Forms
Students must return the following signed and dated forms to the off-campus study office by the indicated deadlines in order to participate on the study group or extended study: Confidential Physician’s Report, Acknowledgement of Risk and Responsibility, and the Parental Acknowledgement of Student Participation.
Pre-registration
Confirmed study group courses are listed in the course pre-registration booklet published by the Office of the Registrar. Prior to the start of the study group, the registrar will register students for the study group.
Course load
A normal course load on a Colgate study group is 4.00-4.5 course credits (the equivalent of four regular Colgate courses), unless additional course work is a required part of the program. Any deviation from this norm requires approval first from the director of off-campus study/international programs and subsequently from the associate dean of the faculty. Since credit systems are different at many foreign universities, students should not assume that one course at a host university equals one Colgate credit.
Course approval
All approved courses taken on a Colgate study group are awarded Colgate credit, including those taken at a host institution. Grades for courses taken at a study group host institution are converted to U.S. equivalents by the director and will be recorded on the Colgate transcript and factored into the student’s GPA.
Courses taken at a host institution as part of a study group do not automatically earn credit. Elective courses should be in the liberal arts; courses in marketing, business, journalism, or other subjects beyond the scope of Colgate’s curriculum are not eligible for credit. Concentration credit must be pre-approved by the department chair, as must all credit (elective or concentration) in natural sciences and English. At the beginning of the study group semester, students must provide the study group director and Colgate’s registrar’s office with a list of elective courses in which they have enrolled.
Note that individual study groups may have specific registration policies that limit the types of courses a student may receive credit for. When in doubt, students should consult their study group director, the registrar's office, or off-campus study.
Financial aid
Colgate University will offer financial aid to meet the need of Colgate grant recipients who are accepted as study group participants. Colgate grant funds will be used to meet remaining need after maximum self-help (loan and job) has been awarded. The Office of Financial Aid will notify students of their aid eligibility.
Please note that although students may participate in a maximum of two study groups, students on financial aid are eligible to receive aid for only one study group and one extended study.
Study group or extended study students who are not currently receiving aid from Colgate should consult the Office of Financial Aid (finaid@colgate.edu or call 315-228-7431) to learn about their eligibility for loans to meet extra cost of a study group.
Students receiving institutional aid who are not accepted into a Colgate study group and choose to enroll in a study group run by another college or university may not take their Colgate aid with them.
Withdrawal
Students who withdraw from a study group, extended study, or other off-campus program less than 90 days prior to departure may be subject to a $500 fee. An additional fee of $10 may be assessed for each day after the 90-day deadline until written notification of withdrawal has been received. This notification must be in writing, dated, and delivered to the faculty director or advisor of the off-campus program and to the director of off-campus study. E-mail notification from a Colgate e-mail address is acceptable. The fees described in this paragraph are intended to represent a reasonable estimate of the financial consequences to Colgate arising out of a student’s late withdrawal.
Students who withdraw from a study group, extended study, or other off-campus program after it has begun are not eligible for a refund of any costs already incurred.
Students who withdraw from a study group after it has begun will, in general, not be allowed to return to campus, and if allowed to return, may have difficulty obtaining desired courses or housing. Students are not able to register for courses after the drop/add period has ended and will be placed on a personal leave of absence for the semester instead. For additional information on Colgate’s refund policies, refer to Chapter III “Refund Policy” and Chapter VI “Off-Campus Study Groups” in the Colgate University Catalogue.
Student activities fees
The Student Government Association provides 50 percent of the semester student activities fee for use on Colgate-run semester study groups (currently $67.50 per student). Student activity money should be spent for group activities decided upon by the students in the group with guidance from the study group director. Note that university policy does not permit student activities fees to be used to purchase alcohol.
Housing for the return semester
Students must go to the residential life office before leaving for the study group to make housing arrangements for the semester when they plan to return to campus.
Study group evaluation
Students must fill out a study group evaluation at the end of the study group semester. These evaluations are confidential.