position on the appropriate study away program.  

Deadline for Program Confirmation 

All programs have a deadline by which students must either actively withdraw from the program or confirm their participation in the program. As we stated above, failure to confirm participation by the deadline can result in a passive "withdrawal" and reassignment of the student's space in the program to another student. The withdrawal/confirmation deadline for each program type is listed below. 

• Summer Block Away courses:  March 15 
• Fall Semester Away, Academic Year Away: May 1
• Block 1/2 Block Away courses: May 1
• Block 3/4 Block Away courses: August 1 
• Block 5 or 6 Block Away courses: October 1
• Block 7 or 8 Block Away courses: December 1
• Spring Semester Away: December 1
• Block 7+8 Half-Semester Away programs: February 1

All Block Away programs have a withdrawal deadline (see above sections on application) which is the last date whereby a student can withdraw from the program and have no financial commitment for the billed program fee.  Withdrawal after the withdrawal deadline may require payment of a portion of the program fee to ensure program funding for any expenditures already committed at the time of student withdrawal, as well as any shared costs to which all participants contributed.

Withdrawal following the withdrawal deadline holds a minimum charge of $100, however this charge can be significantly higher due to nonrefundable expenditures made on the student's behalf.   A withdrawal in the block prior to departure (Block 8 for all summer programs) holds a minimum charge of 25% of the full program fee, however, with a cancellation this late in the predeparture period, a charge of 50% or higher is not unheard of, due to the expenditures typically locked in prior to departure. 

When a student withdraws, any aid award specific to the Block Away program is rescinded so that it may be provided to another student participant and to allow the withdrawing student to maintain eligibility for a future aid award. Block Away aid awards cannot be used to cover any fees billed to the student for late cancellation or withdrawal.  All charges billed for a late withdrawal must be paid by the student or their financial backers.  

Withdrawal from a CC-led Semester or Half-Semester Program

• CC-Led semester and half-semester programs receive their funding from the tuition, room & board, and program fees associated with each program (full semester or partial).  As such, a late withdrawal from a CC-led semester or half-semester program can lead to significant costs to the student as all funds expended by the program and no longer refundable to Colorado College may be billed to the student in addition to the tuition, room & board charges should they opt to return to campus for the semester or blocks in question.  
  
  
• As these fees can be several thousand dollars, up to $20,000 for a full semester, depending on the program and the time of withdrawal, students are strongly encouraged to withdraw by the withdrawal deadline for each program. Late withdrawal can lead to a considerable portion of the program funding to be billed as additional charges to the student account. Withdrawal once the program has begun almost universally leads to full billing of the program expense and should be avoided if at all possible.  
  
  
• Colorado College also cannot guarantee that campus housing will be available for a student who withdraws from a semester away during the final weeks before departure or for one who seeks to return home early from a canceled semester away.  

Withdrawal from a Partner-led Semester or Full Year Program

• Just as withdrawal from a CC-led semester program requires significant nonrefundable charges be billed to the student account, the same is true for all partner-led study away programs.  Students should be careful to review and understand the withdrawal policies of the provider for their partner-led semester or year away program.  Any charges which are deemed nonrefundable or which are billed to Colorado College for a late or mid-program withdrawal will be passed along to the student above and beyond the cost for tuition, room & board should the student return to campus for the remainder of the semester or year.   
  
  
• CC tuition cannot be allocated for both on-campus courses and a canceled semester away simultaneously.  For this reason a student who withdraws from their study away semester and returns to campus will be billed for all tuition fees retained by the provider on top of the cost of college tuition for their on-campus courses.  
  
  
• CC Financial Aid used to cover costs related to a partner program study away semester cannot also be used to cover nonrefundable partner program charges from a late withdrawal.  This may lead to several thousand dollars in billed charges which must be paid by the student or their financial backers.

• Students who wish to withdraw from the partner-led program prior to program departure should contact Global Education immediately, particularly if their intention is to replace the study away experience with a semester of coursework on campus. 

Medical or Emergency Withdrawal from a Partner-Led Program

While it is unfortunate, there are situations where a medical necessity would require that a student withdraw from a study away program either following the Withdrawal Deadline or even mid-program.  In these cases, the following policies apply.  

