Read this First:
All
placements for exchange through the National Student Exchange
are administered by the NSE coordinator at the student's home
school. If you are not sure who that is or where the NSE
office is on your campus, please visit
http://www.nse.org/offices.asp for more information.
All NSE campuses are listed, with the location of the NSE office
on that campus.
INFORMATION FOR STUDENTS SEEKING EXCHANGE
TO THE UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII AT MANOA,
2007-2008
Introduction:
Many students are attracted to the dream of
studying on exchange at the University of Hawai`i at Manoa.
Visions of sandy beaches, palm trees, sparkling blue water, and
endless days of sun fill their fantasies.
Others are attracted to the idea
of living in such a diverse environment, learning more about the
peoples of Hawai`i, Asia and the Pacific.
Indeed, the opportunities for
study in Asian and Pacific languages and cultures, as well as
social science and humanities courses reflecting these cultures,
are unmatched, as are those in the sciences. But because
Hawaii attracts so many exchange students, there are some
realities that should be considered before choosing UHM for
exchange:
1) Limited Plan B Spaces:
A very limited number of students
can be accepted on Plan B. For
the most part, students are accepted on Plan B only if a
UHM student wants to attend that campus on Plan B. Because
UHM students do not attend a large variety of schools, this
opportunity does not often arise.
2) Cost of Tuition:
Although UHM’s
tuition cost is still moderate, tuition will be approximately
$2,670 per semester, including campus fees (please refer to the
"Campus Budget Information" section at
www.nse.org, found in "Student
Information"). There is no installment plan for tuition;
however, Plan A students receiving financial aid from the home
school can have tuition deferred until that aid arrives.
3) Plan A and Financial Aid from UHM:
Most students accepted for exchange must process financial aid
(all FAFSA) through UHM. The UHM FAFSA code must be listed
on the FAFSA or renewal FAFSA by mid-February if possible. Students should
also respond promptly to all communications from the UHM
financial aid office (at least two months are required to
process aid applications after the student's file is complete,
including verification process, etc.) No payment plans and
no emergency funds are available.
4)
Limited Campus and Off-Campus Housing:
There are not sufficient campus
housing spaces available for all NSE students who want to
exchange to UHM. Those students fortunate enough to
receive housing applications must follow up promptly, as
obtaining assignments is very competitive. The range of
costs is approximately $2,000 to $2,800 per semester (depending
on hall, for a double room; this does not include meal plan
purchase, which is required for the residence halls, not for
campus apartments). Those who sign a year contract
(including winter break) will pay a penalty if they cancel the
spring portion. A deposit is due upon assignment (usually
sometime mid-summer). Visit
www.housing.hawaii.edu for
the latest information and rates.
A few students willing to live
off-campus will be accepted, mostly on Plan A. However,
off-campus rentals are scarce and extremely expensive. (Honolulu rents were recently cited as the most
expensive in the US, above those in New York City and San
Francisco).
5) Parking:
There is NO CAMPUS PARKING
for NSE students.
However, there is a city bus system.
6) Registration and
Priority:
Because of the
large number of exchange students attending UHM, there is no
early registration and it is therefore not a good school for
juniors and seniors with specific course needs.
Registration for exchange students is quite late (with
transfers).
7)
Limited Course
Availability:
There is no guarantee of getting
courses, and students need much flexibility in courses they plan
to take as some will be closed by the time they register.
Again, in general, we are not a good exchange campus for juniors
and seniors with specific course needs. If a
major is not listed on the searchable majors list on
www.nse.org, it is not
available to exchange students. UPPER DIVISION BUSINESS
COURSES ARE CLOSED TO EXCHANGE STUDENTS.
8) Course Catalog:
For advising purposes, the UHM course catalog
is available at our website,
www.catalog.hawaii.edu.
We will mail the fall schedule of courses as soon as it is
available, around April 20; it is also posted online at that
time (please visit:
www.hawaii.edu/myuh/manoa).
For many courses, exchange students must provide the department
with evidence of prerequisites at their home school equivalent
to the UHM prerequisites for the course, providing a syllabus.
9) Campus Climate:
UHM is a COMMUTER campus (only 18%
of students reside on campus, and most of them go home on
weekends), and there is not much campus life. In addition,
many campus amenities reflect the commuter campus identity -
library hours, computer lab hours, eating facility hours.
If you have questions, you can
e-mail the coordinator at
sandyd@hawaii.edu.
