Study in the US

Let both your programme leader and the Study Abroad Team know that you are considering studying at SCSU as soon as you can. The Study Abroad Team will put you in contact with the International Office at SCSU who will put you in touch with the relevant academic at SCSU. Your choice of modules needs to be approved by LJMU well in advance of the proposed start date. You will complete the SCSU application form and SCSU will guide you through the visa process.

No, you are still liable for tuition fees to LJMU and remain eligible to apply for a Tuition Fee Loan under the normal rules.

Yes, you will require additional insurance to that provided by LJMU to study at Southern Connecticut State University. This is because there is no National Health Service in the United States. Please ensure you read this section carefully.

The LJMU UMAL policy provides cover for everything listed on the travel cover summary. This includes emergency medical expenses.

The LJMU UMAL policy does not provide health insurance cover. So, for example, if you fall and break your hand, the LJMU UMAL covers the emergency care needed, if you then require ongoing physiotherapy whilst in the US this is classed as health insurance not medical – hence you need comprehensive health insurance in addition to the LJMU cover already in place.

Southern can provide you with a health insurance cover plan from their health insurance partner AETNA. This plan meets both the US Federal requirements for obtaining a J-1 Exchange Visa and Southern’s student health plan requirement.

The AETNA plan includes:

• Inpatient hospitalisation (includes, but not limited to, operating room, laboratory tests, X-rays, drugs, medicines, dressings…)
  • Room and board expense
  • Surgical expense
  • Anesthesia
• Outpatient medical care
  • Emergency room expense/walk-in clinic expense
  • Ambulance expense
  • CT scans, MRIs, PET scans, laser treatment, nuclear cardiac imaging tests
• Therapy expense
  • Physical, speech, and occupational therapy expenses
  • Chemotherapy
  • Chiropractic visits
  • Prosthetic devices
  • Dental injury
• Preventative care
  • Immunisations
• Additional Benefits
  • Home health care expense (if required)
  • Licensed nurse expense
  • Skilled nursing facility expense
  • Rehabilitation facility expense
• Medical evacuation
• Repatriation of remains

The current cost of the plan is $943.00 and this is subject to increase for September 2016. You will also need to purchase accident insurance currently at a cost of $211.00.

If you wish to purchase the AETNA plan contact the Office of International Education at Southern and they will guide you through the process.

There are other options.

You can directly purchase the named plan from one of the following companies. These companies are each based in the US and you will need to contact them direct to obtain a final cost.

Southern have viewed each of the named policies and approved them for academic year 2016-17.

The plans will need to be reassessed in readiness for 2017-18.

Company: ISO Student Health Insurance
Website: www.iso.org
Address: 150 West 30th Street, Suite 1101, New York, NY 10001
Telephone: 800-244-1180
Approved plan: Compass Gold
Plan costs at June 2016: 12-24 years - $41 per month | 25-29 years - $59 per month | 30-65 years - $115 per month

Company: ISP International Student Protection
Website: coverage2u.com
Email: info@intlstudentprotection.com
Address: J. Deutsch Associates, Inc., 111 John Street, Suite 750, New York, NY 10038
Telephone: 877-738-5787
Approved plan: Trailblazer Elite
Plan costs at June 2016: 24 or under - $79 per month | 25-29 years - $89 per month | 30-40 years - $165 per month | 41-65 years - $350 per month

Company: Compass Benefit Group
Website: www.studenthealthusa.com
Email: info@compassbenefits.com
Address: 26 Quincy Avenue, Suite 100, Braintree, MA 02184
Telephone: 800-767-0169
Approved plan: Compass Benchmark and Compass Benchmark Plus
Plan costs at June 2016: Compass Benchmark - $83 per month | Compass Benchmark Plus - $95 per month

Please do not contact Southern in reference to the companies above – the transaction will be between you and the company that you select.

Please note
You must have on your person a paper copy of the LJMU travel cover summary. You will need to ask a member of staff to print this for you.

• Visa: J-1 Visa (approximately $160)
• Health insurance: all J-1 students are required to have comprehensive health insurance in order to be issued a DS-2019, with which you apply for your visa prior to arrival. See the minimum requirements.
  
  Please note
  The policy must be comparable to the SCSU AETNA.
  
• Accommodation: this varies. SCSU encourages semester-long exchange students to live on campus as it’s convenient. SCSU will suggest accommodation in their International Living and Learning Community in North Campus Midrise Complex. It is a complex for juniors and seniors (upper-level students), and is one of the more highly sought-after locations on campus for students.
  Find out more about SCSU accommodation:
  • North Campus Midrise
  • Living Learning Communities
  • Pricing (fees listed are per semester)
    If you wish to live in another dormitory due to cost, SCSU will try to accommodate.
    If you wish to live off campus, SCSU recommend visiting the Affiliated Housing Options website

Tuition fees

Southern Connecticut State University will not charge you any tuition fees for your study abroad period. However, you are still liable for tuition fees to LJMU and remain eligible to apply for a Tuition Fee Loan under the normal rules. The amount of tuition fees you are charged by LJMU depends on how long you are going abroad for. See table for more details.

Full year abroad (this means you must spend less than 10 weeks at LJMU): No tuition fees payable to LJMU

One semester abroad and one at LJMU: Full £9,000 tuition fee payable to LJMU

The summer vacation period only abroad: Full £9,000 tuition fee payable to LJMU for the next academic year

Living costs

If you are normally eligible for a student loan and/or grant for your living costs, this does not change during a study period abroad. The amount you will be eligible for depends on your circumstances and is still means tested on your household income.

If you know you will be going abroad when you apply for your student finance you should indicate this on your application for the next academic year. You will then be assessed for the correct ‘overseas’ loan rate for your time abroad.

If you are going abroad in semester one you are entitled to receive earlier payment, ie 25 days before you leave the country.

The University confirms the dates you are going abroad to the Student Loans Company in June of each year so early planning is essential.   

The Student Loans Company will send you a form to claim back travel expenses. This is subject to a means test on your household income and also a £303 disregard which means you must pay the first £303 of any claim yourself.

The costs of mandatory visas, essential insurance (travel and health if required by the destination country) medical tests and medical visas will be reimbursed in full.

Those going abroad for a short period such as the summer vacation only are not likely to be eligible for help with travel costs.

Please see the SCSU academic calendar.

No, LJMU and SCSU use different terminology. See below for examples of SCSU terms and their LJMU meanings.

Faculty: Academic staff member

School: Faculty

Department: Programme Team (includes financial, line management and curriculum power)

Major: Degree programme, chosen in 2nd or 3rd year

Minor: Secondary programme concentration

Course: Module

Freshman: First year of four at university = UK A level content. There is a requirement to study across a range of subjects

Sophomore: 2nd year university – some students have chosen majors but will also be studying wider subjects

Junior: 3rd year university – most provision (but not all) in chosen major field

Senior: 4th and final year

Capstone: Honours project or portfolio in final year

Upperclassman: 3rd or 4th year student (major declared)

Underclassman: 1st or 2nd year student (major often undeclared)

Meal Plan: Pre-paid dining hall contract for those in on-campus housing – meals per week basis

No, programmes are not structured as they are in the UK. You will also find that classes comprise of students from different years of study. The level of the module is indicated through its numerical number, for example 101 or 201. Students will often be studying modules from different levels at the same time.

Yes, you can work up to 20 hours but only on the SCSU campus. To work you must apply for a social security card and have a job offer in writing.

• Students and staff at SCSU refer to the university as 'Southern'
• The legal drinking age in Connecticut is 21
• SCSU has its own police force
• The marking system is quite different to the UK