Now that you’ve been nominated for an exchange, it's up to you to maximize your learning opportunities. Here are the critical steps you must take.
Timeline
Check this list of dates, deadlines and to-dos
Fall exchange (UBC Term 1 or Full Year)
| January | You've applied for exchange and your application is under review. |
| February | Check your passportCheck to see if you have a valid passport that does not expire until six months after you return from your exchange. Your host university might notify you early if your it has earlier deadlines. If you are a Commerce Student, your faculty advisor might email you to request an interview (if you chose a competitive university partner). |
| February-March | Receive your nomination emailThe email lists details about your next steps, instructions to complete your exchange experience and information on the pre-departure program. |
| February-May | Review and prepare for your host university
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| March | Prepare and connect with other studentsParticipate in the pre-departure program. |
| May-June | Receive your acceptance letterYou might receive a digital acceptance letter or have your letter delivered directly to you. When you receive your letter, be sure to notify Go Global within two business days. Make travel arrangementsOnce you have received your acceptance letter, finalize all travel arrangements including your visa (if necessary), airline ticket and health insurance. If you have any questions about travel arrangements, contact a Go Global advisor. Complete the Safety Abroad RegistryComplete the online Safety Abroad Registry, including signing the Student Mobility Agreement. |
| July | Go Global will register you in the EXCH course code, you will see this in Workday. |
Spring exchange (UBC Term 2 or Split Year)
| July | Go Global will register you in their EXCH code. The EXCH code will show on your Workday account. |
| August-September | Receive your nomination emailThe email will give you details about your next steps, instructions to complete your exchange experience and details on the pre-departure program. Review and prepare for your host university
Complete and submit your partner application to Go Global |
| October | Prepare and connect with other studentsRegister for and attend the mandatory pre-departure program. Receive your acceptance letterYou may receive your acceptance letter any time between October and early December. Your acceptance letter will be delivered to you directly or you may receive a digital acceptance letter. When you receive your letter, be sure to notify Go Global within two business days. Complete the Safety Abroad RegistryComplete the online Safety Abroad Registry, including signing the Student Mobility Agreement. |
| November | Make travel arrangementsOnce you have received your acceptance letter, finalize all travel arrangements including your visa (if necessary), airline ticket and health insurance. If you have any questions about travel arrangements, contact a Go Global advisor. |
| December | Pay your feesYou must pay your UBC tuition on Workday or pay your tuition fees to your partner institution if you were instructed to do so. |
Step 1. Apply to your host university
- Obtain transcript from Go Global
- Gather supporting documents
- Start your application
Begin the first step
Application timeline
Some time after Go Global has selected you for exchange and matched you to a partner university, you must apply for admission to your host university.
- Term 1 and Full-year programs
If you are applying for Exchange for Winter Term 1 or a full year, your application process starts in the Spring. - Term 2 and Split-year programs
If you are applying for Exchange for Winter Term 2 or for a split-year program, your application process starts in the late Summer and Fall.
Host university application instructions
In the weeks or months after Go Global has notified you of which partner university you've been matched to, you will receive the details about completing the partner application. The partner application is what you will submit to your host university, which they will use to register you for your exchange.
Your host university may contact you directly with detailed application instructions.
Some partner universities request online applications, while others require paper applications. If paper copies are required, submit paper documents to Go Global, who will mail them to your host university on your behalf. Do not send any paper application materials directly to the partner.
UBC transcripts for your application
Most partners will require you to submit your official university transcripts.
Go Global will order your UBC transcripts for you and upload them to your online application under "Transcript & Partner Application". You must download it and include it with your application to your host university.
If you are a transfer student from another post-secondary institution, you will need to submit official transcripts from all of your previous institution(s).
Other supporting documents for your application
Every university has a different application process. While some may be as simple as completing one form, others may require additional documents such as:
- Academic reference letters
You should request these from a professor 3 weeks before you need them. - Resume (or CV)
A basic resume is sufficient. - Statement of interest or motivation
Include information about your intended areas of study, and reasons why you are looking forward to your exchange. - Proof of language ability
- Photos
This may include headshots. - Medical exams
- Proof of funds
An example may be a bank statement. - Proof of medical insurance
If you are covered by the AMS/GSS Extended Health and Dental plan, you should request a letter from the Alma Mater Society (AMS). - Study plans or learning agreements
- Housing or residence application
It is your responsibility to prepare all documents required for the partner university application.
