ISEP Program Overview
Institution
Founded in 1979, ISEP has grown from a small non-profit organization into one of the largest study abroad membership networks in the world. As a trusted educational community, ISEP is committed to helping students overcome the financial and academic barriers to study abroad. In partnership with their member institutions, ISEP is able to connect students to high-quality, academic programs at more than 300 universities in over 50 countries.
ISEP offers 2 different program models:
Exchange
Direct
On this website we have identified ISEP exchange and direct programs that may be good matches for our majors but Appalachian students are able to apply to any program listed on the
ISEP website.
Housing
Housing options will vary by program. Students participating on ISEP exchange programs will pay the ISEP Full Exchange Program Fee to Appalachian and will not pay housing or meal costs to the host university. Students participating on ISEP Direct programs will pay the host university housing cost either to Appalachian or to the host university.
Financial
Program Costs
Students participating on ISEP Exchange programs will be billed
Appalachian tuition and fees and the
ISEP Full Exchange Fee. In addition students will also be responsible for submitting a $200 OIED Program Development Fee upon acceptance by the Education Abroad Office. The fee payment confirms your spot and is non-refundable. Students will also be billed a $60 International Health Development Fee after program confirmation.
Students participating on ISEP Direct programs will be billed the host university tuition and fee cost. This will replace the Appalachian tuition and fees cost on your term bill. Housing and possibly meals will be charged at the host university rate.
Students should also plan for additional program related costs. The table below lists some of the common categories that students should plan for.
| Estimated Additional Costs |
Semester |
| Housing (for ISEP Direct) |
Varies |
| Intl Health Dev Fee |
$60 |
| Meals |
Varies |
| Airfare |
Varies |
| 1Essential Living Expenses |
Varies |
| Books and Materials |
Varies |
| Local Transportation |
Varies |
| Visa (for US Citizens) |
Varies |
| Passport |
$150 |
| 2US Based Health Insurance |
Varies |
| 3Personal Travel and Spending |
Varies |
1Personal expenses includes but is not limited to: toiletries, cell phone, emergency funds, laundry, basic travel and entertainment, etc.
2Students 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.
3Personal 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
OIED Scholarships
Each semester OIED offers a variety of different scholarship opportunities for students. Scholarship awards range from $250 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
Course options vary by ISEP program. Additional information about course options can be found on the individual ISEP program pages.
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). Each USAC program will have a different minimum credit requirement. 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 an ISEP program should complete the
ISEP application while also completing the Appalachian application. If you do not see the ISEP program that you wish to apply to listed on our website please contact our office at studyabroad@appstate.edu and let us know the ISEP program you are interested in and the semester you wish to go abroad and we will let you know if an application can be started.
For more information about deadlines and how to apply please visit our
Guide Me web page.