VIRAI.HEINZPROGRAM
PREDEPARTUREPREPARATION
Advising studyabroadstudentscanbeadauntingtask,butwithalittlebit ofknowledgeandthefollowing checklist youandyour studentswill beoffto a greatstartin creatinganexperienceofalifetimewith studyabroad.“Beingprepared”isthebestmessagethatyou, astheiradvisor,canpassalongtothem. In thishandoutwewilldiscusssome of the essentialsandthe“todos”thatshouldbeonevery study
abroadparticipants’checklist.
Table ofContents
1.Check ForCurrent Travel Advice
2.Medical andTravel Insurance
3.TheInternational Student Identity Card(ISIC)
4.Smart TravelerEnrollmentPlan
5.Check for VisaRequirements
6.Current Passport
7.Health AndMedical
8.Flights
9.On-LandOpportunities (Rail Passes, Hotels &More)
10.Internal &External Contact Flowcharts
11.Safety AndValuables
12.CommunicationAbroad
13.BeforeStudents Leave
CheckForCurrentTravelAdvice
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No matter how muchplanningis done,aswe have seeninrecentmonths,thesafetyof individualsabroad canchange atanymoment. The U.S.Departmentof State offerscurrentadvice towouldbe travelersto internationaldestinationsaroundtheworldusingathree-tiered system.
CountrySpecificInformation:IncludesinformationforcountriesworldwideonU.S.embassyand consularofficelocations,visainformation,vaccineandhealth conditions,securityinformationandmore.
TravelAlerts:Areissuedforshort-termeventsthatshouldbeconsideredwhenplanningtraveltoa country. TravelAlertcanbeissuedforanumberofreasons,someofwhichmaysituationssuchas outbreaksofH1N1,evidenceofanelevatedriskofterroristattacks,electionseasonthathasahigh chanceofstrikes,demonstrationsordisturbances. TravelAlertsareremovedwhentheseshort-term eventsare over.
TravelWarnings: Areissuedfortravelerstoconsiderverycarefullyastowhethertheyshouldtravelto acountryatall.ExamplesofreasonsforissuingaTravelWarning includeunstablegovernment,civilwar, orongoingintensecrimeorviolence,orfrequentterroristattacks.TravelWarningsremaininplaceuntil
thesituation changes;somehavebeenin effectforyears.
Cost: FREE
Follow-upAction:Securitysituationscan changequicklysorecommendtoyour studentsperiodically checktheU.S.Departmentof Statewebsiteto ensuretheyremainawareof the currentTravel Advice issued.
Medicaland TravelInsurance
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Itis importantforyourstudentstounderstandthatmostU.S.medical insurancepoliciesdoNOTinclude coverageoutsideoftheStates. Shouldtheyneedtoseekmedicalattentionorrequireemergency treatment,nothaving medicalcoveragewillresult inthembeingpersonally liableforallexpensesoutof pocket.Therefore,travel insuranceisasessentialasyourpassportregardless of yourtravel destination.
Acomprehensive insurancepolicyshould include coverageformedicalexpensesfor injuryandillness, medicalevacuationsandevenrepatriation ofremains. Ifstudentsarenotproperlycoveredtheir families maybe financiallyburdened shouldanemergencysituation occur.
Medicaland travelinsurancepoliciesaregenerally pricedbasedondurationof trip. Theshorter the trip, the less expensive coverage is. Travel agencies will generally offer medical insurance if you are purchasing a flightwiththemandwillincludea numberofadditional travelinsurancecoverage options.
Non-medical insurancecoverage issomethingstudentsshouldbeawareofbut isnotasessentialas the coveragejustmentioned. Thingssuchastraveldelay,baggagedelay,ortripcancellationareworth researching toseeifittheextracoveragecouldbeuseful.
TheU.S.DepartmentofStaterecommendstheInternationalStudent IdentificationCard(ISIC)thatnot onlyprovidesinternationalidentityforstudentsanddiscounts,butalsobasicinsurancepolicythat providestravelandmedicalcoverage. TheISICinsurancepolicyisanannualpolicyandallowsfor multipletripsabroadunderthecoverage.Thereisalso24/7emergencyhotlineavailablewhileabroad.
Full policydetailscanbefoundat
Cost: $22for ISICBasic.(Additionalupgradeoptionsavailabletoprotectyourpersonalbelongingsfrom loss,damageorbeingstolen.)
