Preparing for Departure
Once you've been accepted to your off-campus program of choice, you'll have much to do before departing from Reed. Explore this section for some helpful resources.
- Fees and Financial Aid
- Credit Requirements and Transfer Information
- Medical Considerations
- Summer Study Abroad
- Grants and Scholarships
- Useful Links
- Travel Information
- Other Programs
- Miscellaneous Links
Fees and Financial Aid
To ensure equal access to our domestic and international programs, Reed College charges the same tuition fees for a semester or year off-campus as for a semester or year spent on campus and a study abroad administrative fee of $500 (2024-2025) plus the program's actual room and board fees. Reed College encourages students to choose programs based on their academic rather than financial needs to reflect Reed's belief that all students, regardless of financial circumstances, should have the opportunity to study abroad.
Financial aid continues for eligible students during the off-campus program. Students should discuss with the Financial Aid Office how other outside aid may impact their existing aid package. Check out more details directly on the Reed College Financial Aid page. If students are utilizing VA benefits, they can check here to see which programs can certify their benefits. In addition, the IPO maintains a list of additional scholarships for studying abroad.
The college's standard refund policy for on-campus students will apply to students participating in a domestic exchange, international exchange, or study abroad program.
Credit Requirements and Transfer Information
To find specific information on the systems of different programs, look at the international program's section on the Office of the Registrar's website. Credit transfer systems vary by program, so checking on the specific program students are attending is crucial. Students should seek to get as many courses as feasable pre-approved by the relevant departments and divisions at Reed before they go abroad, and if changes need to be made to their schedule while abroad that deviate from these the student will need to fill out the same request for approval form again with the updated class(es). Having meetings with the people (department/ division leaders) who are in charge of approving the specific disciplines students are interested in is a good way to figure out what they are looking for in terms of classes, and what might count towards the specific requirements students are looking to fulfill. This can be a help if students need to make adjustments to their schedule while abroad.
For Reed registration students will select the 'course' under the subject "Study Abroad/ Away" for the semester(s) they will be abroad.
Medical Considerations
While abroad, each country will have different laws pertaining to medications, health insurance, and disability accommodations. Some medications students can get in the US may not be available elsewhere, or often go by a different name. Students can work with their doctors to discuss their specific medications, and in some cases getting an advanced supply to cover their time abroad may be possible. Check your program and destination country's requirements on what supply of medications can be brought in at one time. While not a requirement, students can schedule a predeparture meeting with the HCC at Reed to discuss their concerns about medications and disability while abroad. Disability accommodations will vary by country and university, so students should inform their study abroad program or school as soon as they can to figure out what accommodations are available to them there. Students can also request their documentation from DAR at Reed, which can be helpful for their host school. For more information, visit the DAR website section on study abroad.
Summer Study Abroad
Students wishing to study abroad in the summer may transfer credits back to Reed, subject to the departmental approvals of their coursework completed while abroad.
Summer study abroad programs, while providing the opportunity to earn transfer credit, are not Reed College-approved programs. The Director of the International Programs Office (IPO) will assist students with any questions about procedures for summer study abroad and will complete program nomination forms for students who meet the eligibility requirements for the summer programs for which they are applying and have consulted and received support from their academic advisors/Department Chairs. Students studying Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Russian, or Spanish at Reed are advised to select an option from the language acquisition pre-approved summer programs.
Students interested in transferring credit back to Reed from a summer study abroad program must complete the Off-Campus Course Pre-Approval Form. Students will be charged the study abroad administrative fee of $500 (2024-2025). The IPO maintains a list of scholarships for studying abroad in the summer.
Students will participate in these programs independently of Reed College. They will submit all application materials and pay the provider or university for all program fees.
Grants and Scholarships
As stated in the Fees and Financial Aid section earlier on this page, Reed charges the same amount for off-campus programs, and Reed financial aid applies. In addition to this, there are many grants and scholarships offered by other institutions and sometimes study abroad programs themselves, that can help Reed students. Below is a table of some of these oppertunities, and students are encoraged to look themselves at their program and beyond for other possible resources to help make studying abroad possible.
| Name/ Website Link | Description | Amount | Due Date | Who it Applies To |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IES Need-Based | The Institute for the International Education of Students (IES) Need-Based Financial Aid Scholarship consideration is given to the level of financial need, the IES program location and IES membership status of your home campus. | $2,000 | Variable | Students at institutions that are members or associate members of the IES college consortium. You must be accepted into an IES study abroad program to be eligible for this award. You also must currently be receiving financial aid at your home school, and the home school must have a policy of transferring at least 75 percent of home school aid to IES. |
| Diversity Abroad IES | The Diversity Abroad IES Diversity Scholarship is available to Under-represented students, which includes students from under-represented racial and ethnic groups, first generation to college students, students from low income families and students with a history of overcoming adversity. | Variable | Variable | Under-represented undergraduate students who have been accepted to participate in a study abroad, intern abroad, language immersion abroad, or volunteer abroad program offered through a DiversityAbroad.com partner organization. |
| IFSA | IFSA is deeply committed to making study abroad accessible to as many students as possible. We believe that cost should never be a barrier: that’s why we offer financial support to a larger proportion of IFSA students than any other organization. | Variable | Variable | Students in an IFSA program. |
| IFSA-Butler | Same as above. | Variable | Variable | Students in awn IFSA program. |
| Benajmin A. Gilman Scholarship | For Federal Pell Grant recipients to participate in study and intern abroad programs worldwide. | $5,000 | Variable | U.S. citizen undergraduate students who are receiving Federal Pell Grant funding at a two-year or four-year college or university. |
| Boren Awards | Boren Scholarships and Fellowships provide funding opportunities funded by the National Security Education Program (NSEP), which focuses on geographic areas, languages, and fields of study deemed critical to U.S. national security. | Variable | Variable | U.S. undergraduate and graduate students to add an important international and language component to their educations. Note that NSEP grants have a service obligation. |
Currency Conversion / Cost-of-Living Estimator
Cost-of-Living Comparison Between Cities
Useful Links
Moving abroad can seem logistically daunting! The links below provide information for questions you might encounter in the pre-departure process–from shipping your clothes, to staying insured overseas.
State Department Website for Students Studying Abroad
Moving & Shipping
Insurance
Reed College students under PacificSource health insurance plan
Travel Insurance Review Tutorial
Health Issues
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)
Department of Health and Human Service
Travel Information
Time Zone Search
Travel Search Engines
Travel Warnings
US State Department Travel Advisories
Other Programs
If studying abroad during an academic term doesn't fit but you are still interested in going abroad, check out these programs!
Teaching Abroad
Fulbright Teacher Exchange Program
Summer Abroad Programs
Miscellaneous Links
The Electronic Embassy - A list of all of the Embassies in Washington D.C.
Working Abroad - A large collection of work-abroad related resources and information on short-term, long-term, paid, volunteer, and teaching work abroad opportunities.