National Student Exchange Program

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Policies & Considerations		Eligibility:
		NSE participation is a privelege, not a right. Listed below are the minimal requirementss for NSE participation. All of these requirements are applicable at the time of application and at the completion of the term prior to your exchange. full-time enrollment at your home campus minimum home campus cumulative GPA of 2.5 (4.0 scale) good academic standing as defined by your home institution no incomplete grades from previous terms no outstanding financial obligations to your home institution no current or pending probationary or disciplinary action for violation of codes of student conduct must not be on probation, parole, or have any pending legal judgements Your home campus NSE coordinator will make the final determination regarding your elegibility as well as select those applicants who will participate from your campus. Therefore, you must also meet any requirements or qualifications which may be imposed by your home campus. also, consult the campus narratives in the Directory for campus-specific exchange limitations and restrictions which apply to incoming exchange students at the universities you are considering for exchange. Download the NSE Fact Sheet.
		Language Proficiency:
		The language of instruction at all NSE campuses in Puerto Rico is Spanish. Students must be able to read textbooks, understand lectures, take part in classroom discussions, do written work, and take examinations in Spanish. If you are planning to exchange to Puerto Rico, you must demonstrate Spanish language proficiency as part of your home insitution's application process. The language of instruction at the Universite de Sherbrooke is French. Students must be able to read textbooks, understand lectures, take part inclassroom discussions, do written work, and take examinations in French. If you are planning to exchange to the Universite de Sherbrooke, you must demonstrate French language proficiency as part of your home insitution's application process. For all other NSE locations, the language of instruction is English. Sutdents for whom English is not their first language must demonstrate English language proficiency as part of the home campus application process. TOEFL, MELAB, or other language tests may also be required by some host campuses for students whose first language is not English.
		Tuition:
		The National Student Exchange is a tuition-recipricol exchange program which utilizes two differenct plans for payment of tuition/fees. Your university may utilize payment Plan A, payment Plan B, or both Plan A and Plan B. Your choice of where you pay your tuition is dependent upon the payment plan(s) of your home as well as your host universities. Under Plan A, you will pay to your host campus the in-state (resident/provincial) tuition/fees directly to that campus. Under Plan B, you will continue to pay yournormal tuition/fees to your home university.
		Housing:
		On-Campus housing is available at most NSE campuses, and some NSE members may require or strongly encourage students to reside in on-campus facilities. Some campuses are able to provide limited assistance in recommending off-campus housing, particularly those campuses where there are no on-campus residence facilities. If you live off campus, you do so at your own discretion and risk.
		Length of Exchange:
		Your eligible time for exchange may include exchange to more than on NSE campus, may cross two or more calendar years, or may involve exchange from more than one home institution. No matter the mix of home campuses, host campuses or time away, you may only participate in the exchange for a cumulative total of time not to exceed one calendar year, defined as an academic year and a summer session. Not all campuses, however, can accommodate summer exchange .
		Grades & Credits:
		Your home campus determines the manner in which host campus grades are recorded and courses distributed. Consult with your home campus NSE coordinator and adademic advisor for details of the policy for your campus. Prior to exhcnage you must develop a written advising agreement with the assistance of your academic advisor and your home NSE coordinator in order to identify how courses satisfactorily completed at your host university will be applied to your home campus degree program.

		Health Insurance:
		NSE does not require and does not provide health insurance for exchange students. It is your responsibility, therefore, to ensure that you are adequately covered by health insurance and other insurance for the period and place of your exchange including travel between your home and host insitutions. Some NSE members campuses will require proof that you have adequate health insurance, and a few will require that you purchase their health insurance regardless of whatever policy of you own may be in effect.
		Special Needs:
		Questions below are designed as a self-assessment guide. If your answer to nay of these questions is YES, you must consider if the environment and suport services at your prospective host campus will be able to meet your special needs. Your home campus coordinator is better able to assist you if advised of your needs during the application process. Do you have a medical condition which might require immediate medical attention during your exchange? Do you have any conditions which may affect your emotional or mental well-being during exchange? Do you have any physical conditions or mobility issues for which you will need accessible on-campus housing and/or classroom accommodtiation? Do you have any documented disability which may require academic accomodation (e.g. not takers, taped texts) during your exchange? If you choose not to disclose your needs during the application process, self-identification and documentation following placement (and a least two months prior to your actual exchange) is necessary in order for your host institution to address your needs. Documentation must be written, current, prepared by a qualified professional, and in the manner and time period required by the host institution. Consult home and host campus disability service coordinators for additional information. Failure to provide appropriate documentation in the manner and time requested may mean that needed services will not be available.







