Selecting Courses

Before applying for a study abroad program, it is necessary to first gather all of the information about the courses offered during your semester of interest and meet with your advisor to discuss the courses that best fit your academic program.

 Some things to keep in mind when selecting courses:
*Immigration laws require that students participating in study abroad programs be registered full-time (at least 12 credit hours) at their host institution.
*Financial aid often cannot be applied to courses that don't count in some way toward graduation. Check with the Office of Financial Aid if you have concerns about this.
*Some programs have required language or culture courses that are mandatory for you in order to participate. Review the program's curriculum requirements carefully.

Registering for Courses

There are two ways to approach course registration, and they will depend on the type of program you're participating in, and the types of agreement Lawrence Tech has with the host institution. Check with the Office of Study Abroad Programs to make sure you follow the correct registration procedures.

Partner Institutions

Study Abroad programs that are official partners with Lawrence Tech have agreements in place in which you will register for Study Abroad Programs (SAP) courses that are created for you through Lawrence Tech's registration system. This means you will be charged Lawrence Tech tuition rates and pay all of your other fees (registration, housing, etc) directly to Lawrence Tech; however, it also means all of your internal scholarships and financial aid will be applied to your study abroad experience. The grades you receive in SAP courses will be CR/NC. Grades will be applied when transcripts are received from the host institution.

Independent Programs

If you find a Study Abroad experience on your own, you will most likely be participating in that program as a "guest" or "transient" student of the host institution. In this case, you will not register for courses at Lawrence Tech. Instead, you will become a student of the host institution for the semester abroad.

Independent programs are much more challenging to coordinate and can often result in loss of financial aid dollars because you're not affiliated with the university during your semester abroad.

 To participate as a "guest" or "transient" student, you must complete the following steps:
*Meet with your advisor to select your courses.
*Fill out and submit a Guest Credit Approval Form (available from the One Stop Center). Because you are not taking Lawrence Tech courses, you need to have your study abroad courses approved if you want them to count toward your degree. There is a committee of faculty representatives from each college that will review your requests.
*Make an appointment with the Office of Financial Aid to discuss the completion of a Consortium Agreement or similar document so that your scholarships and loans can apply to your study abroad experience.
*Make sure you have completed a Direct Deposit Form (available from the One Stop Center) in case your financial aid does not disburse until after your departure.

When participating in independent programs, you need to be careful to regularly follow up with your contact at your host institution and at Lawrence Tech's Office of Financial Aid to assure all of your paperwork is in order. In many cases, the financial aid you're counting on will disburse late. For that reason, make sure you plan ahead financially and expect to make travel arrangements and pay other preliminary expenses on your own.

Credits and Grades

Remember that credits and grades for all coursework that you take overseas will be recorded on your Lawrence Tech transcript as CR/NC only. This means that the grades will not count in your GPA.
It is your responsibility to ensure that a course for which you receive credit/no credit will count toward your major or minor.

Note to Graduating Seniors

It is important that you maintain close contact with Lawrence Tech's Office of the Registrar if you are studying abroad during your final semester at Lawrence Tech. Before departing your host country, you must inform your host institution that you are planning to graduate and ask that your transcript be expedited. Inform the Office of Registrar that you intend to graduate so that we know to process the transcript quickly once it arrives. Please note that it is impossible for Lawrence Tech to guarantee that your grades will be submitted in time for you to graduate.