Insurancepoliciespurchasedbasedontripduration can rangefrom$48forupto 8daysto $680forupto
12months.
Follow-upAction:Check to seewhatinsurancepolicyis alreadyincludedwithyouruniversitytuition.
WHATIS THEISIC?
TheInternational StudentIdentityCard(ISIC)istheonlyinternationallyaccepted studentIDcardand proofof currentstudent statusin existence. Itprovides aworldof benefitsand servicesto 4.5 million cardholdersworldwide.
MorethananIDcard, ISICisa comprehensive cardthatoffers:
-Comprehensivetravelinsuranceplan*
- Emergency Helpline
-Discountsinmorethan44,000locationsin103 countries
-MobilephoneandISIConnectcalling cardcommunicationpackage
*Withbenefitsexclusivetocards issuedwithin theU.S.
SmartTravelerEnrollmentProgram
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TheSmartTravelerEnrollmentPrograms(STEP)isa free service offeredbythe U.S.governmentfor citizens that are going abroad. Studentsshouldbeencouragedtoentertheirinformationabouttheir tripwith STEPsothatassistancecanbe providedin an emergency situation, beit anaturaldisaster, civildisturbance, afamilyissueorcircumstanceswhereapassport is lostorstolen.
ByhavingyourstudentsignupforSTEP,theywillreceivethelatesttravelupdatesandinformationwhilealsoregistering themwith aU.S. EmbassyorConsulate whentravelingabroad.
TheU.S.Departmentof Statewillnotdisclosethe informationstudentprovideintheirSTEPapplicationtoanythirdparties unless theyhavegivenwrittenauthorization todoso,orunlessthedisclosureisotherwisepermitted bythePrivacyAct.
Cost:FREE
Follow-upAction:Register with STEP early.
CheckforVisaRequirements
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Avisaisaformofpermissionfor anon-citizentoenter,transitorremain inaparticular country. Itisimportanttobe familiar withthe entryrequirementsfor eachcountrythatwillbevisitedandfindoutearlyifavisaisrequiredby contactingthe nearestEmbassyorConsulateofthatcountry.
AlistingofU.S.basedEmbassy’sfor eachcountry can befoundatwebsitelisted above.
Beawarethatevenobtainingavisadoesnotguaranteeentry,asthatdecisionremainsthe rightofthe immigrationofficialsin thecountry concerned.
Processingtimecanvary so studentsshould bestronglyencouraged toapplyfortheirvisasas earlyaspossible.
Cost:$300-$700dependingonthedestination.
Follow-upAction:Checkwithstate.govforappropriatevisasforlocation student isvisiting.
CurrentPassport
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Apassportisan officialdocument issuedbythe government andisthe mostimportanttraveldocumentastudentwillrequire totravelabroad. Astudentwillneedapassporttoleaveandenterthe U.S., obtainvisas,cashtravelerschecksandinsome countries itisrequired asproofofidentification.
InformationaboutobtainingaU.S.passport canbelocatedontheU.S.Department ofStatewebsitelistedabove.
Passportfees,processingtimesandlocationswhereapplicationscanbysubmittedcanbefoundonthissite. ManyUnited StatesPost Office locationsaroundthecountryacceptpassportapplications,butshouldbeawarethatthe processingtimeofa routine passportapplication cantakeuptoafullsix weeks.
Somegeneralpassport guidelines:
•Ifapassportneedsto bemailedforanyreason,atraceablemailservicesuchasFEDEXshould beused.
•Passportsshould bevalidforatleast 6monthsafterthe end oftripandreturn tothe U.S.
•Aphotocopyofthestudent’spassport shouldbeleft with aparent orguardian.
•Whileinyourhostcountry,youroriginalpassportshouldbekeptinasecureplace,andacopycarriedwithyouatall times.
Cost:$135forfirst timeapplicantovertheageof16
Follow-upAction: Checktomake surestudenthascurrentproofofcitizenship(i.ebirth certificate).Thismay takeadditional time toorderand receive.
MedicalandHealth
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Vaccinations: Students shouldplanonvisitingadoctor 6to8weeksbeforetheyleave todiscusstheirinternationaltravel destinationandany requiredvaccinationsandmedicationstheymayneed. Some vaccinationsmayrequireaseriesof shots takenmonths apart,so students shouldmaketheirappointmentssoon.