Questions & Answers		Questions to Ask:
		You are encouraged to select coleges and universities which will provide learning opportunities that will supplement and complement those of your home institution and assist you in reaching your educational goals. You are also encouraged to select campuses that will stimulate personal growth and development and allow you to experience the educational, geographic, and cultural diversity found among NSE's members. Carefuly consider the answers to the following questions: What do I hope to gain from the eschange experience, both educationally and personally? Do I have a flexible academic plan for exchange? (NOTE: If you are dependent on a specific course or courses for graduation, exchange may not be appropriate. Registration in host campus courses is based on offerings and availability and cannot be guaranteed.) Can my objective be accomplished at the host campus? Does the host campus offer access to adequate courses for maintenance of academic progress? Will participating in the exchange delay graduation? How will specialized or unique course offerings at the host campus enhance my adacemic program and career objectives? Is the host campus sufficiently different from the home campus to make it an interesting exchange option? Will the time I have allowed for exchange give me sufficient opportunity to become acquainted with my new academic environment as well as the region, its people, and its culture? (NOTE: Whenever possible, NSE students are encouraged to exchange for a full academic year.) Are my financial resources sufficient to cover the cost of tuition and fees; room and meals; as well as transportation, travel, and other personal expenses at the host campus?
		Sources of Information:
		Discuss your campus selections with your home campus coordinator, academic advisor, faculty, and friends. NSE students who have returned to your campus and current NSE students from other schools can also be helpful sources of advice. Your campus coordinator has copies of the NSE college and university catalogs and the NSE publication, Campus Detail Information. NSE's website links to the home pages of Member colleges and universities.
Contact the NSE Coordinator
Application & Placement		How to Apply:
		Your campus has designed an application and selection procedure to ensure that both NSE and campus standards are met. It is likely that you will be expected to provide a current transcript, letters of recommendation, goal statements for your exchange, basic biographic data, and an application fee. The application is processed at your home campus and may require a personal interview. Each institution selects its own outgoing candidates for exchange and requires that they meet the eligibility requirements. Once selected and placed by your home campus, NSE applicants generally are not subjected to a further selection process by their host campuses unless the students have chosed academic programs requiring auditions, portfolios, or higher GPA than required by the sending campus. See the NSE Directory Booklet for information on requirements of this nature. Carefully review program requirements and limitations prior to submitting an application. Download NSE application form. Special program options or needs (such as study abroad, internships, student teaching, resident assistant exchange, honors courses, physical challenges, or learning disabilities) must be explored with your home coordinator 8-10 months prior to actual exchange. These options require advance planning, special arrangements, and in some cases, additional application materials.
		How NSE Placements are made:
		It is important that you explore your exchange participation very carefully prior to actual placement. Select only campuses to which you are willing to exchange. Explore exchange participation with your parents, academic advisor, and financial aid officer prior to placement, not after. Nearly 90% of exchanges for the following year are negotiated at the annual NSE conference held in mid-March. NSE coordinators come to the conference prepared to make decisions regarding incoming and outgoing applicants. Your coordinator will know your preferences for placement and will attempt to secure placements for you at one of the colleges or universities you have chosen, in the order in which you have selected them. Decisions on placement are made according to the limitations of the host institution concerning the number of openings for either or both of the tuition payment plans. You are advised to select at least three campus choices. Over the past 23 years, 97% of all NSE applicants have been placed, with 84% of these placed at their first choice colleges or universities. Your coordinator has placement history to assist you in making the best possible campus selections.