Resources for Parents

We understand that as a parent you have many questions or concerns about your child studying abroad. This site has been designed specifically for you to help answer questions or concerns that you may have and ease your way into the world of studying abroad.

A Beneficial Experience for your Child

As you know, studying abroad will be a different experience for your child, as it should be. It is meant to educate and further expand a student’s possibilities. As the world continues to grow globally, students more than likely will have to deal with foreigners and foreign companies in some way, shape, or form. Learning new languages and about other cultures gives students that edge they will need when applying for jobs after graduation.

“More and more employers are seeking out culturally aware and experienced employees who can work effectively in an increasingly global workplace”. View IES Abroad website.

One of the biggest benefits students gain with studying abroad is through their personal growth and understanding of their own culture.

“Beyond affecting career or educational direction, one of the most significant and intangible impacts of studying abroad is participants' increased understanding of their own cultural values and biases. Eighty-two percent of alumni said that they had developed a more sophisticated way of looking at the world as a result of studying abroad”. View IES Abroad website.

Students can gain an abundant amount of information from studying abroad that they can apply to their personal lives, jobs, and their careers.

Commons questions that parents have

How do I finance a study abroad trip?

How much spending money is needed?

How do I keep in touch with my child while they are abroad?

What documents does my child need before they leave?

What are some safety and security guidelines?

Why does a student need study abroad health insurance?

How do I finance a study abroad trip?

The major concern that many students and parents have is financing studying abroad. There are many options that are available to help finance a study abroad trip. If this is the reason that you or your child is contemplating whether or not to study abroad, make sure you look at the following options. These will help make studying abroad more affordable.

• Scholarships
• Direct Exchange Program
• Financial Aid
• Other

Scholarships

A great way to help fund studying abroad is by applying for scholarships. There are thousands of scholarships out there if you take the time to look and ask. Ask professors what scholarships are offered in their department that can be applied towards studying abroad. View scholarship page.

Direct Exchange Program

A direct exchange program is based on the principle of student-for-student, one-to-one exchange. UND students pay UND tuition and fees and in some cases housing for exchange programs. This option is not available with all study abroad programs. Be sure to ask the study abroad advisor about UND’s exchange programs. It’s one step that can help make the study abroad experience more affordable.

Financial Aid

If your child has federal financial aid it can be applied to studying abroad. They have the option to re-evaluate how much they receive as well. To figure out how to re-evaluate financial aid your child can contact the Financial Aid Department in Twamley Hall. They can apply their financial to their tuition, room and board, plane tickets, food, and traveling they may do while abroad. For more information contact Loretta Prather at Student Financial Aid. Contact Loretta Prather at 701-777-3121.

Other

There are many other ways to help finance studying abroad. If your child has a job, we recommend trying to save a certain percentage of each paycheck that they can apply to their expenses. In addition, with the holiday season coming, students really appreciate anything that can help them out before they leave to go abroad. Some ideas for gifts include: power converters and power adapters, toiletries, snacks, traveler’s checks, etc.

How much spending money is needed?

“The amount of money that will be needed for the trip depends on the expenses that the student may be required to pay while abroad. It is a good idea to create a budget prior to departure that separates any known living and school expenses such as food, housing, transportation and text books from general spending money that can be used for independent travel, tourist attraction entrance fees and souvenirs. Keep in mind that having a budget does not mean that the student needs to have to carry cash around for each of these expenses - just know about how much is allotted to each so money for meals is not spent carelessly on souvenirs!”. View parent's guide in this area.

Always remember

"Traveling with large amounts of cash is not recommended." - 'It's Your World' handbook.

The student should consider using several different forms of payment for expenses. Traveler's checks, credit cards, ATM cards and cash are accepted almost everywhere. Although U.S. dollars are also widely accepted throughout the world, the student should make every attempt to use the local currency”. View parent's guide in this area.

How do I keep in touch with my child while they are abroad?

