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UH-Manoa NSE Office Contact Information:

 

sandyd@hawaii.edu

 

808-956-6772

 

 

 

 

  

FALL 2008 Exchange Information

 

The application for UH-Manoa students applying for exchange beginning in the Fall 2008 term will be available in December.  A link to the printable version of the application will be found in the menu to the left and a hardcopy version will be available at our office location in QLCSS 206. 

 

The priority deadline to submit applications is Friday, February 15, 2008.  Students are encouraged to submit their completed applications by the priority deadline.  Following the priority deadline, students may continue to apply for a limited time, but will be limited only to the schools available at that time.  Students applying for exchange to a limited school must submit their completed application by our priority deadline.

 

Please read the information below, which pertains specifically to UH-Manoa students interested in going on exchange.  There are also informational meetings if you wish to attend.  Details for these meetings are located in the "Timeline" section of this website.

 

 

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.

 

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

·      Classified undergraduate student enrolled full time.

·      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 spring semester, 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.  .

·      Carrying 12 credits or more the semester preceding exchange.

·      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 $170.  (Make checks payable to the University of Hawaii)

·      Plan A Tuition: Pay host institution’s resident tuition and fees.

·      Plan B Tuition: Pay UH Manoa tuition and fees.

·      (Some schools offer only one plan; others offer both Plan A and B)

·      Room and board for one semester averages $3,500-$4,000 depending on host school. Some cost more, some less

·      Airfare to host institution.

·      Estimated total costs: Averages $6,000-$7,500 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 October).  The deadlines to apply for most of these 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. 

 

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 Shidler College of Business).

 

**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 in QLCSS 206; also available 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 http://nse.org/ website.  Page 8 in the Directory provides a list of resources on the website.  Pages 9-11 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 80 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.  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 of Exchange Opportunities Widening Your Educational Horizons from the exchange office.  Steps to follow in making your selection are:

 

  1. See pages 4 and 5 and map (50-51) for which state/part of the country you prefer.
  2. 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.
  3. 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. 
  4. Each school’s catalog is also accessible through www.nse.org
  5. 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 http://www.nse.org/scampusbudgets.asp
  6. 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:

 

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. If more UHM students want a school than it can take (see #2 above), we must rank those students by priority for being selected by that school.  The main factors affecting your priority are class standing and GPA.  With other factors being equal, Hawaii residents will be given priority, as the university joined the exchange consortium primarily to give Hawaii’s students the opportunity to study on the mainland.
  4. Placement assignments to exchange schools are made by NSE coordinators of all the participating institutions at a yearly national conference in early March.  We will not know your chances of getting limited schools until late February.

 

Getting Financial Aid for Going on Exchange 

 

  1. If you need financial aid, you must select Plan A and apply for aid at your host school.

  2. For optimal consideration for aid, the FAFSA must be filed by February 15 (or earlier, if stated in the Directory or school catalog).

  3. You should list on the FAFSA each school to which you might exchange.

  4. It is essential that you follow up early with each potential school on financial aid application requirements specific to each school, and continue to check the status of your application.  Phone numbers for each NSE school financial aid office are available in the “Campus Detail Information” section of www.nse.org

  5. It is essential to continue to check the status of your financial aid application with the host school financial aid office.  Most schools now receive the Student Aid Report (SAR) online.  Be sure that other required forms (such as tax forms, verification worksheets, etc., if required) have been received by early May, or your award offer may be delayed.

  6. If you register at UHM and list UHM on your FAFSA, you may interfere with your financial aid from your NSE school.

  7. 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:

 

School Estimated Number Accepted
University of Washington 4-6
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo 2-3
San Jose State 2-3
University of Arizona 1
Suffolk University 0
Howard University 0
University of the Virgin Islands 1

 

(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.)

 

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University of Hawai'i at Mānoa

National Student Exchange

Queen Lili'uokalani Center for Student Services, Room 206

2600 Campus Road

Honolulu, Hawai'i  96822-2205

Telephone: (808) 956-6772 | Facsimile: (808) 956-5076

Email: sandyd@hawaii.edu

       Last Updated: 2007 October 08