Parent & Family Information For Study Away

THE STUDENT AT THE CENTER

The Center for Global Education & Field Study staff work with students as our primary advising constituency, especially regarding academic advising for off-campus study, thoughtful goal-setting for their study away experience, program selection, and all application processes.

FROM STUDENT TO PARENT OR FAMILY

Following all of these student-centered steps, we then see it as the student’s role to communicate with their parents and other supporters of their study abroad plans directly, to inform them of what we’ve worked on and worked out, and to communicate where they would like to ask for support. 

WHY WE FOLLOW THIS PHILOSOPHY

Our goal is to help generate a sense of self-authorship for your adult student to prepare to both navigate and take ownership of their own educational experiences around the world, with agency and learning along the way. We are here to offer them support throughout this process.

When approached intentionally, study away substantially enriches the Colorado College experience. We love working with students as they discover and deepen their own interests through new environments, modes of learning, and cultures—it’s not uncommon to see a student return from a semester or block away transformed with greater academic engagement, maturity, and purpose. 

STUDENT-CENTERED COMMUNICATION

While our primary contact, and constituent, in all study away matters is the Colorado College student seeking to participate in a study away experience, we do understand that parents and family often have questions. We encourage all parents and family to speak first with their student.  Through our office, partner organizations, our faculty study away leaders, and our extensive website, students receive a broad range of information about their program during the pre-departure period. This includes information about billing, aid, credit transfer, academic fit, medical and safety concerns, and logistical planning information such as flights and programmatic components. 

We understand that this information does not always filter back to the families of our students, but as the student is the primary constituent for the study away program, we believe it is always preferable that they be the first source of information or conduit of information to families. 

STUDENT INCLUSION

When we are contacted by family members of a CC student, our office has a policy of requiring the inclusion of the adult student on any communication related to their own study abroad or study away experience, in support of our student development and advising philosophies above.

For this reason, after initial contact by a parent, guardian, or family member, we may opt to shift a conversation from a phone call to email correspondence. This allows us to chronicle the information provided, to include the adult student in all conversations, to respect the role of the student as our primary constituent, and to protect the student's FERPA and HIPAA rights.

LEGAL AND ETHICAL LIMITS

Please be aware students continue to be enrolled at Colorado College while studying off-campus; therefore, all FERPA and HIPAA regulations continue to be implemented for participants at all stages of the study abroad and study away experience.

While we are happy to discuss Colorado College policies, programs, and practices with parents and family members and to help direct you to policy information on our website, we cannot discuss any student-specific information, including enrollment information, financial arrangements, or academic progress, with anyone beyond the student without written authorization granting FERPA clearance to the individuals within the conversation. We will also include the student on the resulting communications as well.

Why should you encourage your student be considering study away as part of their academic preparation and their career at CC?  We could give you a much longer list but we thought five of the biggest would be encouragement enough. Year after year we hear back from alumni who deeply value their study away experience and who see that it helped them achieve their goals both at the College and beyond.

1. Global Perspective is in Demand

2. Study Away is a Resume Booster

3. Study Abroad improves GPA, Completion, and Retention Rates

4. Study Abroad Improves Language Learning

5. Study Abroad Can Heighten Self-Understanding

There you go. Five strong reasons why study away may well be one of the most impactful, transformational, and beneficial aspects of a contemporary college education. We at Colorado College believe strongly in the power of study away to help our students develop, grow, and learn. We believe it is a valuable piece of any student's education, regardless of major or career goals. So, if your student asks you about the opportunities, or wonders if it is right for them, we hope you will encourage your student to explore what is possible. 

LOGISTICS & PROGRAM DETAILS

Encourage your student to read everything their program sends them, to respond to any forms required in a timely manner (especially related to visas or passports), and to attend any and all predeparture meetings on campus for CC-led programs, or online/on Zoom for their many of our partner programs.

Students will directly receive a broad range of information about their program during the pre-departure period: this includes information about billing, aid, credit transfer, academic fit, medical and safety concerns, and logistical planning information such as flights and programmatic components.

We understand that this logistical information does not always filter back to the families of our students, but as the student is the primary constituent for the study away program, we believe it is always preferable that they be the first source of information or conduit of information to families, and we encourage you to ask your student directly.

FINANCIAL PLANNING

While most expenses related to study away are included within the program charges for a study away program, there are always additional expenses which students should plan to address.  Perhaps the most common issue we see with students and funding is tied to a lack of pacing when it comes to use of their personal funds, leading to splurging at the onset of a new program, but then a subsequent lack of funds available for the final days or weeks of a program. Working with your student on a weekly or monthly budget can be a great help in ensuring that they have adequate funds for the full duration of their study away experience.  

All study away programs led or sanctioned by CC provide students with travel and health coverage, whether through our own provider or through the partner organization and their insurance provider. Make sure your student knows and understands how their health insurance abroad will work for the program they’ve chosen, and what resources at CC can continue to support them while away. 

Most travel and health coverage provided for study abroad is limited to the dates of the official program, so students who wish to travel independently either prior to, or following their study away program should be encouraged to purchase their own short-term travel and health coverage to cover all dates of their independent travel.  The same is true for any family members who choose to visit students while they are participating in study away or during independent travel. 

SUPPORT FOR WELL-BEING & HEALTH ABROAD

Study abroad can be stressful, challenging, or difficult as students deal with a lot of uncertainty, discomfort, and confusion trying to make sense of new places, new cultural norms, and new experiences. A lot of learning occurs from the cultural and personal challenges of studying abroad, but there are times where students may feel overwhelmed by all that is new or confusing to them.  

