National Student Exchange offers students the opportunity to study away in a college or university in the United States, its Territories, or Canada. More than 170 colleges and universities participate in the NSE program.

Visit the NSE website to see the participating schools and learn more about the program.

Priority Placements are arranged in early March for fall and/or spring exchanges in the following academic year.

APPLICATION DEADLINE

February 26, 2024, is the deadline for 2024-2025 priority placements. If you miss the priority deadline and are still interested in applying, contact the UMF NSE coordinator to discuss available options and subsequent deadlines.

Attend an NSE Virtual Fair – sponsored by NSE

Attend one of the Upcoming NSE Information Sessions sponsored by NSE

Academic Benefits

Personal Benefits

Professional Benefits
  • take classes not available at your school
  • study with new professors and experts in your field
  • broaden your educational perspective
  • pursue research, field study, and internship opportunities
  • investigate graduate schools
  • experience personal growth and independence
  • live in different geographic and cultural settings
  • gain international and/or intercultural understanding
  • explore the historical and cultural makeup of the U.S. and Canada
  • make connections in a new job market
  • develop practical skills for use in your professional development
  • increase collaboration experience
  • prepare yourself to live and work in a culturally diverse society

NSE Study Away Eligibility
  • Undergraduate matriculation at UMF, full time, in the semester prior to and throughout your exchange.
  • Have completed a minimum of one semester of full-time (min. 12 credits) study in residence at UMF by the application deadline. AP and transfer credits are not considered.
  • Sophomore standing or above at the time of exchange, a minimum of 24 credits earned.
  • Have a 2.5 minimum cumulative UMF GPA. There are a few select participating schools with higher GPA minimums, be sure to review these requirements on www.nse.org.
  • Good disciplinary and academic standing. No Incomplete grades at time of application or during program.
  • Meet foreign language proficiency requirements, if needed.
  • Must not be on probation, parole, or have any pending legal judgments.

Frequently Asked Questions

On Host Plan (A), students pay the in-state or resident tuition/fees of and to their host campus. UMF students are not eligible to participate in the Host Plan (A).

UMF is a Home Payment Plan school. On Home Payment Plan, UMF students pay their normal tuition/fees to their home campus. Room and meals are always paid to the host campus.  When you look at the school profiles on nse.org you will be able to see the placement probability as a Home Payment Plan applicant.

On Home Payment Plan, UMF students pay their normal tuition/fees to their home campus. Room and meal costs are always paid to the host campus. Travel costs are the responsibility of the student. To get specific information about the room and board costs, consult the NSE website and look at the school profile. 

With the exception of Work-Study funds, financial aid recipients can expect to use their regular aid to participate in the NSE program. Students must apply for financial aid at the campus where they pay their tuition, i.e. UMF. Make an appointment to talk with someone in the Merrill Center – Student Accounts as soon as you make your decision to participate in the NSE program. One of the required application documents is an NSE budget estimate (based on your first choice school), which will be signed by the Financial Aid Officer you meet with.

UMF Students must enroll in a minimum equivalent of 12 semester credits and must not exceed the host school maximum allowed through NSE Home Payment plan, as advertised on the host school profile.

Yes! You will work closely with your UMF academic advisor to determine exactly how your host campus courses will be applied to your UMF degree program. For any course taken outside your advisor’s discipline, you will need approval from the Division from which the course originates.  You will complete the NSE Credit Approval process, along with other Pre-Departure processes, during the semester before your exchange.

Of the students being placed each year, over 90% are placed at a conference held every year in the first or second week of March. Each year approximately 97 percent of all students applying will be placed, with 84 percent receiving their first choice. Once the placements have been arranged, your UMF NSE coordinator will contact you to let you know where you have been placed. You will then need to attend the mandatory placement acceptance meeting to confirm your placement and find out about your next steps.

How to Get Started…

Request an Appointment
    • Learn about the various study away options
    • Receive information on programs and locations that interest you
    • Learn how to choose a program that best meets your need
    • Learn about UMF’s study away approval process, step-by-step

    After your first NSE advising session, you will research the schools you are interested in, discuss schools and classes with your advisor and then make a second appointment with the NSE Advisor to go over your school choices.

    Early planning is the key. Begin the process well in advance, working with your UMF academic advisor and the Office of Global Education, to determine the best time for you to study away.

    How to Apply…

    Submit your completed online application, including Google form submissions and supporting document uploads, and pay the NSE application fees by the deadline listed above. Both fees are payable online only.

    • The total cost to apply is $300. There is a $150 non-refundable UMF application fee, PLUS a $150 non-refundable nse.org placement fee, both of which must be paid by the final application deadline before we will submit your application for placement consideration. Pay your UMF NSE Application Fee here. You will be provided with a link to make the NSE Placement Fee payment
      Apply Now   Use this link to submit the online NSE application form.
      Once you have completed the online NSE application form, you will then need to submit the following required additional documents. These documents will need to be prepared in advance, saved in the appropriate file format, and submitted via the form below:

      NSE Application Supplemental Documents Form

      • Unofficial Transcript – download student copy from your Mainestreet Student Services Center. (pdf)
      • Study Away Budget Estimate-Financial Resources Form  – Download Excel file here. Once you have completed the budget estimate information, save the form again and email it to leustis@maine.edu. Your form will be reviewed, updated with any necessary changes, signed by the study abroad advisor and emailed back to you. You will then use that version to discuss with a Financial Aid Officer and complete the financial resources section and obtain a signature from FAO. (Excel)
      • Study Away Form – go to MyCampus, UMF Tools, Forms and Documents. Under “Documents and Media” type Study Away Form in the search bar and download the form. (pdf)
      • Copy of valid passport (information page) or copy of receipt from submitted passport application. For programs in Canada only. (pdf)

      The following are additional submissions/processes required to complete your application.

      • UMF Study/Intern/Teach Away Conduct Review Form – Submit this Google form
      • UMF Study/Intern Abroad/Away Faculty Reference Form – Provide this form link to your faculty of choice for an academic reference: https://forms.gle/Thk3R99beGmTbZ946.

      Pre-Departure Process

      Visit the Study/Intern/Teach Abroad/Away Pre-Departure Page for important information and required processes. Deadlines for submissions are noted on the page.

      Office of Experiential & Global Education
      University of Maine at Farmington
      106 Fusion Space
      117 South Street
      Farmington, Maine 04938
      Phone: 207-778-7122
      exchangeprograms@umf.maine.edu