Students on study abroad programs register TWICE:

1. Once for study abroad in general. You must register for study abroad at your home SUNY campus or through Albany if you are a non-SUNY student before you leave.
2. Once for the exact classes you are going to take overseas. This registration might take place before you leave or, more likely, once you arrive overseas.

Registering for Study Abroad in General

You must register for study abroad before you leave. Albany students register at Albany for study abroad. Other SUNY students register at their home SUNY campus for study abroad, but also are entered on the computer at Albany. Non-SUNY students on Albany programs are registered at Albany by the Office of International Education, but should also check their home-campus for requirements there.

When you register for study abroad in general, you register for a full-time load (15 credits, usually), unless your program-specific materials indicate that you should register for a different number. When your actual credits from overseas are processed, this number of credits will be changed to match what you have actually taken: your credits may increase or decrease accordingly. Registration before departing varies according to who you are:

• Albany students should register themselves for their first semester of study abroad after they have met with their adviser. They should get their AVN from their academic adviser and the call number and SKN for their study abroad program from the Office of International Education. Students who are unsure about whether they will go overseas at the time of early registration should register for on-campus classes and then follow the drop-add procedures once they are certain of their plans.
• Albany students who are going on SUNY programs that are administered by other SUNY campuses should bring a copy of their acceptance letter to the Office of International Education so that we can issue you the call number for your study-abroad program and your SKN. You still need to get your own AVN and register yourself. If you are unsure about whether you will go overseas at the time of early registration, register for on-campus classes and then follow the drop-add procedures once you are certain of your plans.
• Albany students going on programs administered by SUNY Community Colleges or FIT or on any non-SUNY programs should come to the Office of International Education to receive information about transfer credits procedures for study abroad.
• Other SUNY students on an Albany program should report to the Office of International Education at their home campus and register there for study abroad.
• Non-SUNY students on an Albany program will be registered at Albany by the Office of International Education. Albany will arrange for you to be admitted and registered at Albany as a non-matriculated student for the duration of the program. You must complete all portions of the one-page "Application for Undergraduate Admission to a University at Albany Sponsored Study Abroad Program as a Non-Matriculated Student" that was in your acceptance pack and return it to the Office of International Education at Albany. Albany takes it from there. Your campus official's signature on the back of the form is important: it is your guarantee from your home campus that your work will be accepted.
• Any students who will have graduated before the start of their program should consult Albany about how to register. Special paperwork may be required.

Non-SUNY students on Albany programs: contact your academic adviser and the Director of International Education on your home campus for information about the leave of absence and transfer of credit procedures of your own school. The courses you take overseas will appear on the Albany transcript with the title (and number, if any) used at the host institution. Each course will be assigned the proper number of SUNY credits and a grade, but the courses will not be converted into equivalent courses from the University at Albany catalog. Your home institution will determine any further equivalents. With this in mind, keep all course descriptions and syllabi from classes you take overseas. These will be very valuable when determining credits at your home campus.

Albany students attending non-SUNY semester programs: contact your academic adviser and the office of the Dean of Students for information about a Leave for Approved Study and transfer credit procedures. For summer programs, you will also follow the transfer credit procedures but you do not need to apply for a leave.

Registering for Exact Classes

You register for the classes you are taking overseas according to the rules of your particular study abroad program. In some cases, that means choosing specific classes in advance, but usually students make up their schedule when they arrive overseas. Your program-specific materials should give instructions for your program.

Required Grade Point Average for Participation

Remember, students must be in "good academic standing" and not on academic or social probation at their home campus in order to participate in any SUNY study abroad program. Students with cumulative grade point averages of less than 2.0 or whose grades fall below 2.0 during the semester immediately prior to the one when they expect to study abroad will be blocked from participating. Therefore, be sure your grades during the semester prior to participating meet this requirement.

If your letter of acceptance contained any conditions, you must prove that you have met them prior to the start of your study abroad program. If your acceptance depended upon your grades, you must submit a copy of your grades from the current semester for review and approval by Albany prior to the start of the program.

Registering for a SUNY-Sponsored Overseas Program

Albany students who are not participating on an Albany program should register according to the following guidelines.

• SUNY Program administered by any 4-year SUNY campus: You should register at Albany following the instructions under "Registering for Study Abroad in General."
• SUNY Community Colleges, F.I.T, or similar college's Program: The instructions given previously about how to register do not apply to you! You should obtain a separate set of instructions for registration, transfer credit, and financial aid from Albany's Office of International Education, LI 66. If you are going on a summer or short-term program, you will just need to follow the rules for transfer credit. If you are going on a semester or year-long program, you will need a Leave for Approved Study. But please do read the rest of this handbook. Everything else applies to you as well.

Registering For Your Second Semester Overseas

Albany students who originally applied and were accepted for study abroad for the academic year will automatically be registered by Albany for their second semester of study. Other SUNY students who originally applied and were accepted for the academic year, should automatically be registered at their home campus for their second semester of study. However, it is a good idea to confirm your registration status with your home campus anyway.

If you originally applied for only one semester and want to extend your stay for a second term, you must obtain permission from the SUNY campus that administers your program and from the overseas site. If you do get permission to extend your stay, make sure that your home campus knows so that your registration can be updated. Note: The Office of International Education only deals with changes in registration for you. If you decide to extend your study period from one semester to a full year, you must take full responsibility for notifying the Office of Residential Life of your plans.

Holds on Registration

If you have any holds at your home campus, you will not be able to register for study abroad, and if you have any holds added while you are overseas, no one will be able to register you for the second semester you are away. Therefore, be certain that all your library books have been returned and that you have no outstanding bills or fines of any kind before you go away. If you cannot be registered, you cannot officially do your study abroad program, and your financial aid may be canceled, so this really matters.

We don't like to do this, but if you have any unpaid charges from your period of study abroad, and you do not make arrangements to have them paid in full, the Office of International Education will hold your grades and will also have holds put on your records at Albany and at your home campus.

This policy also applies to the SUNY health insurance premium for coverage while you are overseas. It should be paid in full before you leave or covered by your financial aid if you arrange for it to be paid in that way. Remember that if you do not specifically decline this coverage, you will be billed for it and your grades will be held if you have not paid the charge.