International Exchange Program Information

Fall or Academic Year Applications
Opens: October 15
Closes: February 15

Spring Applications
Opens: March 15
Closes: October 1

*Please note that some universities have an extended application deadline. Please schedule a meeting with the Exchange Coordinator via this link to get more detailed information.

• Texas State students pay tuition (15 undergraduate credits or 9 graduate credits) and fees to Texas State and pay room and board to the host institution
• Texas State students must purchase international travel insurance offered by Texas State
• Texas State students must register for the International Student Exchange Program (ISEP) courses (place holders) via Catsweb, following the instructions provided by Education Abroad. You will need to register for five (15 undergraduate credits) or 3 (9 graduate credits) placeholder courses by the specified deadline at Texas State.
• If students would like to take additional Texas State courses online, they will have to be in addition to the above mentioned ISEP courses.
• Failure to register will result in the cancellation of the program and not qualifying for financial aid.

*You will be notified with the CRNs via email

Please note that there is no guarantee that a student will receive enough financial aid to completely cover the total costs of Education Abroad programs. Please contact the Texas State Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships to inquire about specific disbursement dates since they depend on your program and type of financial aid. Students should begin investigating the funding options for study abroad, including grants, personal savings, scholarships, and loans, as soon as possible.

Financial Aid for Exchange Programs:

• Federal loans for Education Abroad programs are disbursed in two equal disbursements. The first disbursement is scheduled 10 days before the program start date, and the second occurs at the program midpoint
• Students in an exchange program must be registered for International Student Exchange Program (ISEP) hours or their funds will not disburse to their student account

Summer (Hannover Program)

• A student’s Pell Grant and federal loans for summer Education Abroad program are based on what was not exhausted during fall / spring
• Summer grants are limited and awarded on a first-come, first-served basis

Financial Aid Recipients

• Must complete program
• Students who withdraw from their exchange program may have to repay all or a portion of the financial aid received. Repayment amounts depend on dates of withdrawal
• Students who do not withdraw from their exchange program, but do not attend classes, will be considered an unofficial withdrawal and will be required to repay a portion of their aid 

• Participants may study one or two semesters (fall and/or spring) at partner institutions
• The number of semesters students may participate depends upon space availability at the partner institution 

• Participants earn transfer credit
• The number of transferred credits a student may apply to a degree at Texas State is limited, so students need to discuss their specific situation with their academic advisor and program/department supervisor before finalizing their study abroad plans 
• You can use the Transfer Equivalency System to see if your host institution is already in TXST database (Search by Transfer Institution), and see what courses were transfer in the past between this institution and TXST. 
• Upon the student's request, the host institution will send a transcript to Texas State Education Abroad at the end of the exchange program, in order to be evaluated by the Undergraduate Admissions Office for transfer credits. 

• The language of instruction varies depending on the exchange program. In some universities, courses are taught in English and foreign language skills are not particularly required. However, where the language of instruction is not English, fluency in the language of the host country will be required.
• Participants study with host country nationals and/or other international students in regular university courses; therefore, they experience student life in a total-immersion setting
• Specific course information can usually be found on each university’s website. Please check the individual program pages for the most up-to-date information

Note: since classes offered in English are limited at some partner institutions, we would highly recommend considering the exchange program during your second year of studies so that you have a larger number of courses to select from that would be applied to your program of studies

• Most partner institutions offer language courses to improve students’ knowledge of the host country’s language and students are encouraged to take advantage of these courses to improve their foreign language skills 

• Students interested in the exchange program must discuss their options with the Texas State Exchange Program Coordinator prior to making a decision regarding the university of their choice
• On behalf of the students, the Texas State Exchange Program Coordinator will contact the host institution to clarify any specific details regarding the exchange, courses, transfer credits, etc.
• Once the students are accepted by the host institution, they are encouraged to have a direct communication with the coordinator at the host institution. Please keep the Texas State Exchange Coordinator well informed of the progress of your exchange program by sharing information you receive from the host institution. 

• The selection will be made based on student's qualifications and the availability of space at the host university.

A visa is the official authorization given by the government of your host country that will allow you to enter into their territory

• There are different types of visa requirements depending on your destination, your country of origin, purpose of travel, length of your stay, etc.
• Most long-term study abroad programs require a student visa. It is important to contact the embassy or general consulate of your country of destination to inquire about specific visa requirements as early as possible
• Visas may take months to be issued and it is recommended to apply for it as soon as you receive the Official Acceptance Letter from the host institution
• Non-US students must contact the International Office to inquire about the requirements for leaving the USA due to your participation in a study abroad program. Failure to do so may result in denial of re-entry to the USA
• Please note that Education Abroad cannot assist students with obtaining their visas – this is entirely the STUDENT’S RESPONSIBILITY. However, the Education Abroad staff can assist students with locating the consulate/embassy information upon students’ request, as well as providing necessary documentation for consulate purposes such as confirmation of the Reciprocal Exchange Program Enrollment and International Insurance Coverage.
• Please click on the student destination below for information about student visas for that country.

Consulates in Houston

Please refer to the websites below to find the contact information of several major general consulates that are located in Houston, TX:

• Consulate General of Spain
• Consulate General of Italy
• Consulate-General of Japan at Houston
• Consulate General of France in Houston
• British Consulate General in Houston
• Germany Consulate General
• Royal Norwegian Consulate General 
• Consulate General of Chile in Houston

Nomination/Placement

Placement is based on the balance between incoming and outgoing students, and depends on the space availability at the host university. Generally, if the host institution has open spaces for the Texas State students, they accept our candidates within a few days. 

Fall Applications
Open: October 15
Close: February 1

Fall Nomination Period
February 5th - 10th

Spring Applications:
Open: March 15
Close: September 1

Spring Nomination Period:
September 5th - 10th

Texas State University is a member of the MAUI (Mid-America Universities International)-UTRECHT Network. Various universities all around the world are a part of this network, and they all work together to actively promote overseas educational opportunities for students and international teaching, consultation and research opportunities for faculty.

Nominations/Placement 

There is one annual nomination for the entire academic year. Nominations for the upcoming Academic Year (Fall and/or Spring Semesters) are sent to the MAUI-Utrecht Network during the second half of February.

Some MAUI-Utrecht partner institutions are very competitive and they offer only a few spaces; therefore, students are encouraged to consider choosing a 2nd or even a 3rd alternate site/institution. Placement is based on candidates’ qualifications and space availability. 

Regularly highly competitive locations include University College Cork, University of Malta, Utrecht University, and Utrecht School of Arts. 

Fall or Academic Year Applications
Open: October 15
Close: February 15

Spring Applications
Open: March 15
Close: October 1
*Students who wish to study abroad through MAUI in the Spring semester must apply one year prior to departure.

Nomination Period
February 15th - March 1st

At times, more than one Texas State student will be participating in the same exchange program during the same semester. It is more likely that you would be the only Texas State student at the exchange university.

Exchange students must be proactive in resolving issues that arise before and during the exchange.

During the application and acceptance process for exchange programs, getting a response to an inquiry can take several days, and information may not be available when you wish to have it. For example, you will probably not have specific class schedule information before you arrive at your host institution.