Eligibility

In order to be eligible to study abroad, students must:

Funding Limitations

Berea College permits the use of student international travel funds to support one experience per student. Proposals for travel will be evaluated in a competitive process and are subject to available funds.

No funding will be provided for independent studies, team-initiated studies, or internships in international settings. Additionally, no institutional funding or fundraising will be provided for performance groups, even though associated with a Summer I class, beyond that available through restricted endowed accounts held by academic departments.

Travel Advisory Restrictions

The U.S. State Department maintains a list of travel advisories that assesses risk for all countries, with Level 1 being the lowest risk rating and Level 4 being the highest. In general, Berea College supports study abroad programs in travel advisory levels 1 and 2.

If you are considering applying for a program in a country with a Travel Advisory level 3, please consult with our Education Abroad Advisor to determine if you need to request special permission.

Berea College will not fund, recognize or grant credit to students traveling internationally to areas under a United States Department of State Travel Advisory Level 4, nor to any other country or area of a country that may, in the sound judgment of Berea College, be deemed high risk (such as specific regions of a country that are mentioned in a U.S. Department of State Travel Advisory).

International Students on F-1 Visas

F-1 International students are already having an intercultural experience through study at Berea, but there are a few opportunities for a secondary study abroad experience.

International students on an F-1 visa, already having an intercultural experience
through study at Berea, are generally not allowed to study abroad. There are,
however, five potential exceptions to this rule, as outlined below. But even
within these five sets of programs, there are requirements in terms of the
student’s passport and F-1 visa validity. And all of the general eligibility
requirements (GPA, etc.) are also applicable. There may also be other issues
which prevent an F-1 student from leaving the USA during their time of study
Berea College. Any F-1 student who wishes to apply for one of the following five
sets of programs, should read this website carefully, and then consult with
Berea’s International Student and Scholar Advisor, and Berea’s Study Abroad
Advisor, at least 3 months prior to any application deadline.

At the time of application for a program, F-1 international students must have a
valid (not expired) passport and a valid (not expired) F-1 visa. Additionally, their
passport must remain valid for at least six (6) months after their planned return
from their proposed secondary study abroad, or six months after their planned
graduation date, whichever is later. Furthermore, their F-1 visa must remain
valid for at least three (3) months after their planned return from their proposed
secondary study abroad. These requirements are in place because to obtain a
visa for the proposed secondary study abroad destination country, that
country’s Embassy or Consulate may require them said passport and F-1 visa.
This should ensure that the F-1 student can re-entry to the United States after
their secondary study abroad. F-1 students must also check the requirements to
obtain a visa for the country where they hope to study, keeping in mind that
obtaining said visa will incur additional costs and possibly require travel to an
embassy or consulate.

1. A Berea International Summer Term (BIST) course.

2. A semester of language study abroad. International students majoring in a
foreign language may be eligible for a scholarship from the Department of
Foreign Languages.

3. International students who have been awarded a Ballard-McConnell-Willis
(BMW) Scholarship may use those funds to participate in the Budapest Semesters in Mathematics or another mathematics-focused program abroad. If
their F-1 visa is expired or expiring, BMW recipients should plan on doing a
program within the USA.

4. International students are eligible to apply for the Sloane Shelton Arts &
Humanities Grant, administered by the college, for a transformative experience
in the arts & humanities over summer break. If their F-1 visa is expired or
expiring, recipients should plan on doing a program within the USA.

5. Caux Scholars is a prestigious conflict transformation program that takes
place in Switzerland each summer. Berea can nominate one student each year;
international students are eligible.

Students With Other Immigration Statuses

Students here under the status of DACA, permanent residency or refugee may be eligible for certain study abroad experiences and need to consult with the Director of the CIE at least 6 months prior.

Catalog and Student Handbook

Berea College has also established several Education-Abroad Policies that are published in the Catalog and Student Handbook:

»See: Catalog and Student Handbook