Eligibility & Requirements

Academic Standing

Students must complete at least one academic year at Berea before studying abroad. They must be enrolled and studying on-campus in the full term immediately prior to their study abroad experience and must to return to campus for at least one full term afterwards. Students must be in good standing to participate in approved education abroad opportunities, including, but not limited to, Berea Term Abroad (BTA), Berea International Summer Term (BIST) courses, and internships. As such, students on labor, academic, and/or social probation are not permitted to apply for, register for, and/or participate in such opportunities. All students registered for education abroad opportunities will be subject to a mid-term labor performance review, and those found to be significantly deficient in meeting the required labor obligation will not be allowed to go abroad. Any student placed on probation during or at the end of the term preceding international study will also not be allowed to participate in an education abroad opportunity, even if the student has been registered.

At the time of application, students must not be on probation of any kind, have no COVID-related disciplinary warnings, and meet the appropriate minimum cumulative GPA requirement:

2.8 for Berea Term Abroad
2.25 for Summer Abroad (including BIST)

An exception to this GPA requirement may be granted if extenuating circumstances warrant. Students should consult with the Education Abroad Advisor about this before submitting an application.

Age

Students must be 18 years of age or older at the time of travel.

Funding

Berea College permits the use of student international travel funds to support one trip of any kind (credit or non-credit) per student during the student’s years at the College. Proposals for travel will be evaluated in a competitive process and are subject to available funds. No funding will be provided for:

- independent studies,
- team-initiated studies or
- internships in international settings.

No institutional funding or fundraising will be provided for performance groups, even though associated with a Summer I class, beyond that available through restricted endowed accounts held by academic departments.

Travel Advisories

Berea College will not fund, recognize or grant credit to students traveling internationally to areas under a US Department of State Travel Advisory Level 4, or areas strongly advised to avoid by the World Health Organization or areas which may, in the sound judgment of Berea College be deemed high risk (such as certain regions mentioned in a US Department of State Travel Advisory). If you are considering applying for a program in an country with a Travel Advisory Level 3, please consult with our Education Abroad Advisor to determine if you need to request special permission.

»See Current Travel Advisories

International Students and Education Abroad

F-1 International students are already having an intercultural experience through study at Berea, but there are a few ways to make a secondary study abroad experience possible.

Students with other Immigration Statuses

Students here under the status of DACA, permanent residency or refugee may be eligible for certain study abroad experiences, and need to consult with the Education Abroad Advisor at least 6 months prior.