Kansas State University

All participants on Kansas State University programs abroad are required to sign a Conditions of Participation Agreement and Assumption of Risk and Release.

Current Kansas State University Students and students receiving credit for a program must complete the Conditions of Participation Agreement and Assumption of Risk and Release when applying for a program.

Non-credit participants, including community members, faculty and staff, must complete the Conditions of Participation Agreement and Assumption of Risk and Release for Non-Credit Participants.

Program withdrawal policies are dependent upon the type of study abroad program, as well as the stage of the application process at the time of withdrawal or deferral.  Please refer to the Participant Refund Policy for details on how to withdraw from a program, or defer program enrollment to different term.

The Study Abroad Office requires all students to have at least a 2.50 GPA*

EXCEPTION: If a student’s cumulative GPA is below a 2.50 requirement but is at least a 2.00, the student may request an exception to this requirement by submitting the following documents, along with the Study Abroad Application, to the Study Abroad Office:

• Official Transcript(s)
• Purpose Statement that explains the student’s motivation and readiness to study abroad despite his/her low GPA.
• Two Letters of Recommendation submitted directly to the Study Abroad Office from K-State faculty and/or staff

Decisions regarding the student’s GPA appeal will be made by the Study Abroad Team.

*Specific programs may have a higher GPA requirement

*Faculty leaders on faculty-led group programs may accept students who have lower than a 2.50 GPA

The Study Abroad Office requires all students participating on independent study abroad programs to have a minimum of 30 University-level credits.* Faculty-led programs will each have their own minimum credit or class standing requirement.

EXCEPTION: If a student has earned fewer than 30, but at least at 18 university-level credits, the student may request an exception to this requirement by submitting the following documents, along with the Study Abroad Application, to the Study Abroad Office.

• Official Transcript(s)
• Purpose Statement that explains the student’s motivation and readiness to study abroad despite his/her low GPA
• Two Letters of Recommendation submitted directly to the Study Abroad Office from K-State faculty and/or staff

Decisions regarding the student’s minimum credit hour requirement appeal will be made by the Study Abroad Team.

*Specific programs may have a higher minimum credit hour requirement requirement

Students wishing to study abroad to a country with a US Department of State Travel Warning will be asked to sign a US Department of State Travel Warning Waiver and Release form when completing their online study abroad application.

Kansas State University has numerous officially approved study abroad programs spanning the globe. The University has selected these programs, in part, based on the knowledgeable program personnel that our partners have stationed in-country; the program infrastructures they have in place; and the due care and attention they devote to enhancing the safety and security of our students. In spite of our confidence in the measures our partners abroad take to enhance student safety and security, from time to time the University finds it appropriate to advise students to decline participation in an officially recognized study abroad program or destination due to serious concerns, such as political unrest, social instability, contagious disease control, military operations, or terrorism concerns within the host country.

• K-State University, in its discretion, may advise students to decline participation in an officially approved study abroad program or destination for any of the following reasons:

  1. The U.S. Department of State has issued a Travel Warning that specifically directs Americans to leave the country in which the program is located or to forego travel to that country.

  2. The U.S. Department of State has issued either: (1) Travel Warning that urges Americans traveling to or within the country in which the program is located to consider carefully the risks of such travel and remain vigilant with respect to their personal safety and security if they choose to travel to or within that country, or within a specific region of that country that the Department of State has determined poses particularized risks for American travelers; or (2) Travel Warning outlining significant risks to the safety and security of Americans traveling to or within the country in which the program is located.

  3. K-State personnel have received recommendations that participants refrain from travel to a specific country or region by either: (1) K-State faculty who are knowledgeable in the sociopolitical dynamics of the country or region in which the program is located; (2) private security firms with personnel stationed in-country; or (3) K-State’s peer institutions who are advising students to decline participation in programs located within the country or region.

