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Policies

The following university policies govern student participation in Bradley "Affiliated Programs for Study Abroad" as well as in other programs. 

Academic

  1. Bradley "Affiliated Programs for Study Abroad" are programs and institutions with which Bradley has a formal affiliation. Students attending an affiliated program have the significant advantage of being able to use their Bradley financial aid for the academic program abroad.
  2. Certain programs not already listed as affiliated programs can, in specific cases, be treated as an affiliated program. These cases include well-defined circumstances in which: 1) the program is administered by one of our long-term study abroad affiliate providers previously approved by the Curriculum & Regulations (C&R) Committee and University Senate; and/or 2) the program addition originates with a student and his/her academic adviser with support from the department and/or college as well as the Office of Education Abroad. Students are invited to discuss any program raising these issues with the Study Abroad Office.
  3. Students may determine that a study abroad program not on our affiliates list better meets their needs; they have the option to enroll in such a program and transfer academic credit back to Bradley. (Any such program must be accredited and approved by the Director of Education Abroad.) However, Bradley financial assistance cannot be used to attend these non-affiliated programs, and other limiting factors may apply. Therefore, we suggest that Bradley students examine our broad array of affiliated programs first.
  4. Students must complete a study abroad application and receive pre-approval for their study abroad program — including course transfer pre-approvals — from their academic adviser, the department chair and dean’s office of the college concerned, and the Director of Education Abroad. An extended academic stay and/or change of program location must have the director's approval, in consultation with the academic adviser, department chair and dean. Late approval of courses will be considered on an individual basis in cases where students must wait until arrival abroad for academic placement.
  5. Students must have a minimum 2.5 Bradley cumulative GPA to apply for any study abroad program, and many affiliated programs require a higher GPA. Students on undergraduate academic recovery, graduation academic probation, or disciplinary probation are not eligible to apply or register for study abroad programs, and continued enrollment cannot be guaranteed to students who incur disciplinary sanctions between the time of their acceptance into a program abroad and the program start date. Student applicants are responsible for ascertaining other eligibility requirements from the program to which they are applying.
  6. Students studying abroad full-time for either a semester or a year are registered as full-time Bradley students.
  7. Academic credit hours earned in a program abroad are recorded on a student’s Bradley transcript as "in residence credit" for affiliated study abroad programs, and as "transfer credit" for all overseas programs. The Study Abroad Office evaluates credit based on the study abroad transfer of credit pre-approval form. Credit earned is then posted on the student's Bradley transcript by the registrar's office. Courses taken at a program abroad are recorded on Bradley transcripts as Pass (A, B, or C) or Fail (D or F). Note: A course recorded as “Fail” will NOT transfer for Bradley academic credit but will be recorded on the student's Bradley transcript. The actual letter grade, or equivalent, awarded by the study abroad institution will appear on the transcript in parentheses. These grades are not computed into a student’s cumulative Bradley GPA. In other words, courses taken abroad count as earned academic credit hours but do not influence a student's cumulative GPA.
  8. Courses taken abroad may be applied toward Bradley Core Curriculum (BCC) requirements with the approval of the Associate Dean, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Other courses taken abroad will be applied toward major, minor or elective requirements with the approval of the academic adviser, chair and dean of the department and college concerned. Course equivalencies are determined in the department and college concerned. In all cases, it is an important responsibility of the student applicant to secure pre-approval of BCC, major, minor and/or elective credit and course equivalencies. The process should begin as a student initiates his or her application. Forms and information are available through the Study Abroad Office.
  9. Courses at an affiliated program count as hours taken “in residence” in terms of the Bradley "Residence Requirement" for graduation, as follows: “24 of the last 30 semester hours must be earned in residence.” Courses taken at a non-affiliated program do NOT count as “in residence” hours. Regardless of whether a study abroad program is affiliated or not, academic credit hours earned abroad do NOT count toward requirements for the award of special honors at commencement, because they are not computed into a student's cumulative Bradley GPA.
  10. Exceptions to requirements for participation may be granted at the discretion of the Director of Education Abroad with the approval of the appropriate academic dean and other relevant administrative offices or units.

Administrative

  1. The Office of Financial Assistance determines eligibility for Bradley financial assistance.
  2. Bradley financial assistance can be used for a semester or year of academic study at any Bradley-affiliated program for study abroad. (This is NOT the case for study at non-affiliated programs.)
  3. For students enrolling in an affiliated program abroad, Bradley tuition will be charged, and students will be billed for tuition by the Controller’s Office.
  4. Notice of potential financial obligation: As part of the process in #3, the university prepays tuition to the affiliated program for students who have applied and been accepted into a study abroad program. THESE COSTS MAY NOT BE REFUNDABLE. A Bradley student who has applied to, been accepted by and agreed to enroll in an academic program abroad, and who subsequently withdraws from that program, might be obligated for costs prepaid by the university. Although the university engages in good-faith efforts to mitigate any financial, academic or other effects of any change of plans on the part of a student, it cannot guarantee refunds or mitigation of fees already paid.
  5. Costs such as room and board and other program fees are paid directly to the host institution or provider and are generally required to be prepaid. Transportation charges, onsite expenses during semester or term breaks, out-of-pocket costs, optional travel and other expenses are the individual responsibility of the student. To ensure that your budget and decision-making process is well-informed, at the beginning of the application process, the Study Abroad Office will provide each applicant with a list of known and estimated expenses for the program to which the student applies.
  6. Health insurance: Study abroad students are required to obtain or confirm that they have health insurance coverage that is valid during the period and in the location of their overseas program. Bradley-approved study abroad organizations and programs sometimes include insurance as part of their program fee or provide specific information on obtaining it. If you have questions, inquire with the Study Abroad Office.  
  7.  Individual student accounts in the Controller's Office must be paid in full, or students must receive special clearance before participating in any study abroad program.
  8. One additional cost that will be billed by the Controller’s Office is described below.

Study Abroad Fee

Bradley University makes a substantial commitment to encourage and facilitate study abroad for all qualified students who wish to study overseas. The university is simultaneously guided by the principle that study abroad must be self-supporting as much as possible, i.e., students who are unable to take advantage of this program cannot be expected to subsidize those who do. In addition, several administrative services are required to ensure that study abroad students have an unimpeded academic experience. Therefore, participating students are assessed a $500 study abroad fee. This fee applies both to Bradley-affiliated programs and to non-affiliated programs (these require separate approval) from which a Bradley student intends to transfer academic credit. 

The study abroad fee covers several administrative and other costs associated with study abroad, including: 

  • participation in an orientation
  • an International Student Identity Card with insurance provisions
  • assistance in completing appropriate study abroad applications; in securing departmental, college and university credit approvals before departure; with in-course approval revisions while students are abroad; in securing U.S. passports and foreign visas when applicable
  • communicating directly with students, the academic provider and on-campus faculty and staff in the evaluation of transcripts and processing of credit for courses completed overseas
  • full use of all eligible financial assistance for enrollment in all affiliated programs abroad 
  • other academic and professional services

All universities assess a fee associated with study abroad, and Bradley’s is the lowest of which we know.