FAQ
Questions?
If you have any questions about studying abroad, check out our FAQ and you might find your answer already.
Table of Contents
Applying and cancelling
You can apply with your old passport and send us a copy of your new passport once you have it. Please make sure to submit the new passport copy before the application deadline. For all attachments submitted after the deadline, there is an additional charge of 100 EUR (or 120 USD for students outside of Europe), according to our terms and conditions.
You submit the application and all application documents online.
A free mover is someone who either hasn’t found a suitable study abroad placement through their home university or college, or hasn’t been granted one. This leaves the option of finding a study abroad placement and organizing everything on your own. This makes you a free mover.
Our partner universities have given us the right to process and accept applications on their behalf. If you organized a study abroad placement on your own, you might have to wait weeks or months for a confirmation.
Yes! You only need to fulfil the minimum requirements. For most of our destinations this means being at least 18 years old and having sufficient English skills.
Yes! One of the problems with normal exchange and study abroad programs is that there are strict placement quotas. Our programs have either no such quotas, or they are quite high. This means that you can apply with a friend or even a group of friends.
Our study abroad programs are meant for everyone who is interested in studying abroad and wants to broaden their horizons.
If you don’t find courses that match your major, it’s often possible to include them as a part of a minor or an elective module. We understand that your home university or college has a final say in this, and that is why we encourage you to make a study plan beforehand and have it approved by your faculty staff and / or exchange coordinator.
Yes. Cancelling is also free of charge if it is done before the tuition fee payment is due.
The cancellation policy can also be found in our Terms and Conditions.
You can join many of our programs even if you’re not currently a university or college student. You only need to be 18+ years old and have a high school diploma or similar.
If you’ve just finished high school, our study abroad programs are a great option for you if you want to take a gap year before pursuing a university or college degree. In fact, many have done so and found a direction for their future. What’s more, the courses you take abroad during your gap year can often be included in your degree once you start it.
Yes, you can. Being expatriate is a great experience for your family and can brush up the entire family’s language skills. Your child will benefit from gaining a more open-minded attitude towards new things and your study abroad semester will inspire intellectual and cultural curiosity in the whole family.
Most students go on exchange during their third year of studies but this varies a lot depending on the field of studies. Anyone with a high school diploma or similar can apply to many of our study abroad programs, and we recommend doing a study abroad semester as early as possible (even though it’s never too late to go). Many go during their second year.
We can ask the host institution if they can still accept late applications, and the host institution decides typically on a case-by-case basis. Please contact us immediately by phone or email if the deadline for the study program of your choice has already passed.
Language proficiency requirements differ from country to country and continent to continent. Most universities where English is the language of instruction require students to take the international language proficiency test TOEFL (Test Of English as a Foreign Language) and get a certain score.
Taking a TOEFL test costs about 185 USD and takes time. We’ve agreed with most of our partner universities to waive the English proficiency test to save your time and money. However, you still have sufficient English skills to follow the instruction (approximately B2 level).
We believe all students should study abroad at some point. It’s simply one of the best things you can do for your personal, professional and academic future. In our opinion, what matters is not so much your grade, but your motivation.
Studies abroad
We do not recommend you start the program later. Please ask your home university if you could write the exams somewhat earlier. The orientation is compulsory, and absence is allowed only for compelling reasons. The required attendance for the semester abroad is 80 %.
You can find course catalogues and course descriptions for each study program on our website under study programs.
In our destination countries, working with a student visa is usually either wholly prohibited or restricted. However, it depends on your destination and nationality. Please contact the nearest embassy in order to get more detailed information on the visa policy of your destination country.
Fees and Funding
The invoice for the tuition fee will be sent 2.5 months before the semester starts and is due one month before the semester starts.
The application fee invoice will be sent soon after the initial acceptance letter. The fee is due within 10 days of receiving the invoice.
Yes, it is not possible to pay the tuition fee in several parts.
If needed, Beyond Abroad can prepare a receipt for you. Please contact us at info[at]beyondabroad.org
Ask your home institution’s exchange coordinator about possible funding for free mover studies abroad. They know best!
You will receive an application fee invoice with the initial acceptance letter. The university-specific tuition fee will be paid about a month before the beginning of the semester. In addition to the application fee and the tuition fee, you should consider, e.g. the following expenses: plane tickets to the destination, vaccinations, insurance, visa expenses and the general living costs in the destination country. Living expenses in our Asian destinations are lower compared to Europe and North America.
It is good to take some cash in your destination country’s currency with you from your home country. The most affordable way of getting cash at your study abroad location is to take cash in your home country’s currency with you and exchange it at a local money exchange in the destination country. Remember to compare the exchange rates and be attentive during the actual exchange.
Preparations before the semester
We create destination-specific Facebook group for each semester. The link will be sent to you by email after the application period has ended.
Many countries require longer-term residents and students to have a passport and a visa. The process of applying for a visa varies from country to country and sometimes even depending on the embassy employee with whom you are dealing. The formalities are often case-specific and may change quickly. Asia Exchange recommends contacting each country’s embassy directly in case there have been recent changes to the visa protocol. You can find more information and thorough, country-specific instructions with examples of filled out visa applications on our website. Remember to check the latest information about the visa application procedure and the required documents from the target country’s embassy.
Not directly, but we are happy to consult you regarding your options.
Each student is required to acquire their own insurance which covers the study abroad period.
Anyone traveling should have the most recommended vaccinations against diseases such as diphtheria and tetanus which remain effective for 10 years (make sure your vaccinations are up to date). In addition, travellers should have vaccinations against polio, measles, mumps and rubella. Most often vaccinations for Hepatitis A and B are also recommended. However, it’s up to the students to decide which vaccinations to acquire before the study abroad program. Ask your home institution’s health care provider or your personal physician for more information.
You should arrive at the study abroad destination at least a few days before the start of the study program. It will help you settle in and gives you some time to find long-term accommodation before the start of the study program. It is not advisable to travel to the destination weeks in advance, because you need to apply for a student visa and applying for it might be possible in your home country only.
The acceptance letter needed to acquire a visa will be delivered one month before the beginning of the study abroad semester at the latest. Usually, the acceptance letter is delivered slightly earlier but the delivery is conditional to the schedule of the receiving university. The acceptance letter can be sent abroad as well, for instance to a hotel address, in case you travel from your homeland notably earlier than a month before the beginning of the study abroad semester.
We recommend finding things out about the destination country in advance, for instance by reading our blog and student experiences on our website and following us on social media.
Having a cell phone and purchasing a local SIM card is useful for safety reasons, and it is also extremely convenient when you want to take a Grab taxi or coordinate with your roommates or friends, for example. When arriving at your destination, we recommend buying a local prepaid SIM card already at the airport.
After the study abroad semester
The residency permit guidelines always vary from country to country. For this reason, when leaving your visa application, we recommend that you ask the embassy officials about possible residency restrictions that may apply to people traveling under student visas.
Getting the transcript of records takes approximately 2 months but depending on your destination it can also take somewhat longer. The host universities are responsible for the transcript of records.
In principle, our partner universities prepare only one transcript of records per student. Documents older than one year can only be delivered electronically.
Most institutions accept course credits from abroad into a degree if they meet the requirements set by the given institution. Sometimes a course from abroad can substitute for a compulsory course at your home institution or the courses can be added to your degree as electives.
You can send us your question by email at info[at]beyondabroad.org and we will answer your it as soon as possible.
