FAQ

A: You should start with brainstorming! Where do you want to go and why? How does that fit into your academic plan? Make sure to speak with your academic advisors first to determine which semester is best for your off-campus experience. After that, be sure to 1) attend the Sophomore Information Session and Study Abroad Fair (every fall) and 2) follow instructions and updates from OCS!

A: On this website, under Quick Links, select “Book an Advising Appointment” to view available advising slots. You can also come to our scheduled walk-in hours if there are no advising spots available. Trouble finding an appointment time? Please email Ally Hawkins [email protected]

A: Under Quick Links, click Online Portal. This will bring you to the Colby Portal where you will log in to complete:

1) the Statement of Intent form (due Nov. 15)

2) the Colby Application for Approval (due Feb. 20) and

3) Sign your participation waivers/risk forms 

A: You must have junior standing when you study abroad. Seniors are permitted to study off-campus in the fall semester if they are graduating in May. There is a residency requirement for students’ last semester on campus. Students majoring in a language or area studies are guaranteed a full year off-campus (in one site or two), and other students may petition for a full year off-campus if desired. 

Summer study abroad is not administered by Off-Campus Study but we can advise students on programs. Transfer of credit is done by the Registrar and you will need to complete a transfer of credit form found here. 

For Colby faculty-led JanPlans, students should contact the faculty member leading the program. Colby financial aid is not portable to short-term (summer or JanPlan) experiences and students can consult Scott Lamer (DavisConnects) for questions about funding summer or JanPlan programs.  Visit the JanPlan page on the DavisConnects website to learn more. 

Summer study abroad is not administered by Off-Campus Study but we can advise students on programs. Transfer of credit is done by the Registrar and you will need to complete a transfer of credit form found here. 

For Colby faculty-led JanPlans, students should contact the faculty member leading the program. Colby financial aid is not portable to short-term (summer or JanPlan) experiences and students can consult Scott Lamer (DavisConnects) for questions about funding summer or JanPlan programs.  For questions about independent JanPlans, please consult OCS. Visit the JanPlan page on the DavisConnects website to learn more. 

A: If you’d like to study in a country where the national language is one taught at Colby (Spanish, German, French, Chinese, Japanese, Russian, or Italian) you will need to have completed the equivalent of three college level semesters (127 level) prior to studying abroad.  All students studying off-campus will be required to study the local language during their program. If you fall short of the three semester requirement, there is a petition process that is part of the Colby Application for Approval (due Feb. 20); you will need a compelling academic reason to justify your choice. 

You also need a GPA of 2.7 to study off-campus. You can petition the language requirement or the GPA requirement (if your GPA is above 2.5). Email Allyson Hawkins with questions about petitions.

A: Your academic advisors must approve of the courses you want to take abroad and the Registrar processes those approvals through the Course Approval Form for Off-Campus Study. Please have the appropriate faculty member sign your form and email the completed version to [email protected].

A: Your academic advisor can approve courses that will count toward your major or general credit. If you’d like to receive credit toward a minor or a distribution requirement, the Chair of the relevant department must approve the course. Melissa Glenn approves courses to fulfill the “International Diversity” requirement. To determine how many courses your program or university requires for your term off-campus, you can consult the OCS Courseloads Chart. For additional questions, please contact the Registrar. 

A: Students can only select one program (use your top choice!) to complete their Colby Application for Approval in the Colby Portal. Students can get approved for two choices, however, on their advisor approval form. However, if ultimately a student decides to proceed and participate in a program NOT listed in their Colby Application for Approval or their advisor approval form, they will need to notify OCS (so we know where in the world you’ll be!) and obtain new approval from their academic advisor. We recommend students have a back-up choice and that they apply to their first choice as early as possible (and not wait for the program deadline). 

If studying on a non-Colby program, the program/university fees are paid by the student/family directly to the program/university you’re attending. In addition, there is an off-campus study fee paid by the student/family to Colby for each semester of off-campus study. The fee is $1,500 per semester. 

If studying on a Colby program (Salamanca, Dijon, Bigelow), the program fees are paid to Colby in the same way as when you’re studying on campus. 

Financial aid is portable to both Colby and non-Colby programs as long as your plans have been approved by OCS. It is NOT portable to summer or JanPlan experiences. If your program/university fee costs less than Colby, financial aid will be reduced accordingly. For higher-cost programs, the budget will be capped at Colby’s. 

You will need to file a Study Away Budget Statement and Agreement with Student Financial Services in order for your aid to be calculated. We encourage students to reach out to SFS directly for questions about your individual aid package and visit their Study Away Financial Information page for more information.