Foracomprehensivelistofrecommendedandrequiredvaccinationfor internationaltravel,visitthe USCenterforDisease Controlwebsite TheCDCwebsitealsoprovidesgeneralguidanceonhealthprecautions,suchas safefoodandwaterprecautionsandinsect-biteprotection. TheCDCalsomaintainsaninternationaltravelers'hotlineat1-
877-FYI-TRIP.
TravelingwithPrescriptions: Itisrecommendedthatifyour studentswillbetravelingwithprescriptionmedication,they contactthe localEmbassyor Consulatetoensuretheirmedicationisacceptabletobringintotheirdestinationcountry. Afull listofU.S.basedEmbassyofficescan befoundat theU.S Department ofStates websiteabove.
Becauseitmaynotbe possibletoobtaincertainmedicationwhile abroaditisrecommendedtotakeenoughtolastyour entire stayabroadifpossible. Ifyourstudentwillbetakinglargequantitiesofmedicationwiththem,make suretheybringacopyof aletterfromthedoctorexplainingwhatthemedicationisandthatitisforpersonaluseonly. Keepallmedicationinthe
originallabeledcontainerto avoidcustoms problems.
Cost:Vaccinationswilldependondestinationand U.S basedinsuranceplans. Sample Price
HepatitisAvaccination– Approximately$50to$100
HepatitisBvaccination– Approximately$50pershot (seriesof3)
Follow-upAction:Makeappointment with Doctorandconfirmanymedication requirements.
FLIGHTS
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Students areonabudget,soit’simportant tomaximize savingswhile stillgettingtheservice and productneeded. Thesedays there areanumber ofonlineresourcestohelp trackflight prices,decreasecostoftravelbybundlingdifferentproducts and,of course,actuallypurchaseairfare.
Therearesomethings tokeep inmindtohelp avoidpayingmorethanyouneedtoforyourflight. Theseinclude:
•Don’tleaveit tothelastminuteto bookaflight
•Considerusingatravelagent
•Alwaysshoparound
•Trytonotswitchairlinesmid-flight.(Ifyoustaywiththesameoneforeachlegofyourtrip,youwillmostlikelyreceivea discountedrateand paylesstaxes)
Studentwhoreceivefinancialaidorscholarshipsareoftenfacedwiththe logisticalquestion ofwhether tobookearlyandpay outofpocket or towaituntilscholarship andgrantmoneyisallocated andthenpayamoreexpensive airfare. The Airfare DepositProgramthatSTATraveloffersallowsstudentstoputdowna$300 deposittopurchasetheirairfareandthenhave until7dayspriorto departure topaythe rest. Thisallowsthe students to lockinaguaranteedearlybirdprice anddeferthe full priceoftheticket.
StudentsleavingtostudyabroadcanlooktoSTATravelfortheirdepartureandreturnplanetickets. STAExclusiveTickets comewithaflexibilityyouwon'tgetdirectfromtheairline,andareavailablebyphoneorbyvisitinganySTATravelstore
locatedin90countries. STATravelalsooffers24/7travelhelp available online, byphone, or chatto allcustomers.
Withalittlebitofpatienceandplanning,yourstudentcanmakeaneducatedairfarepurchaseandsavemoneythatcanbe usedwhilethey areabroad.
Cost:Dependsonlocation.
Follow-upAction: Startcheckingforflightpricesnow.ReachouttoSTATraveltodiscusspotentialreferralprograms,group andindividualflightsand more:
JaclynKalb
NortheastBusinessDevelopmentManager
T:972-538-8852
ONLAND
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Wemakethemostofourdirectglobal relationshipswith hotels,car rentalcompanies andtour operatorstoofferextremely competitivepricingtostudents.Byplanninginadvance,firsttimetravelerswillfeelcomfortableexploringoutsidetheir destination city.
STATravelproductsinclude:
1)Accommodation
Pureaccommodation - no packages,tours etc.e.g.WolcottHotel(NewYork);Hostel639(London);RefillNow!(Bangkok). Accommodations include:hotels,hostelsand bbs
2)Transfers
Transfers between theairportand accommodation
3)Activities & Day Trips
Allproducts,whichdo notinvolveorincludean overnight,stay e.g.Bangkokonabudget;Champagne LimoTours(New York);
SextheCity Hotspots(New York);Sandboarding(CapeTown).
