**UPDATED 09/04/09**
SPRING 2010 EXCHANGE PLACEMENTS ARE NOW
OPEN.
If you would like to go on
exchange for the Spring 2010 semester only, you must check the
list posted in the window of QLC 206, then email the coordinator
at sandyd@hawaii.edu.
Only some NSE schools are available, and deadlines vary.
2010-2011 Exchange Information
The
application for UH Manoa students applying for exchange
beginning in the Fall 2010 term will be available December
15. The deadline to apply will be February 16, 2010.
Please read the information
below, which pertains specifically to UH Manoa students
interested in going on exchange. In addition, the new
2010-2011 NSE Directories with updated information for
institutions participating, programs that are closed or
limited, and estimated tuition expense will be available for
you to pick up outside our office at QLCSS Room #206 at the
end of September.
The National Student Exchange Program offers students the
opportunity to study on the mainland for one or two semesters
(most exchanges begin fall term), paying either UHM tuition or resident
tuition at the host campus. Approximately 190 institutions
participate in the student exchange program. The program does not
include private universities.
Through new social,
cultural and educational experiences, the mainland experience
promotes growth in maturity, independence and self-confidence, as
well as new perspectives of self, family and the world outside of
Hawai’i. Students who have participated in the program are
enthusiastic about their experience and recommend the program to
others.
ELIGIBILITY
· Be a classified
undergraduate full-time student;
priority for Hawaii residents.
· A cumulative GPA of 2.5 or
higher (only grades earned at UHM will be considered). This
GPA must be maintained at the end of the semester preceding
exchange, or exchange
placement will be canceled. Most placements are made in
March for the following fall or academic year, and the majority of
schools are available then. A few schools are available
for fall placement during April and May; even fewer schools are
available for spring only placements beginning in January. (See
the posting of school availability in the window of QLCSS from
mid-March to May for fall, and from August to November for
spring.)
· Carrying 12 credits or
more the semester preceding exchange, and have complete at least
24 credits by the time the exchange occurs.
· Seniors
are eligible; however, it may be difficult to get remaining
graduation requirements because of limited course availability
at some schools. Seniors should check with their
respective academic departments regarding graduation
requirements before applying for exchange.
COSTS
· Non-refundable application
fee of $180. (Make checks payable to the University of
Hawaii at Manoa)
· Plan A
Tuition: Pay host institution’s resident tuition and
fees.
· Plan B
Tuition: Pay UH Manoa tuition and fees (under your tuition status).
· (Some schools offer only
one plan; others offer both Plan A and B)
· Room and board for one
semester averages $4,000-$5,000 depending on host school. Some
cost more, some less.
· Airfare to host
institution.
· Estimated total costs:
Averages $8,000-$10,000 per semester, depending on Plan and
location of exchange (less for mid-West or California schools)
FINANCIAL AID (Not
available on Plan B)
You must go on Plan
A to receive financial aid, with aid awarded by your host
school. Even if you have never received financial aid
before, you may be eligible. It is important to process
applications early (FAFSA by February 15), listing all schools you
might exchange to. Follow up with host school to see
what other forms they require.
LENGTH OF EXCHANGE
UHM participants may
exchange for fall semester or for a FULL academic year. A
limited number of schools are available for exchanges beginning
in January (see the window of QLCSS 206 from August through
November). The deadlines to apply for the spring
placements is
October 1.
TRAVEL PLANS
The National Student
Exchange does not assist with travel plans. Students must
make their own arrangements.
ACADEMIC PLAN
After receiving official
notification of being placed at one of your schools of choice, you
will need to be advised by department and/or college advisors, and
to develop a two-year academic plan; a list of courses you plan to
take during your exchange (it is important to include a number of
alternatives, in case your first choices are not available), and
courses you plan to take the semester you return to UHM (you will
be registering online for the next fall in April while still at
your host school. (If you have a transcript sent back to UHM
Admissions and Records by February, your class standing for
registration will be advanced.) UHM advisors can determine
which host institution courses are equivalent to your UHM
requirements. You can get a preliminary idea of mainland
school courses which will transfer back to UHM by checking
"Transfer Credit Search" on the website:
www.hawaii.edu/admrec.
This site shows equivalents of courses students have previously
transferred back to UHM.
There are no guarantees
for getting courses. Although most schools register NSE
students with or ahead of their own continuing students, NSE
status is unclassified. Be sure to note closed or limited
majors for NSE at each school. If you are a business major,
be sure you choose a school with appropriate accreditation (list
available at the NSE office).
**For some majors, you
need to declare and be accepted by the appropriate
department/college before going on exchange in order to access
courses in that field at the host school.
GRADES AND CREDITS
During your exchange, you
must maintain a minimum GPA of 2.0. The grades earned
at your host institution will not affect your UHM cumulative GPA
which is calculated only on grades earned at
UHM.
