Pre-Departure & Travel Documents

Post-Acceptance Steps & Pre-Departure

AFTER you have been accepted to a study abroad or exchange program, there are several important steps that you must complete before you depart for your program.

1. First, make sure your home-campus Study Abroad Office knows that you are studying abroad.

2. If you have been accepted to a SUNY Oneonta program, go back into your OGE Global Portal account to complete the required next steps forms.

3. For non-Oneonta study abroad programs - create a student account on the OGE Global Portal to complete the required forms (see below for each type of non-Oneonta program):

If you have been accepted to another SUNY Program (non-Oneonta): select the "Other SUNY Programs" option in the OGE Global Portal.

Then Click "Apply" and complete the "OTHER SUNY Programs" application to complete the required SUNY Oneonta forms:

Forms for Programs Administered by 4-Year SUNY Schools:

• Preliminary Course Approval Form (download this from OGE Global Portal "Other SUNY Programs" application)
• Financial Arrangement Form - if using Financial Aid to pay for some/all of the study abroad program

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If you have been accepted to a NON-SUNY Program Abroad that has a School of Record in the United States: Select the "NON-SUNY Programs" option in the OGE Global Portal to complete required forms for NON-SUNY Programs (Programs Administered by 2-Year SUNY Schools/community colleges, CUNY schools, OR by other non-SUNY U.S. institutions)*:

• Prior Approval (for transfer credit) - Academic Advisement Form
• Academic Leave of Absence Form - Academic Advisement Form (For students on Fall, Spring, and Academic Year programs only)

Deadlines for submission of the above forms:

• December 1 for Winter Intersession and Spring programs, and
• May 1 for Summer, Fall and Academic Year programs

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If studying abroad directly through an international institution (not through a U.S. institution) that does NOT have a U.S. School of Record*: Select the "NON-SUNY Programs" option in the OGE Global Portal to complete the required forms:

• Academic Leave of Absence Form - Academic Advisement Form (For students on Fall, Spring, and Academic Year programs only)
• The last day to apply for a non-academic leave is two weeks before the end of classes.

NOTE: Students are NOT able to receive prior approval for courses if directly enrolling in an international institution. Upon completion of the program, students must submit the international transcript to World Education Services (WES) and request a transcript evaluation. They must request that the transcript evaluation be sent to the SUNY Oneonta Academic Advisement Center. It is not guaranteed that the credits will be approved to transfer in to SUNY Oneonta.

*Students who plan on participating in NON-SUNY programs must meet with the Office of Global Education the semester before they go abroad.

Worried about protecting your identity while abroad? Check out our Trans and Non-Binary Resource Guide for Study Abroad!

In addition to the steps explained above, you will also need to complete these other important steps:

• Apply for a passport, if you don’t already have one. If you have a passport, check its expiration date to make sure that it will be valid for six months after your return date. If not, renew your passport right away. View information about how to renew your passport.
• Find out if you will need any travel documents (e.g. visas or residence permits) in addition to a passport before you depart. Travel document requirements vary depending on the study abroad program length and citizenship of students. To review travel information specific to your study abroad destination, including visa requirements, check the U.S. Department of State website, as well as the website of the host country’s embassy or consulate nearest you (many consulates are in New York City). The study abroad office of the campus that administers your program should be consulted about the required travel documents for your program.
• Participate in the mandatory pre-departure orientation required by the administering campus. You may review the information covered during the pre-departure orientation for SUNY Oneonta programs.

• Review travel health and safety information specific to your study abroad destination on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website and the U.S. Department of State website.
• Before departure, enroll in the U.S. Department of State’s Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive travel updates and make it easier for the U.S. Department of State to contact you and your family in the event of an emergency.

Have a great experience studying abroad! We hope that you will share your experience with us when you return!

One of the first steps in starting your journey toward studying abroad is acquiring a U.S. Passport. The Office of Global Education encourages students to get a passport in their freshman year to prevent processing delays when eligible for going abroad.