Education Abroad

Housing

All students are encouraged to live on campus unless there are special circumstances. A variety of cafeterias on campus provide economical foods daily. More foods option can be found in the university neighborhood and the shopping mall nearby. Supermarkets, convenience stores and local wet markets are located nearby.

Residence Halls—The on-campus living accommodation provides two options. Both options are college dormitories shared by the international students of the university. Students can select a double occupancy room in a shared suite with a communal bathroom, or a single studio room with privatebath. Both options have shared laundry facilities. 

Financial

Program Costs

Paid to Appalachian State

	Semester	Summer
1USAC Tuition	See USAC	See USAC
2USAC Housing	See Below	Included in Program Cost
3OIED Program Development Fee	$200	$200
Intl Health Dev Fee	$60	$60

¹Tuition and fees are charged at the USAC rate.
²Housing is charged at the USAC rate.
³The OIED Program Development Fee will be placed on students’ accounts upon acceptance by the Education Abroad Office. The fee payment confirms your spot and is non-refundable.

Estimated Additional Costs

	Semester	Summer
USAC Application Fee	$100	$100
1USAC Confirmation Deposit	$500	$500
USAC Housing	$1300 - $2600	Included in Program Cost
Refundable Housing Deposit	$300	$300
Airfare	$1200 - $1800	$1200 - $1800
Meals	$1200 - $1600	$300 - $400
2Personal Expenses	$1200 - $1800	$400 - $600
Books and Materials	$50 - $100	$45
Local Transportation	$100 - $400	$50
Visa (for US Citizens)	$215	$215
Passport	$150	$150
3US Based Health Insurance	Varies	Varies
4Personal Travel and Spending	$1000 - $2000	$250 - $400

¹Students are responsible for submitting a $500 non-refundable confirmation deposit to USAC after acceptance.  
²Personal living expenses includes but is not limited to: toiletries, cell phone, emergency funds, laundry, clothing, utilities, basic travel and entertainment, etc. 
³Students are encouraged to maintain a US based health insurance plan while abroad (to exempt out of AppState insurance students must follow the App exemption process - proving that they have insurance coverage for the entirety of the semester.
⁴Personal Travel and Spending amounts will vary by student and will be affected by how often a student goes out, travels, and the items they purchase.

Please note that non-billable costs are estimates only and will be affected by personal spending habits, currency fluctuations, etc. Prices listed in USD unless otherwise noted.
 

Students are encouraged to start planning for their study abroad program costs well in advance. Please use the Student Financial Planning Worksheet to help estimate your anticipated expenses and your anticipated financial resources.  When planning for estimated additional costs students are encouraged to research currency conversion rates. 

Financial Aid

The majority of financial aid and scholarships can apply to semester and year-long study abroad programs. For more information please visit the Office of Student Financial Aid web page.

Scholarships

USAC Scholarships
USAC offers a variety of scholarship opportunities for students.  Scholarship awards range from $500 to $1000.

OIED Scholarships
Each semester OIED offers a variety of different scholarship opportunities for students. Scholarship awards range from $500 to $2000. 

Benjamin A Gilman Scholarship
The Gilman Scholarship Program application is open to U.S. citizen undergraduate students who are receiving Federal Pell Grant funding at a two-year or four-year college or university to participate in study and intern abroad programs worldwide.

Fund for Education Abroad
Applicants from groups underrepresented in study abroad and those destined for non-traditional locations are given preference, in an effort to make the demographics of U.S. undergraduates studying abroad reflect the rich diversity of the U.S. population.

For information about additional scholarships please visit our External Scholarships web page.

Academics

Semester
Students will enroll in 12 to 18 credits per semester comprised of a language study plus electives in international business and Chinese studies. Course availability is contingent upon student enrollment and is subject to change. USAC offers intensive language courses grouped into tracks in which courses are taught sequentially (back to back) within one semester. If you have already taken the first course in a track, you do not have to take it again for credit, but you must audit it to be prepared for success at the next level. Language courses are small and typically have a maximum enrollment of 15 students each. Students who do not enroll in a full track are required to take either Elementary Chinese I, Intermediate Chinese I, Advanced Chinese, or Chinese Conversation to assimilate more effectively into Chinese culture and their new living and learning environment.

Summer
Students will enroll in three to six credits in Session I and three to five credits in Session II. Session II students taking intensive Chinese language as one of their courses may enroll in six credits. At least one 3-credit course is required in each summer session. Course availability is contingent upon student interest and enrollment and is subject to change. Summer language courses are intensive, with two to five credits of Chinese taught each session. You are required to take a Chinese language or conversation course appropriate to your level to help you to assimilate into the community. Chinese Conversation is highly recommended to complement Intermediate Chinese I through Advanced Chinese II.

All students are expected to maintain at least the equivalent of a full time course load according to Appalachian State and the host university while abroad (whichever is greater). Students participating on the USAC Shanghai program will be required to enroll in 12-18 credits during the semester and 3-6 credits per summer session.. For more information about study abroad enrollment policies, credit approval, and credit and grade conversions please visit the Academics section of our website.

How to Apply

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis and some programs may fill up before the listed deadline. Each year applications for Fall, Spring, and Summer will open up on August 1st. Once open the deadline will be listed below and an Apply Now button will be available at the top and bottom of this page. Most applications will have a 2 part application process so students are encouraged to complete their OIED application well before the listed deadline.

Students applying to a USAC program should complete the USAC application while also completing the Appalachian application.

For more information about deadlines and how to apply please visit our Guide Me webpage.