Medically Necessary Withdrawal Pre-Departure: 

In the event a withdrawal between the Withdrawal deadline and the departure date is the result of an urgent medical concern which causes medical caregivers to recommend travel plan cancellation, Colorado College will attempt to reduce or waive any program charges from the student's account. In order to verify a medical necessity to withdraw, students withdrawing will be asked to provide a statement from a licensed medical or mental health professional who can affirm that it is their recommendation that the student not travel due to a medical or mental health concern. No details of the diagnosis are necessary, only confirmation that the attending professional does not recommend travel. This documentation should be provided either on official letterhead or through official channels of the medical provider.  It is also required that the physician or health care provider be someone who the student is seeing professionally, and not a family member or friend of the family. In most cases 100% of the fee is waived for such incidents, however, there are rare cases where only partial reimbursement is possible due to the nature of the expenditures already made on behalf of the student. 

Medically Necessary Withdrawal During a Program/Course:  

All students on any CC Study Away (Faculty- or Partner-led) program have access to medical and mental health services, either on-site or through virtual care.  When students encounter medical or mental health concerns while away on a study away program, they should first communicate their concerns to the on-site staff (CC or partner) and work with the staff to ensure that appropriate and available care is accessed.  If the situation leads the student to request a return home, staff will arrange with the student for an early departure.  However, as with any medical withdrawal on-campus, it may be necessary for the student to withdraw from the courses due to the inability to complete the appropriate coursework.  

For Partner-led programs, the decision to reimburse the college, and therefore the student, is entirely at the discretion of the study away provider.  Colorado College will not reimburse any funds from the study away program that have not been reimbursed first to the college.  Students should review the materials offered by their study away provider regarding program withdrawal policies.  

Withdrawal Due to Family Crisis:  

With medical withdrawal, students on Partner-led study away will need to consult with the program provider as to the allowances for withdrawal from the program due to family crisis as well as any refund policy the provider may have in place.   

For CC-led programs, students should communicate the nature of the family crisis to the faculty leadership of the program. Leadership will discuss the concerns with Global Education and a determination will be made as to the scope of any possible reimbursement for a shortened study away experience.  Students should anticipate that withdrawal prior to program departure due to family emergency will not produce a significant refund as most program expenses require significant on-site deposits which are not refundable. This is also true of mid-program withdrawal, however, on programs where International SOS and CC’s UHP travel insurance is included as part of the program, reimbursement of some expenses may be possible through an insurance claim for “trip interruption.”  This typically will include reimbursement for flight rebooking fees and potentially some other travel-related expenses.  

Students on partner-led programs should anticipate that a withdrawal mid-program may require the student to also seek a withdrawal from some or all of their coursework through the Partner program and should work closely with the Center for Global Education & Field Study to reflect this on the CC enrollment side. 

Return to Campus Following A Mid-Program Withdrawal: 

For students on single-block programs, it is quite simple. Departure mid-program means that a student returns home (to deal with whatever concerns led to the withdrawal) and should anticipate returning to campus either the next block, for their next on-campus course, or upon recovery from their medical concern. If the medical condition requires additional blocks off, students should work with the Advising Hub to file for a leave of absence for medical reasons. With both single- and multiple-block withdrawals, students with on-campus housing are not permitted to return to their campus housing if they are not enrolled in on-campus courses, so a return when the student next has a scheduled on-campus course is appropriate.  

For students on multiple block (semester, half-semester) programs, returning home and returning to campus can be more complex. It is rare that a student can return from a multiple-block or full semester program and resume study on the CC campus before their scheduled return date. Students who receive permission for a medical, mental health, or family emergency mid-program withdrawal should expect to return to their homes and not immediately to the Colorado College campus. Additionally, with medical withdrawal, the underlying medical concern should be managed before a return to campus is sought.  As with single-block programs, students on longer programs who withdraw mid-program should expect to return to campus for the next block in which they are already enrolled in an on-campus course. Mid-semester returns to campus are rare and potentially come with high financial costs and complications around housing and registration. It is unlikely that a student who withdraws from a semester away can return to campus until the next semester.  

Students on 2-block CC Half-Semesters should plan to return to campus for the next block in which they are already registered for an on-campus course.

Students on full CC Semester programs should anticipate a return to campus for the next semester. This is true regardless of the date of withdrawal. For example, a student who withdraws from a fall semester during Block 1 at CC should expect to return to campus for Block 5, not Block 2.  

The ability of students to return to the CC campus following a mid-term withdrawal from a Partner-led semester away is entirely contingent upon refunds from the program, where possible. Many programs cannot refund any program expenses (tuition or program fees) once the semester has begun, and so a return to CC would usually require additional separate payment to CC for the on-campus housing, meal, and tuition costs. Because of this, most students who need to withdraw from a Partner-led program away mid-term do not return to campus until the following semester.