Students who have been awarded University funding to attend a conference, intern, engage in a volunteer project, conduct research, or do some other kind of activity in another country follow these directions.
When you have been funded to travel abroad
When a student is awarded funding to do something abroad, the office that provides the funding and the Office of International Education (OIE) work together to ensure that the awardee has the information and support necessary to make the overseas experience safe, meaningful, and successful.
As soon as a student receives an award, he or she should send an e-mail message with the following information to Patrick Schweiger, study abroad manager:
- Source(s) of funding
- Intended destination
- Intended activities abroad
- Intended dates of travel
- Previous experiences
The OIE will then do the following:
- Assess the match between the proposed international endeavor and your previous experiences
- Provide information on health and safety in the country(ies) where you hope to go
- Suggest resources to help you prepare for the cultural differences presented by the country(ies) where you hope to go (if applicable)
- Suggest ways of increasing your level of proficiency in the language(s) in use in the country(ies) where you hope to go (if applicable)
Safety
Students’ plans for using UR funding abroad are subject to OIE approval on the basis of safety. See our policy on travel to countries under US Department of State Travel Warnings and other countries presenting substantial risk.
Please note that some countries that are not under Travel Warnings are just as dangerous as those that are; a student hoping to use UR funding to go to such a place must follow the same petition process as for a country that is under a Travel Warning. Discretion is left up to the Office of International Education as to when thie process must be completed.
Any student hoping to use UR funding to travel to any country presenting substantial risk should speak with Michele Cox, director of study abroad, well in advance of the intended travel experience. The petition process takes three months and short-notice requests cannot be accommodated.
Disciplinary record
Student use of UR funding to go abroad is also subject to approval by the deans of Richmond or Westhampton College, following a review of disciplinary records.
On-line registration
The OIE requires that all students traveling with University support be registered in our on-line record-keeping system so that we can evaluate your plans on the basis of safety, so we know how to find you in case of emergency, and so we have accurate records of University-affiliated international activity. The Office of International Education will provide one of two sets of registration instructions (depending on what is being done with the funding) to students who are receiving University funding for an experience abroad.
Insurance
Richmond students participating in an official University approved trip outside of the U.S. are covered by ACE Travel Assistance (AXA) international health and travel insurance. There is no cost for this coverage. Students will receive the insurance card upon completion of their required travel registration in Gateway Abroad. For insurance details, please visit our Health and Travel Insurance page.
Students traveling to their home countries cannot be enrolled in this insurance coverage because you are expected to have applicable insurance coverage in your home country. (Exception: U.S. permanent residents traveling abroad in their home countries.)
Pre-departure orientation
There will be a mandatory orientation meeting in mid-April for all students who have been funded to undertake an activity abroad in the summer. In advance of this, any students going abroad are encouraged to acquaint themselves with conditions in the places they hope to visit by consulting the country information pages of the US Department of State and of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Students who have been funded to go abroad at other times of the year should contact Patrick Schweiger, study abroad manager, to arrange a separate pre-departure orientation meeting.
Please note
If you receive UR funding to go abroad, and/or are hoping to earn UR academic credit from your trip, you must follow the procedures on this page. If you do not follow the Travel Warning procedure (if applicable), register your experience in the OIE’s online system, and attend the pre-departure orientation, then University rules state that you cannot take part in the planned activity abroad, and that any funding will be rescinded (if applicable) and no academic credit will be granted (if applicable).
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