Early Fall Programs:
The Scoop on Enrollment, Financial Aid, Insurance and More

The University of Washington now offers wonderful opportunities for students to study abroad during the early fall (mid-August to mid-September). This period occurs just after the official end of the UWs summer quarter, and as a result is considered an autumn quarter program. Students are enrolled for autumn quarter, receive financial aid (if eligible) during autumn quarter and receive credit for the program on autumn quarter transcripts. Please read on for further information and direct any questions to Max Savishinsky at IPE (explore@u.washington.edu).

Concurrent Enrollment

Students participating in early fall programs at the University of Washington will be enrolled in a UW FSTDY course for autumn quarter. FSTDY 3XX (300, 301, 302, etc.) is a place-holder course that will keep students enrolled and active in the UW system while they are studying abroad.

Concurrent Enrollment & Health Screening Forms

In order to concurrently enroll, program participants must submit concurrent enrollment & health screening forms to IPE by 4pm on July 1 (a $25 late fee will be charged to students submitting forms after this date).

Concurrent enrollment & health screening forms will be distributed to students at the Mandatory Pre-Departure Orientation. Forms and further information can additionally be found at http://ipe.washington.edu.

Free Health Screening at Hall Health

University of Washington Seattle students may use their one, quarterly FREE visit to hall health for their health screening appointment.

In order to be eligible to receive this health screening for free, students must 1) be students of the UW Seattle campus; 2) be enrolled in the University of Washington during the quarter in which the visit takes place; and 3) stress that the visit is a health screening for study abroad when making the appointment.

Credit and Grade Reporting

Once students successfully complete their departmental program, FSTDY will be taken off of their UW transcripts and will be replaced with the actual credits, grades and UW course titles earned abroad. These credits and grades will be reported on students autumn quarter transcripts.

The credits and grades for early fall programs will not be posted on students transcripts until the end of autumn quarter. They will appear shortly after the conclusion of the quarter along with the rest of the students autumn quarter grades.

Financial Aid

Most forms of financial aid can be utilized during participation in early fall UW departmental programs. UW program participants who are recipients of financial aid should contact the UW Financial Aid Office to verify that their awards will apply.

For eligible participants, autumn quarter financial aid will be applied to program fees and expenses.

Students who will be utilizing autumn quarter financial aid to pay for both their early fall program and their autumn quarter studies at the University of Washington may apply for increased financial aid during autumn quarter. In order to do so, they shouldobtain a revision request from the Financial Aid office, a budget of student expenses from the IPE office, and submit both to the Financial Aid office in Schmitz Hall 105.

Covering the Gap for Financial Aid recipients

Early fall program participants will be responsible for paying $850 in program payments ($350 non-refundable deposit and $500 program fee payment) and for funding other personal expenses, such as airfare, food and spending money before the start of autumn quarter and the disbursement of autumn quarter financial aid.

The balance of the program fee and the IPE fee will both be due on October 12, 2008 after the disbursement of autumn quarter financial aid monies. This will allow any program participants who are financial aid recipients to use financial aid to pay for the balance of the program fee and the IPE fee.

Program participants will need to use personal savings/funds to make payment for program fees, airfare and other personal expenses due before the disbursement of autumn quarter financial aid. Students who encounter financial challenges when attempting to do so may want to look into the following:

UW Short Term Loans

The Office of Student Financial Aid has funds of up to $2000 (for undergraduate students) or $3000 (for graduate students) available for short-term loans to assist students with temporary cash flow problems. Funds are generally available within one to four working days, only to students who are currently attending the University.

Repayment of UW Short Term Loans is due by the next quarter, or whenever additional funds such as financial aid arrive on the students account, whichever comes first. There is no interest on the short-term loans, but there is a service charge of $30 added to the repayment amount. Students may apply on-line through MyUW's Personal Services (paper application forms are also available if you come to 105 Schmitz Hall but the processing time is longer).

Taking out a loan is an important responsibility. Interested students should read all of the information contained at http://www.washington.edu/students/osfa/shortterm.html and/or contact a UW Financial Aid counselor before choosing this option.

Please note: UW Short Term Loans cannot be processed between quarters or during quarters in which students are not enrolled in the UW. Autumn quarter financial aid recipients who will not be enrolled during summer quarter but who wish to use a UW Short Term Loan to cover early fall expenses that require payment before the disbursement of autumn quarter financial aid will need to make special arrangements with the Financial Aid Office to take out a short term loan during the spring quarter and to defer this short term loan until the disbursement of their aid during autumn quarter.

Private Loan Funding

Companies like Sallie Mae, Bank of America, Citibank, etc*. offer private student loans that can be used to finance study abroad experiences. Students seeking additional funding for the program may want to investigate the loan options offered by these companies.

*This list is provided for reference purposes only and is not an endorsement of any single private loan provider. Students are encouraged to explore other funding programs / institutions in addition to those listed above and to understand all loan terms and conditions before deciding to take out a loan.

Scholarships

The IPE offers a scholarship for undergraduate students who will be concurrently enrolled for study abroad. The IPE scholarship application form can be found at http://ipe.washington.edu or in the IPE reference library office, 459 Schmitz Hall. The scholarship application deadline for early fall is June 15.

Undergraduate students are also encouraged to search the scholarship database at the UW Undergraduate Scholarship Office website: http://www.washington.edu/students/ugrad/scholar/.

Graduate students are encouraged to contact the Fellowships and Assistantships Division of the Graduate School for additional information on funding opportunities.

Insurance

All students are strongly encouraged to maintain major medical insurance coverage while abroad. In addition to major medical insurance coverage, students should be sure to hold coverage for emergency medical evacuation and repatriation of remains.

A list of possible study abroad insurance providers can be found at www.insuremytrip.com

UW Accident and Sickness Insurance Plan*

Does not provide emergency medical evacuation or repatriation of remains benefits.

Below is a list of some possible emergency medical evacuation and repatriation of remains insurance options.

International Student Identity Card (ISIC)

Students traveling abroad may wish to consider an ISIC card that provides a variety of benfits and discounts to students. This card provides basic medical coverage only; however, benefits include emergency evacuation and repatriation of remains.

More insurance information can be found at http://ipe.washington.edu/domestic/insurance.html.

*Important for students intending to purchase UW Accident and Sickness Insurance: Students wishing to use UW Accident & Sickness Insurance during participation in an early fall program will need to purchase summer quarter insurance via the regular MyUW system, as the dates of the early fall program actually fall under the summer quarter dates of coverage.

Students who will not be enrolled during summer quarter must purchase summer quarter insurance during spring quarter by selecting the annual insurance option.