Studying abroad/away offers students the opportunity to engage with people, places, events, and/or cultures other than those in their daily life on the Hill. Our hope is that students will come away with a deeper knowledge and appreciation for their own cultures and life experiences as well as host communities.
Before your student goes abroad/away, please consider the following items for discussion:
- From now through to departure, the Smith Center office or the student’s program host may use email or google drive to provide updates to your student.
- It is important for each student to check email and google drive program materials frequently for any last minute changes to their program and to check online with the airlines about their flight schedule.
- Have you reviewed your student’s program budget sheet to know what expenses have been billed to their student account and what expenses must still be paid for out of pocket/after arrival?
- Is your St. Olaf student account up to date and paid in full? Has any student account credit balance been refunded to your student for costs to be paid out of pocket while abroad/away?
- Did you arrange for your student to have BOTH a credit card (for emergencies) and a debit card (for ATM withdrawals)?
- Did you review the cancellation policy for the program?
- If your student struggles with physical or mental health challenges, take seriously the question of whether this is the best time for your student to study abroad/away. Too often, students and their families are so excited for the opportunity to study abroad/away that they discredit the challenges, the risks to the student’s well-being, and the impact to other participants of their student’s needs.
- If your student must cancel their participation, remember that the cancellation policy applies and fees can be substantial, rising as the departure date approaches.
- If your student takes a medication, ensure they have enough to last the entire semester and have checked if their medication is legal in their destination country. This may require assertive follow up with your care provider and pharmacy and with your insurance company. You cannot legally ship medication within the U.S. or abroad. Many medications and dosages are not available in other countries.
- Students must carry their medication on the plane with them, not in their checked luggage. If refrigeration is required, check with the airline for regulations and plan ahead for what to do if arrival is delayed.
- Review your student’s U.S. health insurance and what it covers, especially when “out of network.”
- Review the EIIA insurance that is automatically to students going to international destinations.
- Students generally have to pay out of pocket for medical care while abroad/away and then seek reimbursement via insurance. A credit card is often the only acceptable payment.
- Develop a plan for what the family will do in the event of an emergency at home (e.g., the death of a grandparent). Will your student return home or remain with their group until the end of the program?
- Emergency response time in other locations may be significantly different than what would be typical on campus.
- Fire safety protocols such as smoke detectors may not be the same.
- Responsiveness to allergies and intolerances to food and medication may differ.
- In the unlikely event of an emergency affecting your student, you will be notified.
- If your student is abroad, determine if at least one family member has a valid passport so that if a student needs family assistance in an emergency, a family member is prepared to travel promptly.
- Do not travel with your student to their program site. They should arrive alone and plan to participate in the group orientation activities to get acquainted with other students, their housing, and their destination. Students are often very busy upon arrival with move in, registration and other exploration activities.
- Give your student at least a day or two to check in with you upon arrival. No news is generally good news!
- Some students choose to text, email, video call, and/or blog to share their daily lives with home. Some communicate nearly daily, others much less frequently.
- We encourage you not to expect excessive communication, as time spent on electronic communication reduces the time spent interacting with their program counterparts and local people at their site.
- If you hope to visit your student, plan ahead to do that during their semester break only. Students need to prioritize their classes over visits with family. Remember that break dates should be finalized before you book a flight! Ideally, wait for the end of the semester to meet with your student, as many students make friends and prefer to travel with their classmates during semester break.
- Many student accidents and incidents could be avoided if alcohol were not a factor.
- The St. Olaf alcohol policy applies off-campus. Local laws for purchase or consumption of alcohol also apply. Each student has signed a statement indicating he or she will not drink irresponsibly or use drugs (other than by prescription) while off-campus.
- While many parents fear unknown or news-worthy risks when sending their students off-campus, too few take seriously the risk that alcohol poses to their student’s health and safety.
- We ask all students to register with the U.S. State Department Smart Traveler Enrollment Program to enable participants to receive timely notification of events in any country.
- Our office monitors several sources daily to ensure we are up to date on world events and we have local contacts whom we can ask for a real-time assessment of on-the-ground conditions throughout the semester.
Contact the Smith Center
Email: smith.center@stolaf.edu
Office phone: +1-507-786-3069
24 Hour Emergency phone: +1-507-321-2100 (true emergencies only please; calls only – no texts)
24 Hour Emergency phone: +1-507-321-2100 (true emergencies only please; calls only – no texts)
Should your student call the Smith Center?
