Study Abroad

Study abroad is a hallmark of high-impact learning. It offers students an unparalleled context for integrating the academic knowledge they are gaining at Holy Cross with personal growth and reflection, cultural competency, and lived experience, true to the College’s Jesuit mission. 

The Office of Study Abroad offers over 70 approved programs located across the globe. Students can apply to study on semester, academic-year, and/or Maymester programs (4-6 week long faculty-led programs beginning in mid-May, after final exams).

Most students choose to study abroad during their junior year. However, students are eligible to study abroad during the second semester of their sophomore year (with deliberate planning), and the first semester of their senior year. All first-year students, sophomores, and juniors are eligible to apply for participation in a Maymester program. Students may study abroad on both a Maymester program and a program offered during the Fall/Spring terms as long as there is no conflict in acquiring a student visa.

The Office of Study Abroad engages in one application cycle for all students, regardless of their class year, preferred program, or desired length of term. Study Abroad opens its application portal on September 15. Students’ applications are due November 30. Approval notifications are sent February 1. Students must commit by February 15.

Study abroad is a student-driven endeavor. Therefore, families can best support their student by encouraging them to be informed, independent, and on time. 

Due to FERPA regulations, the Office of Study Abroad can only discuss limited information with parents and guardians. Although Study Abroad does not send information directly to families, it makes information available for families via its Study Abroad Guide. 

If a student’s parents or guardians contact the Office of Study Abroad, we will not discuss study abroad decisions directly with them. All correspondence related to study abroad should come directly from students. The Office of Study Abroad expects students to take ownership of the abroad experience and advocate for themselves. 

The Office of Study Abroad carefully curates the programs in its portfolio so that students experience similar levels of academic rigor and support of all kinds while abroad. However, universities and programs abroad may differ significantly from the student experience at Holy Cross. Differences can also extend to facilities (access to a gym), commute times to classes, meal arrangements, etc. Therefore, it is essential for both students and families to set their expectations accordingly and to remain flexible, open-minded, and resilient.

Students who receive an accommodation(s) at Holy Cross should inform the Office of Study Abroad prior to applying to that program to discuss whether that specific host institution/program is able to offer the kind of accommodation needed for the student to thrive. The Office of Study Abroad will help advise students appropriately. 

Provided that an accommodation is possible, students and their families should expect that the student will receive an accommodation similar to the one they receive at Holy Cross. An exact accommodation cannot be guaranteed.

Holy Cross students participating in semester or academic year study abroad are required to maintain a minimum 3.0 GPA prior to their date of departure. If a student has a credit deficiency on their Holy Cross transcript (i.e., due to having failed a class, withdrawn from a class, or having sustained any other form of underenrollment), the student must address that deficiency prior to departure for study abroad. There are no exceptions to the deficiency policy.

Students participating in a Maymester program are not held to the deficiency policy. In contrast, the one course credit a student earns by successfully completing this form of study abroad programming will work to address a deficiency should one exist.

Study abroad is highly sought after at Holy Cross, and the number of interested students keeps growing. The Office of Study Abroad keeps pace with this interest by regularly evaluating new programs and introducing those of highest quality that will enrich student experience. 

Students and their families should note that the goal of the Office of Study Abroad, in alignment with the College’s Jesuit mission, is not to recreate an identifiable community of Holy Cross students at an international destination, nor to impose a sizable one. Instead, we strive to offer students the rich growth opportunity of living and studying in an environment markedly different from their classroom and extracurricular life in Worcester. 

Accordingly, and to achieve a more proportional balance between Fall and Spring semester enrollment abroad, number caps are placed on all Holy Cross study abroad programs. Caps vary by program and are clearly communicated to students. 

To accommodate student preference, the Office of Study Abroad requires students to apply to one program and preferred term, and also to designate three alternate choices that represent real options for the student if they are not approved for their preferred program and term. Students can choose whether or not to commit to the program and term for which they are approved; however, they are not guaranteed their first choice. 

The Office of Study Abroad will not discuss study abroad approval decisions directly with a student’s parents or guardians. All correspondence related to study abroad should come directly from the student. 

Yes, a student will earn the necessary academic credit if they pass each of the HC-approved courses they take at their host institution. All Holy Cross students must take the equivalent of a full course load at their host institution - no exceptions. Therefore, by passing all approved courses for which they register, students will receive the necessary academic credit abroad that will help them maintain degree progress. 

