WHO IS ELIGIBLE TO PARTICIPATE IN NSE?
To participate in NSE, UMF students must meet the following criteria:
- 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
- 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 academic and disciplinary standing.
- Enrolled/Matriculated at UMF, full time, in the semester prior to exchange.
- Meet foreign language proficiency requirements, if needed.
- Must not be on probation, parole, or have any pending legal judgments
WHAT SCHOOLS CAN I ATTEND AS AN NSE STUDENT?
Almost 200 colleges and universities in the United States, its Territories, and Canada participate in the NSE program. For a list and more information about individual schools visit the NSE website.
WHEN IS THE DEADLINE FOR APPLYING TO NSE?
The deadline to apply for a fall or spring placement for the next academic year is February of this academic year. February 22, 2021, is the deadline for 2021-2022 priority placements. Because most placements are made at the annual conference in early March, limited preferred options may be available after the deadline. If you miss this deadline and are still interested in applying, contact the UMF NSE coordinator to discuss available options.
DOES IT COST ANYTHING TO APPLY?
Yes, 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.
WHAT DOES PRIORITY PLACEMENT MEAN?
Some schools can only take a limited number of students so they fill up fast for the following academic year. In order to have the best possible chance to get into your first-choice school, you should submit your full application by the Priority Placement deadline.
HOW DO I APPLY?
- Attend a group advising session (watch for announcements) or request an individual advising session with the NSE Advisor, to go over important program and application details. All advising appointments will be via Zoom video at this time.
- 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.
- 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.
WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN HOST PLAN (A) AND HOME PLAN (B), AND WHY CAN’T I PARTICIPATE IN THE HOST PLAN (A)?
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).
On Plan B, students pay their normal tuition/fees to their home campus. Room and meals are always paid to the host campus. UMF is a Home Plan (B) school, which means you can only attend schools that are also Plan B or Plan A/B. When you look at the school profiles on nse.org you will be able to see the placement probability as a Plan B applicant.
HOW MUCH IS THIS GOING TO COST?
On Home Plan (B), 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 or visit the host school’s website.
CAN I USE MY FINANCIAL AID?
With the exception of Work-Study funds, financial aid recipients can expect to use their regular aid to study at a participating campus. 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.
WILL THE COURSES I TAKE AT MY HOST CAMPUS BE APPLIED TO MY UMF DEGREE PROGRAM?
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.
WHEN DO I FIND OUT IF I’M ACCEPTED?
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.
CAN A FRIEND AND I APPLY TOGETHER TO PARTICIPATE IN NSE?
While this type of arrangement cannot be guaranteed, you can make this request. In the past, students have had some successes with this endeavor. There is a place on the NSE application to indicate that you are requesting a linked placement. You should only choose this option if your placement at a specific school is contingent upon your friend receiving the same placement.
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