Everything you need to plan your study abroad experience—from choosing a program to preparing for departure.
Planning to study abroad involves a series of decisions, from choosing the right program and understanding academic credit to preparing for travel and life overseas. This guide brings together the resources and information you’ll need from initial planning through departure.
Choosing a study abroad program starts with your academic and personal goals. Whether you’re interested in language study, international relations, regional studies, or applied learning, SRAS offers options across the Eurasian Corridor throughout the year.
As you explore programs, consider:
What do you want to study while abroad? Are you looking to deepen language skills, explore regional issues, complete major requirements, or pursue a specialized academic focus?
Choose from semester, summer, winter break, spring break, and other short-term opportunities that fit your schedule.
Consider whether you’re looking for immersive language study, a thematic academic program, or an experience that combines coursework with research, fieldwork, or applied learning.
Many programs include opportunities to study Russian or other regional languages, while others are designed for students with no prior language experience.
Which region best supports your interests? SRAS programs are offered across the Baltics, Central & Eastern Europe, the Caucasus, and Central Asia, each providing distinct historical, cultural, and political perspectives.
Browse all programs, learn more about our destinations, or contact us if you’d like help identifying the program that’s the best fit for your goals.
Once you’ve identified a program, it’s time to consider the practical and academic details. Understanding costs, academic credit, and health and safety considerations early will help you plan effectively.
Learn about program costs, scholarships, financial aid, and other resources that can help make study abroad more affordable.
Understand how SRAS programs award academic credit and how that credit may transfer to your home institution.
Learn about the support SRAS provides before departure and throughout your program, along with important health, safety, and travel considerations.
Applications are completed online, but the process varies depending on the type of program you choose. Short-term study tours and certificate programs typically have a streamlined application process with fewer required materials, while study abroad programs require additional information as part of the admissions process. Each program page outlines the specific application requirements and deadlines for that program.
Applications for SRAS study abroad programs typically include the following:
Depending on the program and application, SRAS may request additional materials, such as a second academic reference or a brief interview.
Payment deadlines depend on where you are in the admissions process. The application fee is paid when you apply. If accepted, you’ll confirm your place in the program with a deposit, and the remaining balance is generally due 45 days before the program begins. The details below explain these steps as well as our cancellation and refund policy.
The $50 application fee is due at the time of application and is non-refundable. It may be waived in limited cases when a student is nominated by their home university as part of a sponsored program in partnership with SRAS.
Once you accept your offer, a $500 program deposit is required to confirm your place. The deposit is applied toward your program balance and may be refunded or deferred only in specific circumstances related to scholarship applications or funding release dates, with prior written approval from SRAS.
If SRAS has a direct billing arrangement with your university and the university will pay your program cost in full, SRAS will bill the university directly. If your university pays only part of the program cost, you are responsible for the deposit, which will be applied toward your portion of the balance.
Some programs require additional non-refundable deposits, primarily when internal flights, hotels, or other arrangements require advance payment or have stricter cancellation policies.
Full program payment is generally due 45 days before the program begins. Students relying on financial aid, loans, grants, or other approved funding may request a payment deferment by having the funding source complete the SRAS Payment Deferment Form, confirming the amount and expected release date.
If approved funding covers the full program cost, SRAS will adjust the payment deadline accordingly. If it covers only part of the program cost, the uncovered balance remains due 45 days before the program begins.
Full refunds, less deposit and/or any expenses incurred, will be made only if SRAS receives written notice of cancellation at least forty-five (45) days before the start date of the program. After that date, SRAS’ refund policy is as follows:
| Cancellation Timing | Refund |
|---|---|
| 45+ days before program | Full refund, less deposit(s) and expenses incurred |
| 30-45 days | 50% of program costs, less deposit(s) |
| Less than 30 days | No Refund |
A student dismissed from the program will not receive any refund.
SRAS, at its own discretion, may consider partial refunds if the student can demonstrate, with proof, death in the immediate family or medical reasons for cancellation or withdrawal.
Students who have not paid the program price in full at time of cancellation, withdrawal, or dismissal, are responsible for full payment within 30 days of notification.
Unless a payment plan is approved and adhered to, late payments are subject to 2% interest per month.
SRAS provides all participants with emergency medical and travel assistance insurance for the duration of their program. This coverage also includes limited trip cancellation and interruption benefits in certain circumstances.
Because medical or mental health concerns, family emergencies, or other unforeseen circumstances may require students to cancel or interrupt their participation, SRAS strongly encourages students and families to consider additional Cancel For Any Reason (CFAR) or Interrupt For Any Reason (IFAR) coverage before departure. These optional policies may provide broader protection than the insurance included by SRAS, subject to the terms of the policy.
If space is available, SRAS may consider late applications. Applications submitted more than seven days after the published deadline are subject to a $150 late fee, in addition to the $50 application fee, to cover the additional processing required outside the regular admissions cycle.
If admitted, students applying after the deadline must submit the $500 non-refundable program deposit within seven days of receiving an offer. Applications submitted within 30 days of the program start date require full program payment upon acceptance.
Most applications are reviewed within five business days of submission. If additional information is needed, we’ll notify you by email and through your SRAS student portal.
In some cases, SRAS may issue a conditional offer of admission while awaiting required application materials. Once all required materials have been received and approved, you’ll receive an unconditional offer. Students with unconditional offers receive priority for housing assignments and other program options.
Your place in the program is secured once you accept your unconditional offer and submit the required program deposit by the stated deadline.
Once you’ve accepted your offer and confirmed your place, your SRAS student portal becomes your primary resource for preparing to study abroad. Tasks, resources, and information will become available as you move through the pre-departure process.
Complete any remaining forms, submit outstanding documents, and finish other required pre-departure tasks through your student portal. Each task includes instructions and any applicable deadlines.
One of the first things you’ll receive is guidance on booking flights, obtaining visas (where applicable), and understanding your housing options. Closer to your program start date, we will send more detailed information about arrival and what your first days will look like.
Your student portal and, once available to you, the SRAS Explorer app provide practical guidance on packing, communications, budgeting, health and safety, local transportation, and daily life abroad.
Before departure—and again after arrival—you’ll participate in orientation designed to help you travel confidently, understand program expectations, become familiar with local resources, and know where to turn if you need assistance.
Explore programs, begin your application, or contact us if you have questions as you plan.