“Postal mail, telephone, fax and email are all available means by which to communicate with students abroad. While rates may be higher to connect overseas, the services work very similar to those here in the United States. A popular option used by many students is to obtain a phone card/calling card from your current long-distance carrier. Be sure to find out the appropriate access numbers for the United States as they vary from country to country”. View parent's guide in this area.

Please understand that writing letters and postcards may take longer to reach the recipient that what you are used to. A very popular form of communication that students like is Skype. Skype is software that enables you to communicate via voice calls and video. You can do this right through your computer. For more information on how Skype works, check out Skype’s website. Another option is purchasing a phone card. Students who have purchased the International Student Identity Card (ISIC) have been able to use not only to receive discounts across Europe and for STA travel, but they have been able to use it as a phone card. To get more information on what you can use the ISIC card for go to myisic.com. ISIC cards may be purchased at the International Centre. Email is a common form of communication that students use as well while they are abroad. Many students will create blogs to update friends and family on what they have been doing too.

What documents does my child need before they leave?

Every student is required to have a passport. Be advised passports take some time to be processed, so students will want to get one a couple of months in advance. Passports are good for ten years. Just as you do with any important financial documents, keep a photocopy of the passport picture page and any visa pages and paperwork in a separate safe place. It’s a good idea for your child to have a copy and for you to have a copy as well. If your child should lose or get their passport stolen, having a copy of the original greatly expedites the replacement process. Check out travel.state.gov to find the information you need to get a passport.

Depending on the duration of the program and the country, students may be required to have a VISA. A VISA is official permission for your child to visit another country for a specified period issued by the government of that country. They must have a passport in order to obtain a VISA. It is very important that your child obtains a passport as soon as possible and notifies the study abroad advisor, so they can start getting their VISA processed.

What are some safety and security guidelines?

There are a number of different things that you and your child can do to help maintain their personal safety. Nothing can truly guarantee a student’s safety, but behaving in an informed, culturally appropriate manner can greatly minimize the risks of foreign travel.

• Be sure to educate yourself and your child about the political, cultural, and social conditions in the host country.
• Your child is to notify the Education Abroad Office and their host country program representative of any mental or physical conditions they may have that may require attention during they stay abroad.
• Purchase travel insurance to cover medical issues, baggage delay, etc. UND students are required to purchase UND travel insurance, but students may wish to get additional insurance. Some students purchase the International Student Identity Card (ISIC) which provides some extra insurance, discounts on transportation and exhibits, and can be used as a phone card.
• Be sure to contact your local bank to inform them that you are traveling abroad. In some cases, banks have put accounts on hold if they believed there was suspicious activity on that account.
• The Office of International Programs reviews each study abroad program to ascertain program compatibility with UND’s mission and students’ academics.
• General Travel Information
  U.S. Embassies Worldwide

Travel Warnings

View travel warnings

Common Questions about Studying Abroad

View common questions

Why does a student need study abroad health insurance?

UND’s study abroad health insurance specifically covers international health issues; most students’ domestic health insurance does not cover them for health related issues outside of the U.S. UND requires all students traveling and studying abroad on a UND related program to have health insurance that can provide the following coverage and services. Click here to view the schedule of benefits.

This policy costs $50 per month, students are required to pay the total cost of the insurance as the confirmation fee for studying abroad (if insurance is included with the programs cost, students will pay $100 as a confirmation fee) The Office of International programs insures that students are covered for the duration of the study abroad program. If a student decides to stay longer than the duration of the program they can purchase additional insurance for $50 per month. It is the student’s responsibility to purchase additional coverage by going to the CISI website. Click here to view the website.

If a student already has insurance that covers these items, it is the students responsibility to provide his/her Education Abroad Advisor with proof of coverage (including a schedule of benefits that meets or exceeds the coverage provided by UND and dates of service that must cover the student for the entire duration of their program). This documentation must be submitted by pre-departure orientation.

It is recommended that students maintain their domestic health insurance for the duration of the study abroad experience.

View policy terms and conditions and claim form.