Email your Go Global advisor if you have questions about preparing your partner university application.
If anything needs to be physically mailed to your host university, please submit these to Go Global, who will mail it on your behalf.
Letter of acceptance
After you submit your application to your partner university, you will receive a Letter of Acceptance (also called a “confirmation of enrolment” or “letter of admission”) from the partner university. This letter may be sent directly to you or to Go Global. You may need this letter for visa or permit applications to travel and stay in your host country.
If you have not received this letter two months before the start of your exchange, contact Go Global.
Step 2. Plan your travel
- Apply for relevant visas or permits for the host country
- Find housing
- Confirm safety abroad requirements
- Note: Do not make travel arrangements until you have received official acceptance from our partner university.
Plan your travel for exchange
Getting started
An exciting and challenging part of the next several weeks or months will be planning your travel and preparing yourself for life abroad.
You are responsible for your own travel planning. This includes booking flights, applying for relevant visas or permits for your host country, and finding housing.
Flights
You should make travel arrangements after you have been formally admitted to your host university and received a Letter of Acceptance.
Your passport
Make sure that your passport is valid for at least 6 months after you plan to return to UBC.
Visas and residence permits
Most students will require some sort of visa, study permit, or residence permit to travel to and stay in their host country for the duration of their program.
In most cases, you cannot apply for your visa until you have your letter of acceptance from your host university.
You may need to travel to another city to apply for or obtain your visa. For example, you may sometimes need to go in-person to a consulate in Ottawa or Toronto.
Visa fees can be significant. Please take these into consideration when budgeting.
Go Global does not advise in detail on visas because rules ad application processes change often and can vary greatly depending on students’ individual situation (e.g., citizenship or length of stay).
Housing
Availability of campus housing or residence varies between universities. Most host universities provide incoming students with information about finding local housing on- or off-campus.
Safety abroad
UBC is committed to preparing students for safe and successful international experiences. In order to achieve this, any student participating in a Go Global Program must complete the following:
- All UBC Student Safety Abroad requirements
- Go Global pre-departure requirements specific to each program (includes both online and in-person components)
Failure to successfully complete these and any other requirements may result in withdrawal from the Go Global Program.
Step 3. Register for courses
- Find out what to expect for course registration at your host university
- While abroad, consider UBC registration and tuition for the upcoming semester when you are back on campus
Register for courses for your time abroad
Course registration at your host university
You will receive information from your host university before arrival about course registration.
The course registration process and timeline varies greatly between universities and can be quite different than at UBC. For example, at some universities there may not be an add/drop period for your courses like at UBC, or course registration may only happen when you arrive. In other cases, you may have a very small window of time to register for courses.
Course content and availability at your host university may change. Go Global cannot guarantee access to specific courses or whether available courses will meet your degree requirements.
See information on course transfer credits between your host university and UBC.
UBC course registration and tuition while abroad
Every student participating in a Go Global program will be registered in the appropriate section of an EXCH course by Go Global.
When Go Global registers you in an EXCH course, it will show on your Workday account, and specify that you are participating in an exchange program.
Registration in EXCH will allow you to retain your eligibility for scholarships and loans while you are away and your status as a UBC student.
Winter Session tuition
Tuition fees are determined based on 15 credits per term for EXCH (unless you have a letter from the Centre for Accessibility that recommends a reduced course load).
Study abroad tuition fees
A small number of partnerships (study abroad programs) require you to pay a similar amount of tuition directly to the partner university. If this is the case, you do not have to pay tuition to UBC. You will pay your tuition fees to the partner university.
Step 4. Plan finances
It's important to plan ahead for your travels.
- Review the Go Global Fee and Withdrawal Policy
- UBC offers options to fund your experience. Browse scholarships available
- Learn about student loans for exchange
Consider your finances for exchange
Go Global Fee Adjustment Policy
The Go Global Fee ($423.25) is an administrative fee required for all applicants to Go Global programs. The fee is non-refundable. However, it may be adjusted under some circumstances.
