at The University of Georgia
"Widen Your Educational Horizons"

What is NSE?

National Student Exchange is a consortium of US colleges and universities that exchanges students with minimum difficulty and minimum expense. National Student Exchange provides public college and university students with an opportunity to become better acquainted with different social and educational patterns in other areas of the United States. Read a Georgia Magazine article about the NSE experience!

What is the Cost?

UGA students pay the same tuition and fee bill as if they were in residence. Room and board are paid at the host school or in the area where the student will be studying. Almost all exchange schools have residence halls, but some students prefer to live off-campus and then would be responsible for their own arrangements. Students also need to investigate the cost of travel to their exchange locations. There is an application fee. In almost all cases financial aid received at UGA is applicable for the exchange.

Who is Eligible

Any UGA undergraduate who is enrolled full time at the time of application and who has a GPA of 2.5 or better. An application form requires the signatures of the student's academic adviser and a family member and a brief essay.

How to Apply

The NSE office in the Department of Campus Life has application forms, how-to information sheets, and NSE brochures with descriptions of all the institutions in the NSE Consortium.

How to Choose

Check the list of participating NSE institutions with the University of Georgia. The NSE office contains the catalogs from all the NSE schools, as well as supplementary brochures and pamphlets and a display board of postcards from UGA students on exchange. Click here to see some of those postcards. The most important part of the decision process is the use of the catalogs determining what courses should be taken on exchange.

Courses and Grades

The courses to be taken on exchange should be decided by the student, in consultation with the academic adviser. Then a transfer admissions evaluator will determine how these courses will be posted on the UGA transcript. Grades from the host school are counted as transfer credit and are calculated in the overall accumulative GPA. Completion of a NSE Advising Form is a vital part of the exchange process.

Deadline for Application

The deadline for the next academic year is the end of February, but many schools have limited spaces, so that the earlier a student applies, the greater the chance for first choice. There are also some vacancies for mid-year placements. Students are encouraged to check with the NSE Coordinator as soon as choices for exchange are made.

Contact the Staff of the National Student Exchange!

National Student Exchange Program
Department of Campus Life
325 Tate Student Center
The University of Georgia
Athens, GA 30602-3401
(706) 583-5527