Inbound Exchanges: Undergraduate

Students use the Undergraduate Exchange Student application (see below).  

Partner offices send the required application materials directly to the Office of Global Affairs (OGA) by the application deadlines listed above. Application fees are waived. 

OHIO UNIVERSITY IS LOCATED IN THE UNITED STATES (STATE OF OHIO). BY PROVIDING INFORMATION TO OHIO UNIVERSITY, YOU ARE TRANSFERRING YOUR PERSONAL DATA TO THE UNITED STATES. IF YOU ARE PROVIDING PERSONAL INFORMATION AND ARE NOT A RESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, YOUR COUNTRY’S LAWS GOVERNING DATA COLLECTION AND USE MAY DIFFER FROM THOSE IN THE UNITED STATES. THE UNITED STATES HAS NOT SOUGHT NOR RECEIVED A FINDING OF “ADEQUACY” FROM THE EUROPEAN UNION UNDER ARTICLE 45 OF THE GDPR, AND OHIO UNIVERSITY RELIES ON THE DEROGATIONS FOR SPECIFIC SITUATIONS AS SET FORTH IN ARTICLE 49(A) OF THE GDPR. BY PROVIDING PERSONAL DATA TO OHIO UNIVERSITY YOU, AS DATA SUBJECT, EXPRESSLY CONSENT TO THE PROPOSED TRANSFER AFTER HAVING BEEN INFORMED OF THE POSSIBLE RISKS OF SUCH TRANSFERS FOR THE DATA SUBJECT.

1. OHIO Undergraduate Exchange Student Application Form.
2. Official Academic Transcripts: 1) In the original language and 2) in English.  
3. Financial Affidavit: Applicants must submit proof that they have sufficient funds for their stay in the U.S. The dollar amount listed in the affidavit must correspond to, at minimum, the dollar amount listed for students in the graduate student expense estimate provided by OHIO. A template bank letter is provided. A template sponsor form is available at the ISSS website.
4. OHIO Courses: Applicants must submit a list of the OHIO courses they are interested in taking. NOTE: When compiling the exchange course list, use the corresponding semester of the previous year in OHIO course offerings. Course offerings are subject to change.
5. English Language Proficiency Documentation: Please see new information below.  
6. Passport Copy: One copy of the student’s personal information and photo page.  
7. Residency Declaration: Statement answering the question “What is your country legal permanent residence?” Please include full name as appears on passport. Sign and date.
8. Statement of Interest: Submit 1-page personal statement, covering background and interest in this exchange.

NOTE: Missing documents or incomplete applications will delay the application process. Exchange student applicants should always work with the international advisor or exchange program coordinator at the home university to ensure that the application is complete and all required documents are provided. 

All applicants must demonstrate English proficiency to be admitted to academic study. There are several options for demonstrating proficiency. See ohio.edu/admissions/international/apply for detailed information.

Do not send test scores with other application materials, but follow instructions provided.

Students must satisfy these requirements in order to take academic courses at OHIO. With approval from the student's home university, students who do not fulfil these requirements may take English language courses with OPIE, Ohio's Program of Intensive English.

OHIO operates on the semester system. The academic year begins with fall semester. Each semester consists of 14 weeks of classes and one week of exams. Fewer courses are offered during the summer sessions and most OHIO students leave Athens. Consequently, we do not encourage exchange students to attend during summer sessions.

The OHIO academic calendar is available on-line at: ohio.edu/registrar/academic-calendar. The tentative academic calendar for 2023-2024 is:

• Summer term: May 15 – August 19, 2023
• Fall semester: August 28 – December 16, 2023
• Spring semester: January 16 – May 04, 2024, 2024

Tentative arrival dates for undergraduate students are May 04, 2023 for summer term, August 22, 2023 for fall semester and January 10, 2024 for spring semester. Arrival dates are confirmed in students’ welcome packets. Do not book airfare prior to receiving a letter of admissions and confirming arrival dates. 

Exchange students apply for J-1 U.S. visa status. Upon admission, a DS-2019 immigration document is requested at OHIO for the student. The processing time is 2-4 weeks. The DS-2019 and the official admission letter will be sent to the student in care of the international office at the home university. Upon receipt, check the document carefully and notify OGA (globalaffairs@ohio.edu) immediately if mistakes are found.  

For more information on visa application and visa requirements, please see https://www.ohio.edu/international-student-scholar-services/visa-inform…(opens in a new window).  

U.S. immigration regulations require that students be enrolled as full-time students. Undergraduate exchange students must enroll for a minimum of 12 credit hours per semester (approximately 4 courses). Classes must be taken for a letter grade. Online courses do not qualify. In addition, OGO requires full-time enrollment as we have pre-paid full-time tuition fees for each student. 

All international students are automatically enrolled in the OHIO Student Health Insurance. Students will be automatically billed for the cost of the insurance plan after they arrive in Athens. A waiver may be requested, but because of the strict policy coverage requirements, it is most frequently denied.

Information and costs of this insurance plan can be found on-line at: ohio.edu/student-insurance(opens in a new window). 

Undergraduate exchange students generally live in OHIO's residence halls. Between academic semesters when classes are not in session, regular on-campus housing closes and all students are asked to move out until classes resume for the next semester. Interim housing is available between semesters for a fee.

It is the student’s responsibility to reserve and confirm permanent and interim housing. Housing information is available on-line at: ohio.edu/housing(opens in a new window). Further directions are sent to admitted students. 

Airport: The closest and most convenient airport to Athens is the John Glenn Columbus International Airport in Columbus, Ohio.

Transport to Athens: Please refer to ohio.edu/international-student-scholar-services and International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS) communications for most current transportation offerings.

Exchange students are required to attend an on-campus international student orientation. The orientation program cost is $150, which is billed to students' accounts. The orientation requires students to arrive one week prior to semester start. Detailed Orientation information will be published 1-2 months before arrival at ohio.edu/international-student-scholar-services/orientation-information. 

Students register for courses upon arrival during orientation. Pre-registration is not available. Each student is assigned an academic advisor to help with registration and academic course concerns. Courses may be full, cancelled or unavailable to incoming exchange students. Students should be flexible and have a broad set of course interests.  

Access to course information is on-line at ohio.edu/registrar(opens in a new window). Be sure to check course offerings for the correct semester and do not use the comprehensive course catalog as many courses are not offered each semester. 

Students should be fully aware of the cost involved in exchange participation at OHIO at the time of application. For details on expected costs, please refer to the provided expense estimate for undergraduate students.  

Undergraduate exchange students will receive an instructional (“tuition”) fee waiver, which covers the per-semester instructional, general, technology, and most other academic fees at OHIO. However, undergraduate exchange students from most partner universities are additionally responsible for paying a $150 International Student Orientation (ISO) fee.

Housing and meal plan fees are available at ohio.edu/housing/costs and will be covered by the student. 

Participation in study abroad and exchange programs during COVID-19 involves real and potential personal, financial and academic risk. At this time, Ohio University cannot promise a “normal” exchange experience for incoming students. During the pandemic, Ohio University has remained open, however many courses are currently offered only in hybrid or online formats. Students must be flexible concerning all parts of their exchange experience including housing, course selection and general scheduling. Cancellation of programs with short notice is possible. Please read and stay informed concerning COVID-19 news at ohio.edu/coronavirus.