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Parent & Family Guide to Off-Campus Study

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Off-Campus Study during a semester or summer is just one of many opportunities to participate in international experiences, including research with faculty, internships, & volunteer work! Learn more about what to expect and how your family can prepare for the experience.

Parent & Family Guide to Off-Campus Study

 

A Seamless Academic Experience

Our Philosophy

At F&M, off-campus study:
  • Is an experience seamlessly connected with a student's entire education before, during, and after the time spent off campus (as opposed to a “term away from campus”)
  • Should be connected to students’ future academic and career plans and goals
  • Is a process that requires significant intentional planning and reflective thinking
  • Is a platform for students to practice and develop important skills to help them transition from F&M into independent and successful lives and careers

Learning Goals

By studying off campus while at F&M, we hope that students:

  • Become informed, open-minded, and responsible, while developing attentiveness to diversity across the spectrum of differences
  • Develop an understanding of how actions affect both local and global communities, and subsequently identify personal strategies to affect change
  • Identify and address the world’s most pressing and enduring issues collaboratively and equitably

Eligibility Requirements

Semester Programs

F&M Eligibility

Prepare for a competitive & rigorous process: It is important to note that off-campus study at F&M during the academic year is increasingly competitive due to high demand for the number of spaces available for off-campus study each semester. Students should be prepared for a rigorous process that requires time, thought, preparation, strict deadlines, and regular contact with the student's academic adviser and OCS Advisor.

In order to study off campus during the fall or spring semester of the academic year, Franklin & Marshall requires that all students:

  • Have a minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA at time of starting F&M Off-Campus Study application and advising cycle (cumulative GPA will be a key factor in the competitive application process)^
  • Have a plan to declare a major area of study
  • Be making satisfactory academic progress for an on-time graduation
  • Demonstrate seriousness of academic purpose
  • Not be on any academic or disciplinary probation
  • Be classified as juniors or seniors (as defined by transcripted work completed at F&M) during their off-campus study term*

^Transfer students must have completed F&M graded coursework before beginning an application. 

*Students who apply to study off campus during the final semester of the senior year must petition the Committee on Academic Status for approval to do so. 

For semester programs, all students’ materials will first be reviewed by the F&M International & Off-Campus Study (IOCS) Faculty Committee. Students are not guaranteed approval.

F&M Approval Criteria

When determining a student’s approval to apply to a program and term, the International & Off-Campus Study (IOCS) Faculty Committee will consider the following criteria (in no particular order) as part of a holistic evaluation.

  • Academic fit of primary program with the major/minor
  • Cumulative GPA
  • Knowledge and suitability of selected program & term
  • Engagement in the off-campus application process reflected in general organization, preparation, and timeliness
  • Recommendation
  • Essay responses
  • Student conduct and disciplinary record
Please note that F&M students are eligible for one OCS semester.

Summer Programs

F&M Eligibility

To study during the summer term, F&M requires that all students:

  • Complete one year of study at F&M. Students may study off campus during any summer after their first year and before graduation
  • Not be on any academic or disciplinary probation 
NOTE: Each summer program will have its own set of eligibility and criteria, including GPA, that students must meet for their program application to be reviewed for admission consideration.

Semester & Summer Partner Program Eligibility

Note that each semester and summer program has its own eligibility criteria, including, but not limited to GPA, language prerequisites, and course prerequisites.

All F&M students must have at least a 3.0 cumulative GPA when applying for a semester off-campus study program. 

As your student explores programs, take note of eligibility requirements like GPA and language or course prerequisites. Your student's off-campus study adviser will also help them think through these requirements as they narrow down program choices.​
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Academic Guidelines

Off-campus study should be a demonstrated part of your student's academic study at Franklin & Marshall College. Students will work with their off-campus study advisor and academic adviser to ensure that courses taken off campus can receive credit at F&M.  Read below for guidance about credit transfer, course selection, grading policies, and transcripts.

Course Load & Credit Transfer

Students must enroll in what is considered to be a full course load at the host institution or off-campus study program. In many cases, this will be 4 or 5 courses for a semester but could be as few as 2 courses or as many as 6 courses, depending on the program.