To withdraw from your Go Global exchange, research or summer abroad program, you must contact Go Global by email to request a withdrawal by the following deadlines:
- March 30: For summer and research programs
- June 30: For UBC Winter Term 1 and Full-Year exchange
- September 30: For UBC Winter Term 2 and Split-Year exchange
| Reason for withdrawal | Amount of Go Global fee to be refunded |
| You have applied to Go Global but do not meet our minimum eligibility requirements. | $328.00 (Go Global fee will be adjusted from $423.25 to $95.25) |
| Go Global cannot match you to a partner university. | $328.00 (Go Global fee will be adjusted from $423.25 to $95.25) |
| The partner university does not accept your application and Go Global cannot find another academically suitable partner. | $328.00 (Go Global fee will be adjusted from $423.25 to $95.25) |
| You withdraw from Go Global for reasons other than those stated above. | $95.25 (Go Global fee will be adjusted from $423.25 to $328.00) |
*This fee adjustment does not apply to Global Seminars
If you have any questions, please connect with your Go Global advisor or email Go Global.
Scholarships for Exchange, Research and Study Abroad
There are a number of International Learning Awards to support your participation in a Go Global Program. You will automatically be considered for some of these awards, while others require an application. You can only receive one exchange-related award or scholarship.
Go Global will notify you which application-based scholarships you are eligible for. For scholarships administered by Go Global that you need to apply to, log in to Go Global Gateway and select "Search Scholarships".
How do I receive my scholarship?
All UBC awards and scholarships pay directly towards students’ tuition and fees. But if you owe less than the amount of your award or scholarship, you will receive a cheque or direct deposit to your bank account for the remaining amount. Similarly, if you pay your tuition and fees in advance, you will get a cheque or direct deposit for the full amount of your scholarship.
Since you may not be able to pick up your cheque in person, you must do one of the following:
- The best option is to set-up direct deposit on your SSC so that the funds are deposited in your bank account.
- Authorize someone else to pick up your cheque.
- Set up Third Party Authorization in your Workday account under the Personal Info tab. The authorized person must bring his/her ID as well as provide the Authorization Code (set by you) when picking up the cheque.
- You can also download a paper Third Party Pick-up form. Complete this form, attach the required ID copies, and leave it with the person you have authorized. The authorized person must bring this form, and ID copies, with them when they pick up your cheque.
- Contact Enrolment Services
Am I eligible for scholarships next year?
If you are currently in receipt of a UBC scholarship and want to ensure you will be considered for scholarships when you return to full-time studies the year following your exchange, you will need to submit some additional information to Go Global.
For Trek Excellence Scholarships or scholarship renewals, submit your sealed transcripts to Enrolment Services and indicate that you would like to be considered for these awards.
To be considered for awards recommended by faculties, please speak with an academic advisor in your faculty before you leave for Exchange to determine your faculty’s requirements. Additionally, you must also follow the applicable regulations for University awards.
Student loans
As an Exchange or Study Abroad student, you will have special requirements to complete your loan application.
Undergraduate students from British Columbia (BC)
Before applying for your loans
Contact Enrolment Services before you apply for your loan to confirm your host university's academic start and end dates. If you do not use the correct dates, UBC will not be able to to approve your loan funding. Find more information on BC student loans.
Eligibility requirements
To be eligible for funding, your study period must be at least 12 weeks long and you must be enrolled in at least 60% (40% for PD students) of a full-time course load in each term. Visit the Course Load Guide for the credit load requirement of your program.
How to apply to your loans
- If your exchange program starts before August 1, use the loan application for the current academic year. If your exchange program starts on August 1 or later, use the application for the upcoming academic year.
- Select your UBC program of study.
- Enter your partner university’s academic start and end dates.
- Complete the Appendix 3 form for your application. You will need this form because your partner university’s academic start and end dates will be different from UBC’s term dates.
If you are applying to Student Aid BC, Student Aid BC contacts UBC directly if you enter dates that are different from UBC’s term dates. Within one week, UBC will automatically complete an online Appendix 3 for you. You can continue your application after the online Appendix 3 is complete.
Paying your fees
If you will be paying fees to UBC, select UBC as your learning institution (not your partner university).
