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ISEP Benefits and Obligations
Before You Go
While You are Abroad
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Additional ISEP Resources

Student Handbook - ISEP Benefits: What’s Included

ENROLLMENT: As an ISEP student, you enroll in a full-time academic program at your host institution and are guaranteed a full course load as defined by the host institution. Access to all courses cannot be guaranteed as some may require prerequisites or be closed, limited to certain years, or unavailable due to scheduling conflicts between departments.

FEES: Mandatory registration fees—along with all other required fees, such as those covering student union membership, athletic facility use, and social activities—are covered for ISEP students. Optional fees—those not required of all students—are not covered through ISEP. In addition, fees for cross-registration at another institution, regardless of whether it is an ISEP member, may not be covered.

ORIENTATION: Your ISEP program includes an orientation at your host institution before classes begin. Orientations vary between institutions and may be designed for all international students or specifically for ISEP students. Refer to your IIS for further information and plan to arrive on campus by the Official Date of Arrival indicated on the IIS.

HOUSING: Housing benefits apply to students on all ISEP-Exchange programs and to those on ISEP-Direct programs that include housing benefits. Housing, or a stipend covering the cost of housing, is available from your Official Date of Arrival (indicated on the IIS) to the last day of your placement period (Last Date of Benefits indicated on the IIS), including vacation and examination periods. The IIS provides specific details about your host housing arrangements, which may include student residences, apartments, or host families. In some cases, you may be assigned interim housing when you arrive and have a specified period of time to make housing arrangements for the duration of your placement. Please note that changes in any housing arrangements can only be made with the approval of your host ISEP Coordinator.

MEALS: Meal benefits apply to ISEP-Exchange students and to those ISEP-Direct students who choose program packages that include meals. A minimum of 19 meals per week are provided during each semester. You may receive a cafeteria meal plan, meals provided by a host family, or a stipend. Stipends suffice for normal student fare, usually in the subsidized student cafeteria, and are not meant to cover restaurant costs or non-food expenses.

BENEFITS DURING VACATIONS: Housing is provided throughout your placement, including during vacations. However, your housing may change for that period of time. You may, for example, move to a room in a residence hall that stays open during vacations, live with a host family, or receive a temporary housing stipend.

Meals are provided during vacations that occur within each semester, but host institutions are not required by ISEP to provide meals during vacations between semesters. Your host institution is not obliged to convert vacation benefits to a stipend should you decide to make other arrangements or travel.

The Southern Hemisphere academic calendar runs from February/March to December. For Southern Hemisphere sites, unless otherwise noted on the IIS, vacation benefits do not apply during the break between academic years (December – February/March). However, ISEP vacation benefits do apply during the recess between semesters (June – July).

Students from institutions on the Southern Hemisphere academic calendar who plan to study in Northern Hemisphere countries for an academic year should be aware that the Northern Hemisphere academic year typically runs from August/September to May/June. If your placement crosses different academic years, you will not receive vacation benefits during the summer vacation period (June – August).

EQUIVALENT VS. IDENTICAL BENEFITS: As an ISEP student, you have the opportunity to enroll in classes; participate in the activities of your host institution; and receive housing, meals, and services. However, you will not necessarily receive identical housing, meals, and services to those you leave behind at your home institution. Because higher education is funded differently throughout the world and exchange rates fluctuate, the monetary value of your exchange benefits may not be identical to the amount you paid your home institution. ISEP, in other words, is based on equivalent and not identical benefits.

In addition, because of social and political differences between countries, student services and other benefits differ greatly across institutions. Adapting to differences between your home and host institutions is part of the ISEP experience. As you settle into your host institution, avoid making quick judgments about arrangements that have been made for you. Take the time to find out what the typical accommodations are for local students. Also, try to get a sense of the customs and values of your host culture. Adjusting to host living patterns and standards may be one of the most difficult challenges you face as an ISEP student, but meeting this challenge will give you an insider’s perspective on the culture.

ADDITIONAL EXPENSES: Your IIS may provide an estimate for the local cost of living for many of the expenses below; these expenses are not covered by your ISEP benefits.