Students have access to a number of advisors who can support them in academic planning. These include their Holy Cross academic and/or departmental advisor(s), Office of Study Abroad staff, host institution mobility staff, and the designated academic advisor at their study abroad program provider. 

There is no added fee for studying abroad. However, students will incur new, one-time expenses related to the cost of travel to their study abroad destination (i.e., round-trip flights), international health insurance coverage (see below), and any fees related to applying for a student visa if applicable to their program.

Holy Cross operates under the Home School Tuition policy (HST), which means that students are charged Holy Cross tuition and housing fees, even though they are not attending classes at Holy Cross and residing on campus.

Meal plan (“board”) fees vary by study abroad program, depending on the number of provided meals, if any. For programs offering housing that is “self-catering” - i.e., students shop for themselves and prepare their meals in a shared kitchen - no meal plan fee will be charged.

In addition, students studying abroad will be charged approximately $235/semester for international health and emergency service coverage provided by International SOS. (See Health and Safety for more details.) This fee for ISOS coverage is heavily subsidized by the College.

The reason the student is billed directly by Holy Cross for the College’s tuition and housing is because they remain enrolled at Holy Cross, ensuring academic continuity and retaining access to important on-campus resources including College advising, academic oversight, transcript and degree-planning processes, Class Dean and Chaplaincy support, health and safety support, emergency assistance, and other services associated with an approved study abroad experience. This is the primary benefit of the Home School Tuition (HST) model.

HST also helps ensure that approved coursework taken abroad contributes appropriately to the student’s Holy Cross degree, and that participation does not unnecessarily disrupt progress toward the College’s eight-semester residential requirement or timely graduation.

Yes. The Home School Tuition policy permits eligible federal and institutional financial aid to be applied to a student’s Holy Cross account (subject to the requirements and limitations of the applicable aid programs). Therefore, financial aid “travels” and can be applied towards the student’s Holy Cross term bill during the Fall/Spring terms that a student studies abroad.

Since Maymester programs occur outside of the traditional academic cycle, financial aid does not apply to this form of abroad programming. Instead, students on aid who are approved to participate in a Maymester program will automatically be considered for aid in proportion to the financial support they receive during the academic year, but aid is not guaranteed and is contingent upon available funds. 

Yes, it is safe to study abroad. However, students and families must recognize and be willing to accept the inherent risks involved with international travel. For its part, the Office of Study Abroad commits to maximizing student safety as follows:

Holy Cross Study Abroad manages all its international partnerships with student safety and wellbeing as its topmost priority. Accordingly, the stability of each study abroad location is of paramount concern. The Office of Study Abroad receives daily global updates from International SOS (ISOS), the College’s contracted global provider for international health insurance and emergency services, including evacuation and repatriation. It therefore monitors security and risk throughout each study abroad term on a daily basis and in every location. Study Abroad also collaborates regularly with Risk & Compliance at Holy Cross, prepared with threat assessment and action plans that include risk thresholds.  

A student’s individual behavior will certainly impact their personal safety as well. Therefore, it is essential that each student take responsibility for decisions and actions that will affect their safety and wellbeing as they reside, study, and travel abroad. 

Holy Cross students participating in semester, academic year, and/or Maymester study abroad programs receive comprehensive health coverage while abroad from International SOS (ISOS), a prestigious global health, safety, and emergency assistance provider. ISOS coverage is mandatory for every Holy Cross student and entails a fee of approximately $235/semester. This fee will appear as a separate line item on the student’s Holy Cross term bill and is heavily subsidized by the College.

In addition to ISOS-mandated health coverage, all Holy Cross students participating in semester, academic year, and/or Maymester study abroad programs are required to maintain domestic health insurance for the period of time they study abroad. This may be defined as U.S.-based insurance and/or insurance based in the student’s country of residence. 

Note: ISOS coverage is valid from the start date through the end date of the study abroad term. ISOS coverage does not apply to a student’s personal travel plans before or after their study abroad term dates.

For the duration of their designated program, Holy Cross students retain 24/7 access to ISOS professionals who are trained to provide comprehensive site-specific and student-specific health guidance in real time. This comprehensive support covers routine and emergency care for all physical and mental health needs.

Students may contact and, in fact, are highly encouraged to contact ISOS well before their departure date in order to prepare the details for continuous care while they study abroad.