The Study Abroad Office requests a report of history of disciplinary action for all study abroad applicants from the Office of Student Affairs and the Department of Residence Life.  If a student has a history of disciplinary action at KSU, they may be asked to sign an additional behavior contract for their term of study abroad, or it may be recommended that they do not participate on a study abroad program.

International Students studying in the US on an F-1 or J-1 visa are not permitted to participate in an exchange program to their home country.  They can participate on a faculty-led, direct enroll or program provider program to their home country.  Hong Kong and Taiwan are not considered a Mainland Chinese student's home country.  An exception may be made if KSU owes students toward an exchange balance.

According to NCAA policy, athletic scholarship funds are only able to be used to cover Kansas State University courses.  Therefore, students participating on program provider, direct enrollment or exchange programs will not be able to use their NCAA scholarship funds to cover the cost of tuition.  The funds can only be used for faculty-led study abroad programs, for which the student is enrolled in a KSU course.

Student athletes should also speak with their Athletic Counselor before committing to a study abroad program.

Budget and Money Matters: Faculty Leader Handbook

Program budgets, student payments, explanation of fees, FERPA, student financial assistance, student refund and cancellation policies, faculty leader compensation, program cancellation policy, conflict of interest, methods of group payments, and handling financial transactions. 

Information on Teaching a Faculty-Led Study Abroad Program: Faculty Leader Handbook

Getting started, timeline for course development, scheduling faculty-led programs strategically, third party program providers, academics, responsibilities of study abroad program and faculty leader, leading and mentoring students, hallmarks of a successful faculty-led program, recruiting students, participation policy for faculty-led programs, and thinking through everything: the logistics checklist. 

Conducting a Safe and Healthy Program: Faculty Leader Handbook

Safety basics, student behavior, K-State Code of Conduct, on-site orientation, general recommendations for participant safety, health basics, what constitutes an emergency, ten steps to prepare for an emergency, ten steps to respond to an emergency, K-State crisis protocols, international health insurance, and cell phones.

The Office of International Programs at Kansas State University does not support group travel to a country which has been issued a U.S. Department of State Travel Warning

EXCEPTION: Exceptions may be granted by the Associate Provost for International Programs on a case-by-case basis.  Please contact the Study Abroad Advisor for your college for more information on how to request an exception.

The Study Abroad Office requires that each faculty-led study abroad program include an Emergency Fee of 5% of the total program cost into the program budget.

This Emergency Fee will be collected as a part of the student program fees prior to the program’s departure, and given to the faculty leader as a part of a travel advance, to be used only in the case of an emergency. Some examples of an emergency during travel include: airline, or transportation strikes, natural or political disasters, inclement weather delays or up-front payment of medical costs for a student (although the student will ultimately be responsible for covering those costs on his or her own). The emergency fund should not be used for items such as tips for guides, additional entrance fees, or group meals that were not originally built into the budget.

If no emergency occurs during the travel dates, funds must be returned to OIP within 30 days of travel end date. A refund will be processed to the students by the OIP accountant after advances are settled and receipts turned in. If an emergency occurs, receipts should be obtained for expenses made on behalf of the group.    

The faculty leader should understand that should the emergency fund be spent on non-emergencies before the trip is complete, and then an emergency does occur, the Office of International Programs and Study Abroad Office will not have any additional funding available to help cover the costs incurred by those emergencies. 

Kansas State University's Office of International Programs and the Study Abroad Office strongly discourage faculty, staff, and students from driving vehicles outside of the United State while participating in any K-State sponsored activity. It is necessary that local drivers be secured in the host country for all non-public transportation needs. If for any reason a K-State faculty, staff or student chooses to rent and/or drive a vehicle outside the United States, s/he should secure the appropriate level of insurance. 

The scholarship deadlines for students participating on Kansas State University faculty-led programs are based on the term the program travels abroad. Scholarship applications are due in October (prior to travel) for faculty-led programs with travel during the winter or spring breaks. Scholarship applications are due in March (prior to travel) for faculty-led programs with travel in summer or fall break.