Frequently Asked Questions

Students can participate in a study abroad program at any time following completion of their first semester on the KU campus.  For most students, study abroad is an option beginning with the winter break term of their freshman year.

Most students study abroad during their second or third year. However, the specific time frame will depend on each student's academic plan, their preferred term, and what works best for their major and personal interests. Students can study abroad during an academic year, semester, summer, winter break, or spring break

You can find specific timing recommendations based on your major on our Programs by Major page.

SAGE aims to provide a diverse portfolio of program opportunities to students.  Program lengths vary from as short as 8-10 days to a full academic year. 

Yes! In general, students can use the federal, state, and institutional (KU) financial aid that they already receive from KU toward participation in a study abroad program if the aid is available during the term in which they study abroad. Students can also apply for scholarships through our office, other campus units, and external organizations.

To learn more about using financial aid to study abroad, visit the “Using Financial Aid and Other Funding Sources” web page. Check our page for information specifically about how Veterans Affairs benefits can be used to pay for study abroad, and connect with the Military Affiliated Student Center. To search for study abroad scholarships, review the lists on our website.

While it can be beneficial to know some of the language of the country to which you are traveling, foreign language skills are not a requirement for most study abroad programs. In fact, most of our programs, and all of our internships, are taught in English, even in non-English-speaking countries.

Yes! Students can study abroad more than once, and many of our students do. 

Nope! The data from KU and other U.S. institutions show that students who study abroad are significantly more likely to graduate on time than students who don’t study abroad! Through careful planning and close collaboration with their academic advisors, students can find study abroad options that will keep them on track to graduation.

Depends on your interest! SAGE offers study abroad programs in more than 70 countries around the world; however, not all programs or locations will work well for all majors. In general, students can participate in a study abroad program to any country provided the location does not currently have elevated health or security risks. KU reviews both the U.S. Department of State travel advisories and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention travel health notices when considering student health and safety abroad. Study abroad is not supported in locations with a level 3 or 4 advisory or travel health notice.

You can see the full list of our program locations on our Program Search page.