Students may turn to you, often expressing a desire to return home or to return to campus. We encourage you to speak with them about the reasons they chose to study abroad, their motivations and goals, and the reality that great growth and learning can come from discomfort and confusion. It is also encouraging for students to hear that these feelings of confusion and "otherness" (lack of belonging) are quite normal in study abroad and do improve with time and greater engagement with the local culture. 

Reminding students of past successes with difficult obstacles, or encouragement to set short-term goals for themselves, can be really helpful as students work their way through the difficult patches associated with study away.  Your encouragement and support can help students make the decision to work through their difficulties and find the positives in their experience abroad. 

Students who express concerns for their physical and mental health should be encouraged to speak with program leaders and support staff who are on-site with them. Delaying care due to concerns about perception or cultural difference can make an easily treatable condition become more difficult, so if a student expresses concerns about their health, please ask them to seek support from the resources available to them as soon as they are able.

HELPING TO PREPARE FOR CULTURAL SHIFTS 

Colorado College faculty lead a variety of study away programs across the globe year-round, including single CC Blocks Away during the academic year and in the summer, and CC Semesters and Half-Semester (two-block) programs in both the fall and the spring. All CC Faculty-led Study Away programs earn Colorado College credit, no transfer required, and all are taught by CC faculty and filled with fellow CC students, perfect for both the new traveler and the experienced globetrotter. 

In addition to the CC Faculty-led study away programs, the Global Education team maintains pre-approved partnerships with 150+ semester and year away Partner Programs around the world, all aligning with Colorado College's goals for a high quality liberal arts education in the global context.

These come in various forms, to meet many different student goals and needs.  

TOPICAL OR THEMATIC PROGRAMS: Programs tailored to focus on one academic discipline, for example the Budapest Semester in Mathematics program or the ISDSI International Sustainability & Development Studies Institute in Thailand. 

MULTI-DISCIPLINARY STUDY AWAY PROGRAMS: Programs designed specifically for the enrollment of students from U.S. colleges abroad, offering courses across many disciplines, opportunities to study with a mix of U.S.-based and local faculty, and customized excursion and field opportunities.  

These programs are thoroughly vetted by Colorado College for academic rigor and quality of student care.  Courses are pre-approved via our internal Summit application system for study abroad for transfer back to Colorado College, so that students know that their coursework from studying away will move them towards their degree from CC.   

On all semester and year away programs, students work with the Global Education staff and their campus academic advisors to ensure that they are prepared for departure, that the courses selected are good choices for their academic goals, and that the timing of their experience does not disrupt their 4-year graduation plan.

Colorado College strives to make study away accessible to all students, at all levels of financial need. The logistics of how the costs and financial aid work for study away depends on the kind of program your student is pursuing. Each model has its own unique financial structures and options for financial aid for those who qualify. There are also external scholarships that students are encouraged to apply for, regardless of the type of program they are participating in.

Click on any of the headers below to visit the more detailed Billing & Aid pages for each program type.

BLOCKS AWAY: International, Domestic, and Career Catalyst

Blocks away, including Career Catalyst Blocks, offered both in summer and in the academic year, have a program fee to cover the on-site expenses of being away from campus. This cost is in addition to the standard on-campus expenses for the semester (tuition, room, board, etc.), however, for students who receive need-based aid to are eligible for aid awards up to 90% of both the program fee and the anticipated airfare cost.

CC Summer blocks also include an additional charge for the summer tuition fee, however, most students use their "Wild Card", a college grant that wipes away the charge for any student's first summer course at CC to remove that cost from the summer off-campus course.   

LANGUAGE IMMERSION: CC-Led full and half-semester

HALF-SEMESTER: For students who live on campus and have a full meal plan, there are no additional fees charged for the College's 2-block half-semester language immersion programs. Students who live off-campus will be billed the equivalent costs of the funds which the program receives from on-campus housing and meal plan participants. This typically ranges from $900-$2,500 total.

FULL SEMESTER: Students who join a CC-led semester-long language program pay standard CC tuition and a program fee equal or less than the standard room & board for a semester. This covers the housing, meals, airfare, and other on-site expenses of the program. This program therefore does not cost more than the same semester at our Colorado campus, and all standard aid applies.

PARTNER-LED SEMESTER OR YEAR ABROAD

OUR COMMITMENT TO SAFETY

Colorado College views student safety as a top priority as we design, approve, and affiliate with study away opportunities both within the United States and across the globe. We work with partners who are industry leaders in the study away space and who adhere to the safety and student well-being guidelines set forth by the Forum on Education Abroad and the National Association of Foreign Study Advisors (NAFSA).  

The college requires safety review of all destinations for both faculty-led study away programming and student-led independent research projects abroad. To determine safety we utilize the most up-to-date information available from the U.S. Department of State; the Centers for Disease Control; parallel governmental sources in Canada, the United Kingdom, and Australia; and our contracted international risk-management specialist, International SOS.  

While there is no absolute guarantee that any destination, whether in Colorado, the United States, or across the globe, will be free from crime, health risks, or other safety concerns, we believe that our safety reviews, and the safety recommendations provided to students, enable us to offer a wide range of study away opportunities that provide a safe learning environment. As part of our orientation process we work with students to understand the risks of travel, the best strategies to mitigate risk and minimize that they might encounter violence, crime, or health risks while away, and to provide up-to-date assessments of their travel needs. 

TRAVEL INSURANCE

SAFETY RESOURCES

This is one of the most frequent questions we hear from families when a student decides to study away.  The answer, of course, is yes, but there are some important pointers and guidance we would like you to be aware of as you consider joining up with your study away student. 

TIMING

BOUNDARIES

INSURANCE