TRANSFERRING TO HOST
SCHOOL AND RESIDENCY
Most students return to
UHM after their exchange. However, if you decide to
transfer, your year on exchange is not applicable toward
meeting residency requirements. Please notify the UHM NSE
office of your intention to transfer. Be careful not to
register to vote in your NSE state if you are not going to
transfer; if you do, you lose Hawaii residency.
The NSE Directory is available
at QLCSS 206 on the rack outside the office
door.
Please read the
printed materials carefully, and refer to the detailed information
in the NSE Directory, as well as that on the
Official NSE website. Page
9 in the Directory
provides a list of resources on the website. Pages 10-12 on
“Exchange Policies and Considerations” contain very important
information for planning your exchange. Other helpful
sections of the Directory are described below. If, after
studying these sources, you still have questions, call 956-6772 or
e-mail sandyd@hawaii.edu and leave a message.
Each year 60 to 100 UHM
students participate in the National Student Exchange program
(NSE), spending one or two semesters at one of 190 participating
state universities on the mainland and in Canada. To
participate, you must be enrolled full-time and have a
cumulative GPA of 2.5 (some schools require a higher GPA). With careful academic
planning, the courses taken on exchange can transfer
back into the UHM degree program, without delaying
graduation. In considering which school is best for you, you
need to think of several factors, and consult all the available
information.
Making Preliminary Choices
of Your Preferred Schools:
Obtain the NSE Directory from the
rack outside the exchange office.
-
See pages
4 and 5 and map (50-51) for which state/part of the
country you prefer.
-
See pages
94-97 for campus enrollments and the size of
town/city in which the campus is located, as well as
figures showing whether the campus is a commuter campus and
what percentage live on campus.
-
A
searchable listing of majors offered by exchange schools is
available at the website
http://www.nse.org/cmajors.asp. Be sure the field
in which you wish to take courses is not listed as “limited”
or “closed” in the Directory under the school you wish to
visit. Each
school’s catalog is also accessible through
www.nse.org.
-
The
Directory provides detailed information on whether a school
is available on Plan A and/or B (financial aid is not
available on Plan B), and limitations in courses. See the
sidebar of each school description to see what approximate
costs for tuition/fees and room/board will be and whether
the academic schedule and charges are on a semester or
quarter plan. More currently updated information on costs
can be found at
www.nse.org.
-
When you
have made preliminary selections, check academic offerings
in your field with a major advisor. After placement, you
need to complete a more formal advising process to see which
major and core courses are most likely to transfer.
Because it is sometimes difficult to get your planned
courses at the exchange schools (and there are no
guarantees), alternative courses should be planned.
Factors affecting whether
you get the school(s) you want:
-
There are
190 schools currently participating in the NSE consortium.
Several of them will be ideal for you and will accept you.
Any UHM student who is full-time, classified, and has a 2.5
cumulative GPA can go somewhere.
-
The
final decision on assigning a student to a
certain exchange school is up to that host school. Most
schools have far smaller programs than that of UHM and
frequently have various restrictions on how many students
they can take.
-
If more
UHM students want a school than it can take (see #2 above),
applicants are ranked for priority to be accepted by that
school. Hawaii residents will be given priority, as
the university joined this program primarily to provide
Hawaii residents this opportunity. If residency is not
a factor, ranking is by class standing and GPA combined.
-
Placement
assignments to exchange schools are made by NSE coordinators
of all the participating institutions at a yearly national
conference in mid-March. We will not know your chances of
getting limited schools until late February. There is
no advantage in applying early, and no applications
will be accepted before January 13 (hours to turn in
applications will be posted at that time.) See the list
outside QLCSS206 for available schools and deadlines, then
email Sandy at sandyd@hawaii.edu.
Getting Financial Aid for
Going on Exchange
-
If you
need financial aid, you must select Plan A and apply
for aid at your host school.
-
For
optimal consideration for aid, the FAFSA must be filed by
February 15 (or earlier, if stated in the Directory or
school catalog).
-
You
should list on the FAFSA the FAFSA code for each school to which you
might exchange.
-
It is
essential that you follow up early with each potential
school on financial aid application requirements specific to
each school. Phone numbers for each NSE school
financial aid office are available in the NSE office.
You should also keep in touch with the host school financial
aid office in case that you have been selected for
verification and are required to submit tax forms, etc.
-
If you
register at UHM and list UHM on your FAFSA, you may
interfere with your financial aid from your NSE school.
-
If you
have previously had loans from UHM, you must schedule an
exit interview with a UHM financial aid counselor before
leaving.
Limited Schools
During
the last few years, the following schools have not taken all the
UHM students who wanted them. Other schools may be very
limited on Plan B, or may have limited campus housing available
(see NSE Directory).
- Cal Poly San
Luis Obispo
- California
State, LA
- College of
Charleston
- Florida
International
- Howard
University
- San Jose State
- Suffolk
University
|
- University of
Arizona
- University of
Connecticut
- University of
Georgia
- University of
the Virgin Islands
- University of
Washington
- Washington
State University
|
(When more UHM students want a
school than the school will accept, Hawaii residents have
priority. If residency is not a factor, ranking is by class
standing and GPA combined.)
