Student Reciprocal Exchange Agreements

Student Reciprocal Exchange Agreements facilitate bilateral mobility of undergraduate and graduate students. KU students enroll at a partner institution for study abroad, and the partner’s students enroll as J-1 international exchange students at KU. In Kansas, exchange partnerships are governed by the Kansas Board of Regents per statute KSA 74-3221 and are signed at the state level by both the KBOR Chair and the Governor. The Chancellor, Senior Internationalization Officer, and Director of Study Abroad and Global Engagement (SAGE) are the signatories for KU. The financial mechanisms of the exchange require parity in student mobility over time, which is often referred to as “being in balance.” At KU, the Study Abroad & Global Engagement (SAGE) office collects tuition and fee expenses from outbound KU exchange students, and then uses these collected funds to sponsor the corresponding costs of the inbound exchange student for their term(s) at KU. Because of the financial implications of an exchange going “out of balance,” it is essential that any new exchange relationship is considered carefully against KU’s existing partnerships in a country or region, and that the new exchange proposal responds to KU student demand. 

Below are some factors to consider as you contemplate an exchange relationship with an institution with whom your department collaborates on research or other programming initiatives:

  • Review the partner’s course catalogue. Do they offer sufficient courses in English to meet the needs of your department’s majors and minors?
  • Does KU already have a program in this country or region that duplicates what the new exchange might offer? You can find a list of KU’s study abroad programs at: https://studyabroad.ku.edu/study-abroad-programs
  • Is there enthusiasm from your faculty about promoting this partnership and encouraging your students to study abroad there?  Will your faculty facilitate the enrollment of incoming exchange students in your courses?
  • Is your unit able to meet the requirements of an exchange sponsor as described in the FAQ below?
  • Is there approval and support for this exchange from your college or school’s dean, and from your department chair?
  • Does the prospective partner have a robust support structure for incoming international students, including things like housing, arrival assistance, visa guidance, etc.?
  • After discussion with your department chair and faculty, does it seem likely that KU student interest will be adequate to sustain a balanced exchange over time?

After considering these factors, if your unit would like to move forward on an exchange agreement, the next step is to engage with the Director of the KU Study Abroad office. SAGE has template agreements that can be used as a starting point for negotiations, or can assist with institutional review of a partner’s draft document. Once the final terms of the agreement have been negotiated, SAGE will work with the department on next steps in program implementation.

Frequently Asked Questions

Agreements are typically constructed for a five-year period.  A typical agreement has a continuity clause, but with written notice can be terminated within one year. This year allows for students currently participating in any programming facilitated by the agreement to complete their exchange experience.

Preference in filling exchange spots will be given first to departmental majors, then minors, and then to outside majors. All students must meet regular SAGE and partner university deadlines and application requirements in order to be considered for an exchange spot.

This multi-level support helps to ensure:

  • Programmatic oversight;
  • Greater awareness of the international activities occurring within a College/School;
  • Fiscal support of exchange imbalances; and
  • Agreements that are academically integrated and not dependent upon a single faculty member for viability.

Overall, this process allows programs to be vetted within academic departments according to their teaching and research priorities and strategies for international engagement.

In sponsoring an exchange agreement, KU departments are asked to:

  • Designate an Agreement Champion who will be the primary point of contact for SAGE in the work of establishing and maintaining the agreement;
  • Proactively review host institution curriculum to pre-identify curricular transferability and ensure that the curriculum of the partner integrates with that of KU, so as to facilitate KU students’ participation;
  • Actively promote exchange opportunities to KU students;
  • Welcome incoming exchange students, ensure access to departmental courses (i.e., permission numbers), find ways to incorporate them into departmental activities, and identify a faculty member or advisor to assist them; and
  • Actively welcome international visitors from the partner institution to KU.

Study Abroad and Global Engagement establishes a budget for each exchange program, based on the cost of attendance at KU for a single semester (KU tuition and course fees, campus fees, SAGE administrative fees, insurance, etc.)  At the start of an exchange term, KU students are billed the exchange program fee through their Enroll & Pay account.  When KU students arrive at the host institution, their tuition and associated academic fees will be waived by the partner institution. The tuition and fees paid by KU students are held by Study Abroad and used to cover expenses for incoming exchange student tuition and fees at KU. This keeps costs low for KU students and makes maintaining balance in the exchange important.  SAGE is responsible for the financial administration of the exchange, including determination of available places at KU for incoming exchange students.

KU students studying abroad and international exchange students studying at KU pay all costs associated with living expenses while abroad (housing, meals, insurance, personal expenses, etc.). Additional financial aid and/or scholarships can be requested or applied for to supplement the possible increased costs of living abroad (e.g., to cover airfare, visa expenses, differences in currency valuation, etc.).

The potential costs are very low if a program is actively promoted and stays in a healthy balance. Departments are encouraged to consider providing student scholarships to seed new exchanges or revitalize inactive exchanges. 

Likewise, hosting international visitors is an important part of any international partnership. This can be as simple as arranging meetings for visitors, but can also include offering KU mementos, meals, or hotel costs, which are frequently reciprocated if KU personnel visit partner institutions.

Yes!  International students may elect to study for one semester or academic year as fee-paying students at KU through the Jayhawk Semester Program. For more information, please contact the ISS Sponsored & Visiting Programs staff at sponsoredvisiting@ku.edu.

Departments interested in establishing a partnership with an international institution might consider an Agreement of Cooperation (AOC) instead. An AOC creates a formal relationship that allows for future collaboration, but it does not commit any KU resources; some international partners may refer to this document as a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). An AOC can facilitate many kinds of collaborative non-exchange activities such as research, one-way mobility, or shared grant applications, and can also function as the starting point for future agreements on things like credit. For more information on the basics of establishing an AOC, please see https://international.ku.edu/agreements-cooperation-procedures.