- examples here
Should your student call the local emergency number?
- examples here
Email: smith.center@stolaf.edu
Office phone: +1-507-786-3069
24 Hour Emergency phone: +1-507-321-2100 (true emergencies only please; calls only – no texts)
- From now through departure, the Smith Center office or the student’s program host may use email or google drive to provide updates to your student.
- Students must check their email and google drive program materials frequently for any last minute changes to their program.
- Students must check online with the airlines about their flight schedules.
- Have you reviewed your student’s program budget sheet to know what expenses have been billed to their student account and what expenses must still be paid for out of pocket/after arrival?
- Is your St. Olaf student account up to date and paid in full? Has any student account credit balance been refunded to your student for costs to be paid out of pocket while abroad/away?
- Did you arrange for your student to have BOTH a credit card (for emergencies) and a debit card (for ATM withdrawals)?
- Did you review the cancellation policy for the program?
- Review your student’s U.S. health insurance and what it covers, especially when “out of network.”
- Review the EIIA insurance that is automatically available to students going to international destinations.
- Students generally have to pay out of pocket for medical care while abroad/away and then seek reimbursement via insurance. A credit card is often the only acceptable payment.
Register for STEP
- We ask all students to register with the U.S. State Department Smart Traveler Enrollment Program to enable participants to receive timely notification of events in any country.
- Our office monitors several sources daily to ensure we are up to date on world events and we have local contacts whom we can ask for a real-time assessment of on-the-ground conditions throughout the semester.
Risks
- Emergency response time in other locations may be significantly different than what would be typical on campus.
- Fire safety protocols such as smoke detectors may not be the same.
- Responsiveness to allergies and intolerances to food and medication may differ.
- In the unlikely event of an emergency affecting your student, you will be notified.
- If your student is abroad, determine if at least one family member has a valid passport so that if a student needs family assistance in an emergency, a family member is prepared to travel promptly.
Alcohol Policy Expectations
- Many student accidents and incidents could be avoided if alcohol were not a factor.
- The St. Olaf alcohol policy applies off-campus. Local laws for purchase or consumption of alcohol also apply. Each student has signed a statement indicating he or she will not drink irresponsibly or use drugs (other than by prescription) while off-campus.
- While many parents fear unknown or news-worthy risks when sending their students off-campus, too few take seriously the risk that alcohol poses to their student’s health and safety.
- Check you students individual program on housing details. There are many options that they can choose from depending on the program.
- Program affiliate housing
- Homestay
Set Expectations about connections with home
- Do not travel with your student to their program site. They should arrive alone and plan to participate in the group orientation activities to get acquainted with other students, their housing, and their destination. Students are often very busy upon arrival with move in, registration and other exploration activities.
- Give your student at least a day or two to check in with you upon arrival. No news is generally good news!
- Some students choose to text, email, video call, and/or blog to share their daily lives with home. Some communicate nearly daily, others much less frequently.
- We encourage you not to expect excessive communication, as time spent on electronic communication reduces the time spent interacting with their program counterparts and local people at their site.
- If you hope to visit your student, plan ahead to do that during their semester break only. Students need to prioritize their classes over visits with family. Remember that break dates should be finalized before you book a flight! Ideally, wait for the end of the semester to meet with your student, as many students make friends and prefer to travel with their classmates during semester break.
Family Emergencies
- Develop a plan for what the family will do in the event of an emergency at home (e.g., the death of a grandparent). Will your student return home or remain with their group until the end of the program?
Medications Abroad
- If your student takes medication, ensure they have enough to last the entire semester and have checked if their medication is legal in their destination country. This may require assertive follow up with your care provider and pharmacy and with your insurance company. You cannot legally ship medication within the U.S. or abroad. Many medications and dosages are not available in other countries.
- Students must carry their medication on the plane with them, not in their checked luggage. If refrigeration is required, check with the airline for regulations and plan ahead for what to do if arrival is delayed.
Mental Health Abroad
- If your student struggles with physical or mental health challenges, take seriously the question of whether this is the best time for your student to study abroad/away. Too often, students and their families are so excited for the opportunity to study abroad/away that they discredit the challenges, the risks to the student’s well-being, and the impact to other participants of their student’s needs.
- If your student is in need of mental health support, they can visit https://wp.stolaf.edu/timelycare/ for for free 24/7 medical and mental telehealth care
- If your student must cancel their participation, remember that the cancellation policy applies and fees can be substantial, rising as the departure date app