When calculating credit, the general rule is: 4 U.S. semester credit hours = 1 F&M credit. (Divide the U.S. semester credit hours of the OCS course/program by 4, e.g., 4 / 4 = 1, or 3 / 4 = .75)

Because many off-campus study programs offer courses worth 3 U.S. semester credit hours, for semester programs F&M will award 4 F&M credits for a total of 15 or 16 U.S. semester credit hours.

Summer students earn .75 F&M credits for 3 US credits and 1 F&M credit for 4 US credits. 

For a semester term, students MUST be enrolled in a total of 15-16 U.S. semester credit hours to receive 4 F&M credits.

While off campus, students can take courses toward exploration requirements (Arts, Humanities, Social Sciences, World Perspectives, Language Studies), as well as toward major or minor requirements. Additionally, students can take courses as "general elective" credit, or credit towards the 32 credits needed to graduate.

CAUTION! It is important to note that Franklin & Marshall cannot issue transfer credit for a course in a department that is not represented at F&M. If a course does not clearly fall within an existing F&M department, the off-campus study advising staff can help you determine whether or not it can be accepted for credit. Courses in engineering, drafting, military science, criminal justice, tourism/hospitality, most education courses, music lessons, and wine/gastronomy are examples of the categories of courses that may not be transferred back to Franklin & Marshall for credit.

Transfer credit will not be granted for a course already taken at Franklin & Marshall. 

A short video detailing how off-campus study credit transfers and what students should know to ensure they receive the appropriate credit to graduate on time. 

Course Selection & Registration

​For most programs, students will not be able to finalize course registration until after arrival on the program. However, it is important that your student has thought carefully about the courses they plan to take off campus and how those integrate into their academic work here at F&M. We've outlined a set of questions below that your student may want to ask their OCS advisor and academic adviser as they explore programs and begin their off-campus study application. In advance of meeting with their advisers, your student should explore their intended program's website to see the most up-to-date list of courses available for the term they will be off campus, and begin to make a tentative list of courses they're interested in taking.

Questions for your student's OCS advisor:
  • How many courses do I need to take on my program?
  • Where do I find courses that might be available on my program?
  • My program requires an orientation course — is this appropriate for credit at F&M?
  • I'm interested in a course in a department that we don't have at F&M (communication, criminal justice, education or engineering, for example). How do I know if I can receive credit for this here?
  • What is the process for getting courses pre-evaluated for credit?
Questions for your student's academic adviser:  
  • What degree requirements do I have left to complete? What major/minor requirements do I have left to complete? Which ones am I required to take at F&M? (see Degree Planning Worksheet below).
  • How many major/minor courses can I fulfill abroad? Are there any department-specific policies or restrictions regarding off-campus study of which I should be aware?
  • Are there particular requirements you recommend that I should or should not try to complete abroad?
  • If I find courses I'm interested in taking off campus, who should I speak to in the relevant department about whether or not they would be appropriate for my major or minor requirements?
Once your student has been approved by F&M to apply to an off-campus study program, they will be directed to the course evaluation process. This process is very important in ensuring that the courses your student takes off campus are appropriate for credit at F&M and ensure they stay on track for graduation.​

Grading Policy

Courses on off-campus study programs must be taken for a letter grade, not on a pass/no pass basis.

All courses taken abroad that are transferable back to F&M will be posted on the F&M transcript. Students cannot request that courses be left off the F&M transcript.

For all programs except the Advanced Studies in England program and the Summer Travel Courses, letter grades from off-campus study program courses will appear on the Franklin & Marshall transcript, but they will not be calculated into the cumulative GPA.
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This means that off-campus grades will not affect scholarship eligibility or rank in class. However, many graduate and professional schools will consider these grades as part of the GPA and will recompute all grades when considering applications. Again, the Advanced Studies in England program and Summer Travel Courses are the only exceptions to this policy; for these programs, grades will appear on the F&M transcript and be calculated into a student's GPA.

Students must earn a D- or better to gain credit for a course.

