NSE Overview
- What is the UTC NSE Program?
- Eligibility Requirements
- Program Costs
- Exchange Lengths & Linked Exchanges
- NSE Program Benefits
What is the UTC NSE Program?
UTC is a member of National Student Exchange, an organization that provides undergraduate students the opportunity to study within the United States, the U.S. territories, and Canada. UTC can send its own undergraduate students for a summer, semester, or an academic year to one of over 170 universities that participate in the program. Also, UTC accepts students from member universities for a semester or full year of study.
Eligibility Requirements
The following are requirements as set forth in NSE's Directory of Exchange Opportunities:
- Full-time enrollment at your home campus at the time of application and in the term prior to exchange (Note: With the agreement of the home and NSE coordinators, non-traditional, part-time students may be considered eligible for exchange.)
- Minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5 (4.0 scale) at the time of application and at the end of the term prior to exchange
- Good academic standing as defined by your home institution
- No incomplete grades from previous terms
- No current or pending probationary status due to academic dishonesty or misconduct
- No outstanding financial obligations to the home institution
- No current or pending probationary or disciplinary action due to personal behavior
- No pending legal judgments
- Meet any additional requirements imposed by your home or host campus. (See Directory of Exchange Opportunities available in UTC's NSE Office for more information.)
Additional UTC Requirements
- Meet all of the application deadlines for UTC's NSE Program.
- International Students: Requirements and exchange eligibility for international students seeking an exchange varies among the NSE member schools. Refer to the NSE Directory or consult with a staff member in UTC's NSE Program for more information. International students should also consult with UTC's International Student Services when considering an exchange.
Program Costs
There are several kinds of costs that a student must plan for while on exchange:
- Tuition
- Housing & Meals
- Books & Supplies
- Travel (to get to the host school and back)
- Personal Costs (every day living costs)
There are a few other costs that some host universities may require and they include:
- Health Insurance Fee
- NSE Activity Fee
Tuition
The NSE Program has two tuition payment options:
- Plan A- paying your host university's in-state tuition rate
- Plan B- paying your current tuition rate at your home university
Not all NSE universities offer both Plan A & Plan B. Check the NSE Directory and the NSE web site for more information.
UTC Tuition Plans: UTC offers incoming students the opportunity to request either Plan A or B. When possible, UTC's NSE Office will try to accept students on their preferred plan.
Housing & Meals
Housing and meal plan costs: Regardless of whether you are accepted on Plan A or Plan B, all students pay their host university for their housing and meal plans. Most universities encourage on campus residence but few require it. In addition, some universities will provide off campus housing assistance, which usually means providing students with listings and descriptions of rentals close to campus. If you live off campus while on exchange, you won't have to pay your host university for housing. Some exchange school's require exchange students to purchase a meal plan. (To find out member universities policies on on and off campus housing as well as meal plans, refer to Directory of Exchange Opportunities available in UTC's NSE Office.)
UTC Housing and Meals: UTC encourages incoming and outgoing NSE students to live on their host campuses during their exchanges. Living on campus makes it easier for NSE students to meet people and acclimate to their host university. However, UTC doesn't require that incoming NSE students live on campus. Limited off campus housing assistance is available and consists of the UTC NSE Office providing incoming students with lists of rentals close to the UTC campus. Students living in the UTC residence halls are required to purchase a meal plan. Prospective students may refer to UTC's Housing and UTC's Food Service web sites for more information about the various on campus housing and meal plan options.
Other costs
Other costs may include paying a NSE activities fee, and/or paying for health insurance.
UTC Costs: UTC students applying for NSE must pay a $125 application fee. Students coming on exchange to UTC are required to pay a $25 application fee and a one-time $50 NSE activities fee. (The activities fee will be used for social events for incoming NSE students.)
Campus Budget Estimates
To find out how much each exchange schools believes it will cost a student to attend its campus for a semester, refer to NSE's campus budget estimates.
Financial Aid
Most students are able to use their existing financial aid to pay for all or part of their exchange. There are some financial aid restrictions so interested students should consult the UTC NSE Office for more information. In addition, students may be able to qualify for additional loans to cover any added exchange costs.
UTC Financial Aid: UTC requires all of its outgoing NSE students to continue to request and receive their financial aid from UTC. Incoming NSE students may request financial aid from UTC's Financial Aid Office.
Exchange Lengths & Linked Exchanges
Exchange Lengths
National Student Exchange allows students to exchange up to a full calendar year. Students may go on exchange to more than one member university and the exchange terms do not have to be consecutive. (For example, a student could go on exchange for a semester during his/her sophomore year and then go to another university for a semester during his/her senior year.) NSE provides opportunities for students to study for a summer, a single semester, a full academic year, or a full calendar year at a single member university. However, some universities have restrictions on when a student can come on exchange to their schools while others may give preference to students who want to study at their universities for a full academic year. (To find out member universities policies on exchange lengths and times, refer to Directory of Exchange Opportunities available in UTC's NSE Office.)
UTC Exchange Lengths and Preferences: UTC's NSE Office gives preference to those students who want to study at the University for a full academic year. It does accept summer exchanges but they must be combined with full term enrollment (student must be enrolled at UTC either the preceding spring semester or following fall semester).
Linked Exchanges
NSE allows friends from member universities to go on exchange together. These exchanges are referred to as "linked exchanges" and by linking with one another, students are asking NSE universities to accept or reject both of them together. Students should let their home university know if they want to apply for a linked exchange.
NSE Program Benefits
- Take classes that you can't get at your home university.
- Check out potential graduate schools.
- Experience life at a college or university that has a larger or smaller student body or a different cultural representation.
- Experience another culture within the U.S.
- Check out a city or part of the country where you may want to relocate after graduation.
- Take advantage of the host school's student services to participate in on campus interviews or to find an internship.
- Live for up to a year in another U.S. state or territory or in Canada.
- If you are currently a resident assistant, be a R.A. on another campus to make money while on exchange and to share ideas with other housing programs.
- If you are in your University's honors program, be a part of the honors program at your exchange school.
- Take advantage of an exchange cost that is more affordable than international exchange programs. With this lower price, still be able to go to exciting places like Hawaii, Canada, Puerto Rico, Guam, California, and Colorado.
- Take a break from UTC while still remaining a full-time student and earning credit hours.
For more information see: Why Should You Exchange? from the NSE Web site.
