Program Directors are strongly encouraged to submit the Faculty-Directed or Affiliated Study Abroad Program Application along with the Budget Worksheet for Study Abroad Programs and a preliminary Risk Management Plan for Travel with Students by the suggested deadlines below.  Program Directors may advertise the potential program to determin interest.  However, before advertising program details, the application process should be completed.  

Summer Programs                             November 15

Fall Programs                                    February 1

Winter-session/Spring Programs          April 15

Program Directors planning a program to countries with U.S. Department of State Travel Warnings must obtain permission from the UM International Travel Review Committee before the program may be advertised.  Be sure to review the steps outlined in the International Travel Registry policy required to obtain this permission.  

While OIP will advertise the program on its website, the Program Director should take the lead on campus in promoting his/her own program.  Program Directors are also encouraged to participate in OIP sponsored study abroad fairs held annually in early September and late January.

Students can use many forms of financial aid for study abroad, such as scholarships and loans.  Students can use their aid to cover "reasonable" costs for study abroad, including round-trip airfare, tuition and fees for the program, living costs, passport and visa fees, health insurance, etc.  

If academic credit is offered directly through UM's academic departments, the Program Director must submit a letter to Carol Durnford in UM's Financial Aid Office (243-5510, or cdurnford@mso.umt.edu) detailing the expenses along with a list of the program participants' names and social security numbers.  It is very important that the Financial Aid Office knows about the program as early as possible.  

If academic credit for the program is offered through Continuing Education, the Program Director must contact Kent McGowan in UM's Financial Aid Office (243-5504, or kent.mcgowan@mso.umt.edu) to establish if students participating in the program will be eligible for financial aid.

Health Insurance

UM has specific minimum health insurance requirements for students, faculty, and staff traveling abroad. The Program Director should review what those requirements are and how to meet them from the links below.

• Student Health Insurance Abroad Requirements
• Faculty/Staff Health Insurance Abroad Requirements

Program Directors who wish to enroll any program participants (faculty/staff/students) in the HTH Worldwide Insurance Services Comprehensive and/or Supplemental Plan should download and complete the appropriate form(s) below.

• HTH Comprehensive Insurance Policy Enrollment Form
• HTH Supplemental Insurance Policy Enrollment Form

Clery Act Incident Reporting

As a faculty member directing foreign travel and study with students, you may have a legal responsibility to report crimes occurring in facilities you and your students use for classrooms or housing in foreign countries. If University of Montana has a written rental or lease agreement (no matter how informal, such as an e-mail confirmation) for foreign facilities used for teaching or housing, then the faculty member has a responsibility to report crime statistics for crimes taking place in the rented facilities for the times and dates specified in the rental agreement to the UM International Programs office for inclusion in the University’s annual security report required under the Clery Act.

Clery reportable crimes include: murder, negligent manslaughter, forcible sex offenses (rape), non-forcible sex offenses (incest and statutory rape), robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, arson, and hate crimes.

Program Directors should offer a thorough orientation for students.  This orientation can be offered as part of a regular academic class during the semester preceding the departure, through a series of pre-trip meetings, or through a one-time workshop.  The suggested topics to be covered include:

• Health care issues abroad - consult Center for Disease Control and Prevention Health Advisory for Destination Regions
• Health insurance and medical facilities in the host country - consult Student Health Insurance Requrements while traveling abroad
• Safety information on the host country - consult U.S. Department of State Country Specific Information
• U.S. and on-site emergency contact information and risk management plan
• Program rules, policies, and behavioral expectations
• Academic information (registration, requirements, etc.)
• Money matters (how to pay for the program, financial aid, etc.)
• Getting to know the rest of the group and trust/team-building

Program Directors may request OIP's assistance in conducting student pre-departure orientations or students may participate in OIP orientations held annually early April and early October (notify OIP one month in advance at studyabroad@umontana.edu).

Program Directors will need to obtain the students' signature for the following forms and submit them to OIP:

• Agreement and Acknowledgement of Risk
• Responsibilities of Study Abroad Participant
• Student Health Information
• Faculty-Directed Insurance Coverage Form for those students who are using a parental policy or UM's Blue Cross/Blue Shield student insurance to meet or partially meet UM's insurance requirements.  

1. Program Directors and all other UM faculty/staff traveling internationally with students will be required to register their travel online at least 30 days prior to departure.  As part of the registration, complete a Student Roster and Risk Management Plan for Travel with  Students available to download from your International Travel Registry record.
2. Make sure all program participants (faculty/staff/students) meet UM's minimum health insurance requirements (see Health Information under Step 3 above).  
   • For those students who are using a parental policy or UM's Blue Cross/Blue Shield student insurance to meet or partially meet UM's insurance requirements, submit Faculty-Directed Insurance Coverage Forms.  
   • If enrolling any program participants (faculty/staff/students) in either HTH insurance plans, submit the HTH Comprehensive Insurance Policy Enrollment Form and/or the HTH Supplemental Insurance Policy Enrollment Form.  
3. Submit the following forms with students' signatures:
   • Agreement and Acknowledgement of Risk
   • Responsibilities of Study Abroad Participant
   • Student Health Information
4. Register students in the U.S. Department of State Smart Traveler Enrollment Program.  
5. Take the following information with you when you travel:  Student Roster, Risk Management Plan for Travel with Students, Instructions for Travel with Students in Case of an Emergency, a copy of the passport and visa for each participant, and a list of health insurance policy numbers and phone numbers for each participant.  
6. If applicable, you may need to report Clery Act crime statistics that may take place abroad (see Clery Act Reporting under Step 3 above).  

* Please submit all required forms to OIP by e-mail at studyabroad@umontana.edu, by fax at (406) 243-6194, or by campus mail to the Office of International Programs.