Global Seminars Pre-Departure Requirements

You will receive this mailing early in spring quarter as a reminder of all of the important preparations you should be making to study abroad during the summer.

• Global Seminars Pre-departure Letter 2013 (PDF)

You must have a valid passport to travel abroad. Check your passport expiration date now. It must be valid 6 months beyond the end of your program. If you need to apply for or renew your U.S. passport, it may take as long as eight weeks, and a renewed passport will have a different number. UCSD Mail Services is the closest passport processing location. Turn in a copy of your renewed passport to the Programs Abroad Office once you receive it.

If you are not a US citizen, you may have different visa requirements for the country you are going to. Check with the closest consulate to find out if you need a visa. The Global Seminars and program partner staff may also be able to provide assistance.

If you are not a US permanent resident, discuss with an international student advisor what paperwork you need to complete in order to re-enter the United States.

Student Legal Services is available to meet with you to discuss drafting legal documents, including power of attorney and an advanced health care directive, which everyone who is traveling abroad should have. These services are free for all currently registered UC San Diego students. Power of attorney is a document that can give someone in your family the right to handle your affairs while you are away, such as

• Access to your bank account
• Signing a contract
• Submitting a time-sensitive financial aid document

To schedule an appointment:

Student Legal Services
Student Services Center 5th Floor, Room 527
858-534-4374
sls@ucsd.edu
http://sls.ucsd.edu

Each Global Seminar has a program partner who handles the local arrangements, including arrival, housing, food, excursions, and emergency support. We will e-mail you a link to our partner's program-specific forms and documents.

If you and a friend are going on the same program and would like to request each other as roommates, you can do so by contacting the program partner. Most program partners will collect this information as part of their pre-departure forms.

Once you have registered for the courses, you may apply for financial aid. Eligibility is based on the current year's FAFSA. UC San Diego students can learn more about summer financial aid on TritonLink. Summer aid is limited, so do not delay your application. Visiting students should apply for financial aid through their home institution. Please contact us immediately if you have any concerns about the timing of your financial aid disbursement.

Don't forget to apply for scholarships. Each scholarship has a different deadline.

You are responsible for purchasing your own plane tickets. The program partner will provide specific arrival information with their forms. The Global Seminars staff will send you a list of students on your program and/or create a Facebook group where students on the same program can share information. You may choose to coordinate your travel plans if you wish. Find information about optional group flights on the page for your Global Seminar location.

STA Travel is a student travel agency affiliated with UCSD.  Contact them at 619-342-0344 or sds@statravel.com if you would like their help with your flight arrangements.  STA Travel also has an airfare deposit program that allows financial aid students to pay $300 first and then pay the balance of their airfare seven days prior to departure.

Please submit a copy of your flight itinerary to the Programs Abroad Office in person or by e-mail by May 15. Don't forget to write your name and program on the top of the print out.

Health insurance information is included with your program partner forms. You must also register online for free UC traveler insurance. Save the print out that you get after completing the online registration and submit a copy to the Programs Abroad Office in person or by e-mail by May 15. You should also leave a copy with your family. For more information about the UC traveler insurance, see http://www.ucop.edu/risk-services/_files/travel/stu-offcampus-faq.pdf.

The UC traveler insurance covers you during the dates of your program and can be extended up to 7 days before or after your program for personal travel. If you plan to travel independently for longer than 7 days, you should consider purchasing your own short-term student health insurance if you are not covered by your family's insurance.

How to Complete the General Orientation

• Access the PAO General Orientation online through MyPAO.
• This MUST be completed before the end of spring quarter.
• You must complete the online orientation AND the short survey that follows it; this will record your successful completion of the online orientation in MyPAO.

Topics to be covered:

• Pre-departure logistics
• Health and safety abroad
• Adjustment
• Administrative process

Orientation handouts:

• Go Global (PDF)
• Global Seminar Notes (PDF)

You will receive an electronic bill for your Global Seminar fees about a month before the program begins. Please pay your fees promptly to avoid a late penalty. See the Summer Session website for more information about the billing process. Failure to pay your fees will result in a hold being placed on your enrollment for the following term, and your account will be sent to collections.