Do you have to travel for an entire semester?

Not at all! ACES Study Abroad offers 15 to 20 programs each year that are 1 to 3 weeks long and take place over winter break, spring break, or the last two weeks in May. These are called short-term faculty-led programs. The way they work is that students take a class in the semester before they travel and then the whole class travels together with the ACES faculty members to see firsthand what they were learning about in the classroom. This makes it easy to earn direct credit towards your degree, travel with other ACES/Illinois students, and engage with amazing ACES faculty. Many students go on to travel abroad again after their first short-term experience, make some of their best friends on these programs, and often continue working with the faculty leaders by taking their other courses or even working with them on their research. We cooperate with partner organizations to take care of all the logistics, so these are also exciting ways to travel to places you may have never imagined going before in a safe, structured way.

How should I prepare?

If you are thinking about study abroad, the best thing to do is to talk to your major’s academic advisor to see how study abroad can support your degree plans and what type of classes you might want to take abroad. We also encourage you to think about your goals! Are you hoping to study in a specific part of the world, learn a new language, participate in an internship, conduct research, take classes in subjects you can’t take anywhere else in the world, explore your own heritage, try something completely new… the sky is the limit!

We also offer events throughout the academic year to help you discover what programs are out there. Keep an eye on our weekly emails and event calendar, and pop in to learn more.

Can I afford to study abroad?

Believe it or not, spending a semester abroad on an exchange program can actually be the same if not less expensive than a semester here at Illinois. That is possible because when you study abroad on a semester exchange program, you don’t pay full Illinois tuition and you don’t pay tuition to the university abroad either. Exchange programs involve the reciprocal exchange of students between the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and a partner institution abroad. Exchange programs are ideal for students who have high financial need or are on a budget, who want to be fully immersed in their host culture, and who are interested in meeting students from all over the world. ACES has a whole range of exchange programs that students can consider!

For faculty-led programs, since the course is tied to the semester before travel, students do not pay any additional tuition to participate. Students are only responsible for the program-related fees (airfare, hotels, guides, etc.). There are comprehensive budgets linked in My Study Abroad for every program, and we work tirelessly to try and reduce costs at every opportunity.

We are committed to helping make study abroad possible for all of our students. The ACES Study Abroad Scholarship is guaranteed to all ACES students who apply for it! There is also the campus-wide I4I/IIP Scholarship for undergraduate Illinois students on any Illinois-approved program. For students who are Pell Grant eligible, there is the Gilman International Scholarship. These are just a few examples of the many funding opportunities out there.

Students can also work with the Office of Student Financial Aid to discuss what type of aid will travel with them on their program of choice.

Do I need to know a second language?

We always encourage language learning, both formal (classes) and informal (language apps, conversation groups, etc.), but students do not need to speak a second language to participate in any ACES Study Abroad Programs. Unless it is a language course (ex: Spanish 101), ACES students will take their classes in English.  

Where will I live during a study abroad program?

Each study abroad program is different. On our short-term faculty-led programs, students are usually in shared hotel, hostel, or dorm accommodations. For full semester and full summer programs, there can be on-campus housing, apartments, or even homestays. This depends on the location and program structure. The housing details are included on the program pages in the My Study Abroad database, but you can also reach out to the ACES Study Abroad team at any time if you’d like to clarify housing options for any program.

Can you work while studying abroad?

It may be possible to work part-time while participating in some full semester study abroad programs. This will depend on the country, visa type, class schedule and language proficiency. That being said, we do not necessarily recommend relying on a part-time job while studying abroad, as you will want to focus on your academic and cultural immersion. Instead, what you might want to consider is selecting a program that includes an internship (for credit). That would allow you to gain international work experience in a way that is integrated into and supported by the program itself.

Will my classes transfer back to the University of Illinois?

Yes! You will receive credit for any course you take on an Illinois approved study abroad program. The type of credit and the process varies by program.

• For short-term faculty-led programs, you enroll directly into an Illinois course in the semester prior to travel. That course will be on your schedule exactly like any other course.
• For a full semester, year, or summer program, you will enroll in courses at the university abroad and then transfer them back afterwards. Depending on the courses you take, you may be able to transfer them back as electives, gen eds, advanced hours, ACES hours, or specific major/minor requirements. There is a whole database where you can see how study abroad courses transfer back here at Illinois. As part of the application and pre-departure process, we would work with you and your major academic advisor to understand what types of courses you should try to take abroad in order to stay on track to graduate. We can then help you find a program that will offer those courses. We also help you with the transfer process when you get back.

When can/should I apply?

This will depend on the type of program you want to do, but these are our typical deadlines:

• Summer Short-term Faculty-led Programs: February 1
• Full Summer, Fall, and Academic Year Programs: February 15
• Winter Short-term Faculty-led and Spring Semester Programs: June 15 (early); September 15 (final, if space remains available)

There is some variation, so please be sure to check the individual program deadlines on the Apply Tab of the My Study Abroad page.