4)Tours &Cruises
MustincludeatleastaONE-nightstayand willvisitmorethanonelocationon theduration oftheproduct e.g.RiverKwaiTour
(1n); Bundu:CapeTown toVictoriaFalls(13n)
5)Travelpasses andpoint-to-points
Busrailtransport either asaflexiblepassoption,orlinkingtwo citylocations e.g.Amtrak USA;GreyhoundAustralia;Rail
Australia;Baz Bus,Eurailpasses
6)Learn to ...
Product thatteachesyouanew skille.g.ThaiCookeryCourses(ChiangMai)
7)Packages
Acombinationofcomponentssoldunder oneumbrellaincludingat leastaONEnight stay but stayinginthesamelocationfor thedurationofthepackage e.g.SydneyStartsHerePackage:Maze(2,34n),Languageschools
Cost:Dependenton particularlandproduct selected
Follow-upAction:Speakwithan STATravel representative
Safetyand Valuables
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Animportant partoftravelplanningisdecidinghowyouwillpayforday-to-daytravelexpenses. Manytravelerschoosea combinationoftwo orthreetravelmoneyoptions. Beforeyoudecide which onewillworkbest for you,callyourbankand ask abouttransaction feesandcurrencyconversioncharges.These extrafeescan workouttoberather expensive.
Whentravelingitisimportanttoonlytakethe necessaryvaluableswithyou. Agood ruleofthumb is,ifyoudon'tneeditdon't takeit!Thisgoesforallvaluables,includingextracreditcards. Afewotherthingstodotoensureyour money andvaluables aresafeinclude:
•Getapouchthatcan bekept onthe body
•Stayinhotelsthathavesafetydeposit boxes
•Keepawalletjustforlocalcurrency
•FindoutaboutATMmachinesand bankfees
•Haveabackupcredit cardkept separately...just incase
Donot bringanythingonthetripthatisnotabsolutely essential!Alittleplanningcanmakeallthedifference.
Cost:N/A
Follow-upAction:Makesurestudentsareawareoftheimportanceofkeepingsafeandprotectingtheirvaluablesabroad.
Communication
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Everyyear Embassyand Consular services receive thousands of callsfromworriedfamilymembers andfriendswho haven’t heardfromlovedonestravelingabroad. Besuretoadviseyourstudentstomakearrangementsforstayingintouchwith family andfriendswhileabroad.
U.S.cellphonesmaynotworkwhenyouleavethe U.S.,andiftheydo,callchargeswithyour homeprovidercanbeextremely high. ISIConnectisagreatoption tokeep intouchbyphonewhereveryour studentsaretraveling.Studentscanchoose from callingcards, email,prepaidglobalSIMsandmultiple handsetoptionsthat suitthe networkattheirdestinations. With featureslikeaFREEonlinejournaloftheirtripbasedonwherethephonegoes–completewithFacebookTwitterfeeds-
everyonestaysconnected! Moredetailsareavailableon
Skypehasbecomeagreatresourcefor studentslookingto keepin touchwithfamilyandfriendsabroad.Thisfree service requiresaninternetconnection,butisfreefor computerto computercalls.Thereisalsoa lowperminute rate between countries andland-lines/cellphonesintheUnitedStates.
If studentshaveacurrentcarrier andglobalphone,make suretheycalltheir providertounlockthephoneand/or checkon international rates.Pre-paid creditandlongtermcontractsarealsoavailableupon arrivalinmostlocations.
Cost:Prepaidoptionsavailable with ratesstarting at$0.49per minutesand freeincoming calls.Skype.com isfreecomputer to computerand eachcountryhasit’sown ratetophonecallstoland-linesand cellphonesin theUSA.
Follow-upAction: Speaktocurrentphonecarrier,reachouttoarepresentativeatSTATravelforISIConnectorresearch mobilephoneprovidersand shopsinlocalareaforstudents.
BeforeStudentsLeave
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Incaseofanemergencyitisimportantthatsomeoneathomeisawareofthestudent’sitinerary. Leaveacopyofyourtravel itinerarywithfamilyandkeep in regularcontactwith friendsand relatives whileoverseas.
Makecopiesofyourpassportdetails,insurancepolicy,travelerschecks,visasandcreditcardnumbers.Carryonecopyina separateplacetotheoriginalsandleaveacopywith someoneat home.
Cost:N/A
Follow-upAction:Studyabroadofficeshouldkeepacopyofstudentspassportonfileandensurethatstudentshavecopies with them.