Departments and Interdisciplinary Programs
The Office of Study Abroad (OSA) serves as a primary resource to The University of Toledo in regard to international activities. The Office collaborates with the many departments and colleges at the University in creating and administering study-abroad opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students. Activities range from short-term summer or faculty-led, inter-term study programs to semester- or year-long (exchange) programs in a host of countries. The University is also a key-member institution of the University Studies Abroad Consortium (USAC). Through this consortial arrangement, the Office is able to place students in more that twenty study-abroad programs around the world.
One of the most important responsibilities of the Office of Study Abroad is providing resources and guidance to students planning to study abroad. Besides providing informational materials about study-abroad programs, the Office provides individual and group advising-sessions, assists with applications, coordinates financial aid procurement, and collaborates with individual departments in the approval of courses. In addition, the Office arranges and conducts (group and/or individual) pre-departure orientation sessions as well as a welcome-back, re-entry session. To ensure that students keep informed about what is happening at the University during their sojourn, the Office publishes a newsletter once a semester for students that are overseas.
The Office of Study Abroad also administers the International Education Financial Aid Fund (IEFAF), which provides partial financial-aid support in the form of a travel grant for eligible undergraduate and graduate students. The Director is also the on-campus Coordinator-Advisor for the Fulbright Grants and the National Security Education Program (NSEP) grants for undergraduate and graduate students as well as other special scholarships and grants. And, the Office makes available the International Student Identity Card (ISIC) and the American Youth Hostel Card.
In addition to supporting students, the Office provides information and support to faculty members for various international activities, such as short-term teaching abroad and faculty development.
