Current Students Abroad
This information is intended for PSU students who are already accepted onto a program, or are currently studying or interning abroad. If you have any questions about your program, please look here for answers first, and if you don’t find what you’re looking for, contact your Education Abroad Advisor.
Academic Credit
How do I earn credit for my Education Abroad experience?
You earn credit by submitting your syllabi for each course that you are taking on your program abroad. In some cases this is not necessary. Your Education Abroad Advisor will let you know if you fall into that category. Your Education Abroad Advisor will submit your syllabi to PSU departments relevant to the courses you took (a psychology course will go to the psychology department, etc.). The departments will return a PSU course number for each course. You are guaranteed PSU credit for each course you take on a PSU-approved program. The way these credits fulfill degree requirements is up to the department in which you are major or minor. Once your course equivalencies are back from PSU departments, and once your Education Abroad Advisor receives your transcript from your program abroad, your advisor will drop your placeholder study abroad courses and add the PSU course equivalencies for the courses you took on your program.
Why does my transcript currently indicate that I am enrolled in INTL 399, SPST: Study Abroad courses, on a pass/no pass basis? I thought that I was earning grades for these courses, and that I would earn other credits besides just INTL credits.
You are enrolled in INTL 399 as a placeholder class while you are on your program abroad. Once your course equivalency process is complete and your transcript has arrived at PSU, these placeholder INTL classes will be replaced with the PSU course numbers (based on the course equivalency) of the classes you took on your program. You will receive grades for each class you took, not pass/no pass.
What is the difference between semester and quarter credit hours? How do I know how many credits I have to take and how do I know how these credit hours will transfer back to the quarter credit hour system?
There are 1.5 quarter credits to 1 semester credit. So, if you take a 6 semester credit class, it will come through to PSU as 9 quarter credits. If you receive financial aid, you will want to maintain full-time status by taking 12 quarter credits per term. If you are on a fall term/fall semester program, this should not be a problem. You will want to take a minimum of 8 semester credits to equal a full load of 12 quarter credits in the fall. In winter/spring, you will want to be careful about this. Because you may be on a program for one semester and missing two terms, you should make sure you’re taking enough credits to equal a full load at PSU, which would be 24 credits for the two terms. This is equal to 16 semester credits. If you do not receive financial aid, you may have more flexibility with the number of credits you take per term.
Do I have to submit my course syllabi to an Education Abroad Advisor for course evaluation?
In most cases, yes, you do need to submit syllabi for each course for evaluation. If you are not sure about this, check with your Education Abroad Advisor. Generally, students on NCSA or AHA programs do not need to submit course syllabi to their Education Abroad Advisor.
How long does the normal process take for the courses from my study abroad program to appear on my official PSU transcript?
The process generally takes about one full term to complete, but can take a shorter or longer time, depending on the amount of time it takes to complete course equivalencies and the amount of time it takes PSU to receive the transcript of your work abroad. To speed up the process, it is recommended that you send your syllabi in to your Education Abroad Advisor as soon as you receive them on your program. That way the course equivalencies can be completed before you even finish your program abroad. Then your advisor can complete the process as soon as the transcript arrives.
Financial
How do I pay for my study abroad experience?
You pay for your study abroad experience the same way you pay your bills for study at PSU. For most programs (your Education Abroad Advisor will let you know if this is not the case for your program), PSU receives a bill from the university or program provider for your program fee. PSU bills your student account for the program fee, plus the $350 study abroad fee per term (which is billed as a separate line item on your account) and then pays the bill for your program.
If you need help financing your study abroad experience, speak with your financial aid advisor about funding options, or see the scholarships section of our website.
How does my Financial Aid work with my study abroad program payment?
Once you are accepted onto a program, your Education Abroad Advisor will send a budget to the Financial Aid office detailing the expenses of your study abroad program. This will act as an amendment to your FAFSA form. Sometimes your financial aid package will increase due to your higher program expenses, but this is not always the case. Check with your Financial Aid advisor if you have questions about this.
In paying for your program, your financial aid will work the same way it does when you are studying at PSU. The Education Abroad office will bill your account for your program fee and the study abroad fee, your financial aid will go into your account at the beginning of each term, and if there is money left over it will be accessible to you in the form of a refund.
Your Education Abroad Advisor will divide your program costs up so that you’re charged at the beginning of each PSU term. If you go on a program for the spring semester, your program fee will be divided in two and charged to your account at the beginning of winter and spring terms. This way your financial aid will go toward the program fee each term you’re abroad.
I am having problems accessing/using my Higher One account from my location overseas. How can I make this work?
Visit the Higher One website if you are having difficulties with your account. This will walk you through the process involved with setting up your Higher One account or choosing an alternate method of receiving your financial aid refund. Because your refund will be sent directly to your Higher One account, it is important for you to understand how Higher One works or to opt out of Higher One and select your own bank or credit union to receive your refund.
Is it possible to make a payment plan with PSU so that I can pay my account balance in monthly installments?
Yes, you may pay in monthly installments, if you prefer dividing up your bill. However, be aware that you will be charged interest and that each term’s bill should be paid in full (or very close to it) before the next term’s installment is due.
Miscellaneous
I have attempted to log into the PSU information system. It now says that my account is locked and that I need to have my pin reset. How do I make this happen?
You have probably entered in an incorrect pin number and you need to have a pin reset. You should call 503.725.3412 and ask for your pin to be reset (you will need to answer your security questions).
If you cannot call the registration office, you can email (in the subject line specify pin reset). In the body of the email explain that you are overseas and cannot physically come to PSU but that you need to have your pin reset. Include your ID number, current address which is on file with PSU, and your date of birth in the body of the email. Someone will then be able to reset your pin and give you the new pin via email.
What is a student visa? Do I need one for my program? If so, what is the process for obtaining one?
A student visa generally comes in the form of a stamp in your passport that gives you permission to study in a particular country. Most countries require student visas. You will receive information from your Education Abroad Advisor and/or your program provider about how to acquire a student visa for your program. This often involves sending your passport by registered mail to the consulate or embassy of the country in which you’re planning to study. Therefore, it is important that you have a current passport that does not expire within six months of the date of the end of your program abroad. If you don’t have a passport, you will want to apply for one right away.
How do I go about getting an enrollment verification?
Students can print official verifications of enrollment by following the “Enrollment Verification” link in the Student Service portion of the PSU Information System. The link connects to the NSC Student Self-Service site; click on the link and follow the prompts to obtain an official verification.
When can I register for the next term back at PSU?
Click here to find information about registering for classes at PSU.