2013-2014 Exchange Information
Please read the information
below, which pertains specifically to UH Manoa students
interested in going on exchange. In addition, the
2012-2013 NSE Directories are available for pick up outside
our office at Phys Sci Room #205.
The website www.nse.org
should be consulted for updated cost and major availability.
The National Student Exchange Program offers students the
opportunity to study for one or two semesters (most exchanges
begin fall term), paying either UHM tuition or resident tuition
at the host campus. Approximately 180 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.
-
Carry 12 credits or
more the semester preceding exchange, and having completed 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 $200 (The NSE coordinator will email you regarding
when to pay it).
-
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
Most students
go on Plan A to receive financial aid from their host
schools (most other NSE schools have less expensive tuition than
UHM). As of Spring 2012, financial aid will also be available
for Plan B. 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.
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 bulletin board outside of Phys Sci 220 from August through
November). The deadline to apply for spring
placement 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/odstc.
This site shows UHM 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 here).
**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 Physical Science 206 on the rack outside the office
door.
Please read
the printed materials carefully, and refer to the detailed
information in the National Student Exchange Directory, as well
as that on the
www.nse.org
website. Pages 11-14 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,
e-mail
sandyd@hawaii.edu.
Each year 60
to 100 UHM students participate in the National Student Exchange
program (NSE), spending one or two semesters at one of 180
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 or programs 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 5 to 9 and map (16-17) for which
state/part of the country you prefer.
-
Pages 5 to 9 also show campus enrollments
and the size of the town/city in which the campus is
located.
-
A searchable listing of majors offered by
exchange schools is available at the website
www.nse.org. 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 of courses
is also accessible through
www.nse.org. Nursing and education are generally
unavailable.
-
At
www.nse.org, you can choose a state, than choose a
school and get 4-5 pages of information on that school. This
includes whether a school is available on Plan A and/or B
and limitations in courses as well as costs for tuition/fees
and room/board whether the academic schedule and charges are
on a semester or quarter plan, and the FAFSA code for each
school.
-
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 general
education 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
180 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 11 (hours to turn in
applications will be posted at that time.)
Getting Financial Aid for
Going on Exchange
-
Most students needing financial aid should choose Plan A
which is generally cheaper and apply for aid at the host
school. Although beginning with spring 2012, students on
Plan B (paying UHM tuition and being waived at the host
school), can get financial aid from UHM and use UHM
scholarships (most exchange schools take a very limited
number of students on plan B).
-
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 code for each school
to which you might exchange.
-
It is essential that you follow up early with each potential
school on financial aid 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 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.
Timeline and Deadlines (see
Important Dates and Limited Schools for details)
|
December 10, 2012
|
Application forms available online at
http://www2.hawaii.edu/~nse or at
Physical Science 206 |
|
January 9, 2013
|
First
day that applications will be accepted (You will be
charged an electronic fee which can be accessed via MyUH) |
|
February 13, 2013
|
Priority application deadline (for ranking at limited
schools) |
|
February 25, 2013 |
Final
pre-placement conference application deadline for
maximum school availability
|
|
March
15, 2013
|
All
applicants informed of 2013-2014 school placement |
|
March
15- May 1, 2013
|
Applications for Fall exchange at remaining
post-conference schools accepted (some schools may have
earlier deadlines than May 1, 2013) |
NOTE: No one will be placed
until the $200 application placement fee is paid.
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, East Bay, Monterey Bay)
- College of
Charleston
- Florida
International
- Howard
University
- Humboldt State
|
- University of
Arizona
- University of
Connecticut
- University of
Georgia
- University of
N. Colorado
- University of
the Virgin Islands
- University of
Washington
- Portland State
University
- Fresno State
|
(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.)