If you are nominated for a Study Abroad program, you pay your tuition and fees directly to the partner school. If you are planning on applying for student loans, you must use the partner school as the institution in your application. The partner school will need to confirm your enrollment with your loan provider (not UBC). The partner school must also be designated by your loan provider.
If you have questions, contact Enrolment Services.
If you had a break in study
Contact Enrolment Services to confirm if you need to submit one or two loan applications. If there is a break in your study such as a spring or semester break, for more than 10 business days, you must apply for two loans during your exchange year. You will submit one application for your first semester and one application for your second semester.
If your semester break falls in late December (similar to UBC’s winter break) then you are allowed a 15 business day break. You can submit a single application for both semesters.
Undergraduate students from other provinces
Before applying for your student loans
Contact Enrolment Services before you apply to confirm your host university’s academic start and end dates. If you do not use the correct dates, UBC will not be able to approve your loan funding. Apply for your loan through your home province website to start your application.
Eligibility requirements
To be eligible for funding, your study period must be at least 12 weeks long and you must be enrolled in at least 60% (40% for PD students or 80% for Newfoundland loans) of a full-time course load in each term. Visit the Course Load Guide for the credit load requirement of your program.
How to apply to your loans
- If your Exchange starts before August 1, use the loan application for the current academic year. If your Exchange starts on August 1 or later, use the application for the upcoming academic year.
- Select your UBC program of study.
- Enter your partner university’s academic start and end dates.
- Complete the Appendix 3 form for your application. You will need this form because your partner university’s academic start and end dates will be different from UBC’s term dates.
Paying your fees
If you will be paying fees to UBC, select UBC as your learning institution (not your partner university).
If you have been nominated for a Study Abroad program, you pay your tuition and fees directly to the partner school. If you are planning on applying for student loans you must use the partner school as the institution in your application. The partner school will need to confirm your enrollment with your loan provider (not UBC). The partner school must also be designated by your loan provider.
Graduate students
Where to apply
If you are a student from British Columbia (BC), visit the Student Aid BC website to start your application. For more information on your loan, see loans for students from BC.
If you are from another province, apply for your loan through your home province.
Eligibility requirements
To be eligible for funding, you must be registered as a full-time graduate student and your study period must be at least 12 weeks long.
How to apply
- If your Exchange starts before August 1, use the loan application for the current academic year. If your Exchange starts August 1 or later, use the application for the upcoming academic year.
- Select your UBC program of study.
- Graduate students can apply with UBC’s regular term dates.
Paying your fees
If you will be paying fees to UBC, select UBC as your learning institution (not your partner university).
If you have been nominated for a Study Abroad program, you pay your tuition and fees directly to the partner school. If you are planning on applying for student loans you must use the partner school as the institution in your application. The partner school will need to confirm your enrollment with your loan provider (not UBC). The partner school must also be designated by your loan provider.
If you have any questions, contact Enrolment Services.
Power of Attorney (POA)
- You can designate someone as your Power of Attorney (POA) for student loan purposes while you are away. You should choose a family member or friend that you trust to do so.
- If you are applying for a student loan for the first time, contact Enrolment Services to see whether you might require a Power of Attorney to look after your financial affairs.
- For assistance completing and submitting these forms, please contact the National Student Loans Service Centre.
Step 5: Participate in Go Global pre-departure programming
Get prepared for your experience!
What is pre-departure?
Going on an exchange experience is an amazing opportunity, but comes the inevitable relocation to a new place and a new culture. The exchange pre-departure program is an integral part of your international learning experience, designed to help you in your personal, academic, and administrative preparation.
The Pre-departure program is designed to:
- Help you develop realistic goals and expectations of your experience.
- Equip you with tools and mindsets that will help you while on exchange.
Students going on Summer, Term 1, and Full Year exchanges will participate in the Pre-departure program in March. Students going on Term 2 and split-year exchanges will participate in the Pre-departure program in October.
Safety abroad
UBC is committed to preparing students for safe and successful international experiences. In order to achieve this, any student participating in a Go Global Program must complete the following:
- All UBC Student Safety Abroad requirements
- Go Global Program-specific pre-departure requirements
Failure to successfully complete these and any other requirements may result in withdrawal from the Go Global Program.