Program Transcripts

During the application process, students should provide an address to which the program will send a transcript. That address is:

Sarah Esh
Associate Registrar
Registrar's Office
Franklin & Marshall College
P.O. Box 3003
Lancaster, PA  17604-3003

Program transcripts are typically sent within two to three months of completion of a program. When the transcript arrives, students will see a note in Degree Works.

Housing

Off-Campus Study Housing

Housing options during your off-campus study program will vary by program. 

Some programs may allow students to choose their housing option; other programs require  all students to live in a certain type of housing. Typical housing arrangements may include apartments, homestays, or on-campus housing at a local university. Some housing options (especially homestays) include meals, and other housing options (like university apartments) do not, so it's important to pay attention to this detail when exploring programs.

In order to maximize cultural immersion and integration, F&M students may not live with other F&M students in the same program. The only exceptions to this rule include a homestay or a Summer Travel Course. Two F&M students may live together with a host family or as part of a Summer Travel Course.

Please note that some programs may offer students the option to pursue independent housing (outside of the regular housing options provided by the program). F&M does not allow students to choose independent housing unless there is a significant academic or cultural reason (such as wanting to live in a homestay when only apartment housing is provided). Independent housing carries many risks, and F&M and the program provider cannot provide any support to students who pursue independent housing.

Students who are interested in pursuing independent housing will need to contact their off-campus study advisor to petition for approval to pursue this option.

F&M Housing​

Whether you live in on-campus F&M housing or approved off-campus F&M housing, it is important that you communicate your off-campus study plans early on to your housing management, especially if you have a signed lease. Many students have made their own arrangements with friends who will be studying off campus in the opposite semester so that they share the same room throughout an academic year. Others post their housing inquiries and needs to the F&M student housing bulletin.

NOTE: Students must vacate F&M-owned housing when their room assignment ends the semester prior to their study off campus. 

If you have any questions about your F&M housing before or after your off-campus study term, please contact F&M Housing at housing@fandm.edu.

Finances

Reference the guidelines below to learn more about the billing and financial aid policies for students studying off campus for a summer or semester. We work in collaboration with the F&M Student Accounts and the Office of Financial Aid. If you have any questions related to those specific areas, you can find information below to contact them directly.

Semester Programs

Tuition Fees (Invoiced by F&M)

For programs taking place during the academic year, students will be invoiced for their normal F&M tuition and in turn, F&M will pay the off-campus study program's tuition.

Families who wish to use the monthly payment plan through Transact Campus Services may do so for tuition fees billed by F&M.

Non-Tuition Fees (Invoiced by Program)

All other non-tuition fees (program fees, housing, insurance, etc.) for semester programs will be invoiced directly from the program and not F&M. These costs are not included in F&M's tuition and are therefore not included on the F&M tuition bill. Students are responsible for paying these program-invoiced, non-tuition fees directly to their program.

Non-tuition fees that are paid to the host program cannot be included in the Transact Campus Services monthly plan. Contact the program directly to determine if they offer a monthly plan for payment of non-tuition fees.

Additional Estimated Fees

Additional Tuition Fees

During the academic year, the cost for field trips, study tours, and labs that are a required part of a course taken for credit in an off-campus study program will be paid for by Franklin & Marshall as part of tuition. (There are some restrictions regarding study tours with DIS.) Your student can discuss these options with their OCS Advisor to fully understand what costs will be covered by their tuition.

Additional Non-Tuition Fees

Students should also expect to budget for items not included in the fees invoiced by the program. These can include passport fees, visa fees, immunizations, travel to/from program site, books, meals, phone, and personal travel and expenses. Students are encouraged to view estimates of these additional costs, which are available on the program webpages or can be provided by the program. Students are also encouraged to disclose budgetary concerns with the OCS Advisor in order to be directed to programs with more affordable non-tuition costs and lower costs of living.

Applying F&M Financial Aid to Semester Programs

During the academic year, students will continue to be eligible for their normal financial aid package (except work/study) during the semester off campus. This includes loans and gift aid received from federal, institutional and state sources. Your annual estimated family contribution as generated by your FAFSA will remain the same regardless of program costs.

Students who receive Grant-in-Aid benefits will continue to access these benefits for the semester off campus. This benefit is only available to students of eligible full-time F&M faculty and staff. Students who receive Tuition Exchange benefits will continue to access these benefits for the semester off campus.

