Return from Abroad

When it comes to the transcript, each host institution sends them a bit differently. Please make sure you know whether your host institution will send the transcript to UIUC automatically once grades are posted or if you need to request a transcript yourself. We cannot accept transcripts if they are sent to you first or if they are sent as email attachments.

If you need to request the transcript, please have it sent in one of the following ways:

1. A physical copy sent via mail to the following address: 

Office of the Registrar

ATTN: Stewart Schrof, Academic Records Coordinator

Study Abroad, Graduation and Graduate Support

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

901 W. Illinois St., Suite 140

Urbana, IL 61801-3446

USA

2. An electronic copy sent via secure third-party electronic document service to aces-studyabroad@Illinois.edu.

If your host institution cannot send the transcript via mail or secure third-party electronic service, please email ACES Study Abroad so that we can coordinate a FERPA-compliant alternative with them.

Follow the ACES Study Abroad Course Approval Step-by-Step Guide to officially submit your courses to ACES Study Abroad and your Academic Advisors.

ACES Study Abroad Course Approval Submission Deadlines:

• Academic Year, Spring, or Summer Students: September 1 after you return

• Fall Semester Students: February 1 after you return
   

NOTE: Please try to get everything in much sooner than the deadlines listed above. It can take weeks (if not months) for everything to be updated on your audit, so you don’t want to delay.

ACES James Scholars who will be studying abroad should confer with the Honors Director before their departure from campus to explore the possibility of earning honors credit for studying abroad by taking ACES 396: Honors Study Abroad Retrospective upon their return to campus. This course, which is overseen by the Honors Director, gives scholars an opportunity to earn one hour of honors credit by undertaking a specific honors assignment that is agreed upon by the Honors Director and the scholar. The honors assignment needs to be completed by the end of the semester immediately following the scholar’s return from overseas.  ACES 396: Honors Study Abroad Retrospective Application

After your amazing experience abroad, it's important to fulfill any requirements that may be associated with scholarships you received. 

If you received an ACES Study Abroad Scholarship, these are the requirements you will need to complete:

• Write a one-and-a-half to two-page reflection and evaluation of your study abroad experience, which will be posted on the Voices of ACES and the Study Abroad Student Stories blog. Save asCountry_Year_Last Name (eg. France_2021_Johnson)
  • In the reflection, you can answer questions including (but not limited to):
    • What did you learn through this program?
    • Which events were most meaningful to you and why?
    • What does the experience mean to your academic/career plans?
    • How did the experience affect you as a person?
    • Which individuals you encountered or which events contributed to those feelings, thoughts, and plans?
• Volunteer at one study abroad event as an ambassador of your program. This could include the study abroad fair, a program info session, a classroom visit, an RSO presentation, a pre-departure orientation, etc. ACES Study Abroad will send you a list of potential activities and instructions via email.
• Submit a photo gallery with 10-15 of the top appropriate* photos you took while abroad. Please save your photos in JPEG or PNG format as: Country_Year_Last Name (eg. France_2021_Johnson)
  • Program-related pictures that feature the host university, classrooms/labs, living quarters, host family (if applicable), field experience, etc.
  • No more than five photos from extended travel
  • Please submit photos as .jpeg or .png (NO .heic, please!)

*Appropriate photos mean no alcohol, illegal substances, or weapons, photos of others who have not agreed to have their picture taken (especially children), and no photos that represent your trip in a negative light. Be selective about the content you share. Ask yourself: Would this be something I would want my family to see? Would I want it on the front page of the newspaper? How I am representing the University of Illinois?

Submit Your ACES Study Abroad Scholarship Requirements

LAS 292 continues through the semester after you return to campus, and is the final, re-entry phase of the Global Perspectives Course Series.

Global Perspectives Course Info

Note: Even though you complete the LAS 292 final project the semester after you get back, the 2 credits for LAS 292 are tied to the semester you were abroad. You will not enroll in any credits for LAS 292 the semester after you get back.  

Did you have an amazing experience abroad and want to help recreate that connection on our campus for others? This is a chance for you to introduce an incoming exchange student to the Illinois Campus. The ACES Global Ambassador Buddy Program will pair you with incoming students with similar interests! 

Not only is this a great way to view our campus from a new perspective and boost your resume, but you might also create a powerful connection for students experiencing Illinois for the first time. 

Fubright: Are you interested in research, teaching, or graduate study abroad? The Fulbright U.S. Student Program awards 2,000 scholarships annually for students to conduct research, teach English, or pursue graduate study in 140 countries, for one academic year.

DAAD (Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst): This scholarship program offers you the opportunity to continue your academic education in Germany with a postgraduate course of study. The scholarships are funded by the German Federal Foreign Office.