Students whose financial aid award exceeds the amount of F&M tuition will be sent a refund, which should be used to pay the non-tuition fees billed by the student's program. Refunds are typically released approximately two weeks after the start of F&M's semester, and refunds will be direct deposited into the student's bank account or mailed to the student's home address if direct deposit is not set up. If you wish to have the refund mailed to another address, contact the F&M Student Accounts office (see contact information below).

Summer Programs

Program Costs & Billing

Students participating in off-campus study programs during the summer term will be billed for the full cost of the program by the program. Franklin & Marshall will not be involved in the billing process.

Students who receive a federal Pell Grant should ask the F&M Office of Financial Aid if they will receive Pell Grant funding for their summer off-campus study program. All other F&M financial aid is typically not eligible to be used for summer programs.

Students may apply for F&M Summer Travel Awards, F&M summer departmental awards, and other external scholarships for funding assistance for summer programs.

Program Deposits

For summer and semester programs, all students will pay any required program deposits directly to the off-campus study program. F&M does not pay program deposits on a student's behalf.

F&M Student Account & Billing Questions

If your student has any questions regarding their student account, encourage them to email the billing and student accounts office at studentaccounts@fandm.edu.
F&M Student Accounts »

F&M Financial Aid Questions

If your student has questions regarding their specific financial aid package at F&M, encourage them to email the financial aid office at financialaid@fandm.edu.

Partner Program Consortium Agreements

If your student will be applying federal financial aid to an off-campus study program, they will be required to complete a "Consortium Agreement" as part of a federal requirement to have your funds released.

Your student will receive information from the F&M Office of Financial Aid when it is time for them to complete this process. Your student will also receive guidance from F&M Off-Campus Study to help them navigate the steps. It is very important that your student pays attention to any emails that mention this requirement so that their federal aid can be applied to their off-campus study term.

 

Scholarships & Awards

In addition to the financial aid your student typically receives from F&M, they may be eligible for additional scholarships. Below is a list of potential scholarships for summer and semester off-campus study programs. The sources listed here are not exhaustive, but do offer a wide range of scholarship possibilities. Many scholarships have early deadlines, so be sure to start early and plan accordingly. Consult your Off-Campus Study Advisor for guidance and more information. Please note that any outside scholarship must be reported to the Office of Financial Aid at Franklin & Marshall and may change the amount of aid you receive from the College. 

Program Scholarships (Semester & Summer)

There are often scholarships available through your student's selected program, which may require a separate application and have an earlier deadline.Your student can ask their program directly or their F&M OCS advisor.

F&M Summer Travel Awards

Franklin & Marshall offers a number of summer travel awards for students participating in study abroad programs, volunteer programs, or conducting independent research. The International & Off-Campus Study (IOCS) Faculty Committee administers the awards. The amount for an award is $500-$2,000. The application opens each fall. 

F&M Departmental Summer Awards

Students are encouraged to outreach to their academic departments about any available summer funding. Their department can share more about each award, including application procedures and due dates.

External Funding

Below are some external funding sources that students may apply to if they meet the organization's application criteria. Students should refer to each website for additional information. 

Benjamin A. Gilman Scholarship

Gilman-McCain Scholarship

Fund for Education Abroad

Boren Awards

Freeman-Asia 

Rotary International

U.S.-Japan Bridging Scholarship

Critical Language Scholarships

Fellowships & Post-Graduate Funding Opportunities

F&M also offers fellowships, which are typically competitive, merit-based scholarships or grants that fund research or study at the undergraduate or graduate level. Some fellowships promote service learning, foreign language study, internships/work abroad, or graduate school. 

Fellowships can range from short-term summer courses to multi-year graduate programs throughout the world. Fellowships has also compiled a list of post-grad funding and opportunities for F&M Diplomats who are interested in continuing their lifelong global journeys after graduation. These are not part of F&M Off-Campus Study, but students are encouraged to contact the F&M Office of Fellowships Advising for more information.

Learn more

Emma Frazier '21, Fulbright location: Athens College-Hellenic American Educational Foundation (HAEF)