Prospective Students

CGE manages a portfolio of over 140 approved programs in more than 45 countries across the globe. CMC does not have any of our own programs abroad, but instead we work with reputable organizations and institutions that offer a range of programming for our students. Programs are thoroughly reviewed and carefully selected based on factors such as academic offerings, quality of academic and co-curricular programming, rigorous health and safety protocols, and student support.

Petitions to participate in programs not in our approved portfolio must be made to CGE. Proposed non-approved programs must meet strict criteria in order to be considered.

How to Choose

With so many approved programs in our portfolio, students often wonder how to get started in selecting a program. Individual advising is a mandatory part of our application process, and this crucial one-on-one communication with our staff is the best way to begin to narrow down the options.

Things to consider:

• Academics offered
• Language of instruction and local language
• Location
• Program dates 
• Housing types offered

The advanced search function in our CGE portal allows students to filter for many of these options.

CMC eligibility standards

• Semesters: Students are eligible to study abroad second semester of Sophomore year, first or second semester of Junior year, or any combination of the three semesters provided they stay on track toward the completion of graduation requirements. 
• GPA: Students must have a cumulative CMC GPA of 3.0 in order to study abroad.
• Exceptions: 
  • Seniors: Students who wish to study abroad during either semester of Senior year must petition the CMC Academic Standards Committee.

Study Abroad Program Provider eligibility standards

For the majority of CGE’s approved programs, students who meet the CMC eligibility standards will also meet the program provider’s standards. For a few programs (e.g. University of Oxford, London School of Economics, etc.), students may need to meet higher GPA, class standing, or prerequisite conditions in order to be accepted into the program.

Requirements while abroad

CMC students must adhere to two requirements while studying abroad.

1. For students studying in non-English-speaking countries, one of their courses must be a semester-length language course in the host country language. This course must be valued at 3 US semester credits minimum. This requirement applies in all destinations except the UK, Australia, New Zealand and Ireland.
2. Students must live in Program Provider Housing while on study abroad for various reasons, including but not limited to: the proven level of safety, covered utilities including WIFI, heat, and air conditioning, student integration with host country nationals and international students, greater language immersion and support, access to local culture and people, and the opportunity to better understand what it means to be from your study abroad location.
   • Petitions to live independently must be made directly to CGE and are only approved under rare circumstances.

Course credit

As part of the application process through CGE, students will seek pre-approval from the CMC Registrar for all courses they plan to take abroad to ensure that they receive credit toward graduation.

• Major or Sequence Credit: Students will first seek approval from the relevant department chair and then submit course information and chair approval to the CMC Registrar’s Office.
• Elective Credit: Students will submit course information to the CMC Registrar for approval for elective credit towards the 32 total credits required to graduate.
• General Education Requirements: General Education requirements cannot be fulfilled while participating in a study abroad program.

Grades and Modes of Instruction

• Students must earn a minimum C grade in courses abroad in order to receive CMC credit.
• Courses must be taught in-person. Credit for remote learning courses while abroad will not be granted.

Home School Tuition Model

Students are charged for a semester abroad through CMC Student Accounts just as when they are enrolled on campus. Existing payment plan options remain available for the semester abroad. The CMC charges and Financial Aid award amounts remain nearly the same whether students choose to study on campus or abroad, ensuring that all students have equal access to study abroad no matter the location, cost of living, or exchange rate. 

The CMC Student Account charges for a semester abroad will include CMC Tuition and the CMC Study Abroad Fee.

CMC 2026-2027 Study Abroad Semester Charges

• Tuition: Students register for, and CMC pays the program provider for, a full semester course load, equivalent to four (4) CMC credits, for each semester abroad. All pre-approved study abroad courses are taken for credit and count towards graduation requirements, be they major/sequence credits or electives.
• CMC Study Abroad Fee: Equal to the combined cost of room and board on CMC’s campus, this fee covers study abroad expenses including:
  • abroad housing and meals,
  • a round-trip airline ticket (see Booking Flights section for more information)
  • a local, public transportation allowance for commuting to and from class,
  • international emergency health insurance, including evacuation insurance see While Abroad – Insurance section for more information
  • 24/7 access to free, on-demand mental telehealth services through TimelyCare and 24/7 academic and personal support from administrators both abroad and in Claremont.
  • The Study Abroad Fee is also used to support the cost of providing study abroad at CMC, including individual academic and program advising, program management, pre-departure orientation, and pre-arrival counseling. It also supports the overall infrastructure of the college including information technology, public relations, financial services, on-line library resources, The Writing Center, the Registrar, and the Dean of Students – all resources that are available for study abroad students before, during, and after their time abroad. These services are sometimes received in a different format, i.e. email, phone, Zoom, text, etc., but they remain available to the students while abroad. Students are often surprised at the extensive CMC services they receive while abroad compared to students from other institutions.
• All financial aid credits to a student’s CMC student account will apply for a semester abroad just as when on campus.
• To recap: students pay CMC and CMC then pays the study abroad program provider invoice.
  • Should any housing, meals or public transportation costs not be included in the program provider invoice, CMC will issue the student a stipend to cover these expenses based upon the amount(s) recommended by the abroad on-site program staff.

Abroad Costs Not Covered by CMC

• Students should expect to personally pay for the following expenses for a semester abroad:
  • Passport*
  • Student Visa or Residence Permit application fees, including possible background check, fingerprints or biometrics as applicable*
    ^{*Students eligible for need-based aid may qualify for reimbursement of these fees}
  • Books/Reading Packets
  • Medical exams or special immunizations required by certain programs (e.g. Yellow Fever, Malaria, etc.)
  • Refundable security/damage/housing deposits
  • Extracurricular activities and memberships (e.g. gym memberships, clubs, etc.)
  • Personal travel and entertainment
  • Personal expenses (e.g. clothing, laundry, toiletries, medicines, cell phone charges, etc.)
  • Flight and luggage upgrades (see Booking Flights section for more information)

Financial Commitment and Withdrawal

• Upon digitally signing the CGE Study Abroad Commitment and Contract, the student authorizes CGE to pay all expenses to the program provider including, but not limited to, the non-refundable commitment deposit, the program fee, tuition, lab or other academic fees, room and board, as applicable.
• Students who decide to withdraw from the study abroad program after confirming participation with CGE and with the program provider, or whose approval to study abroad is revoked per CMC-CGE policies, are liable for all unrecoverable expenses incurred by CMC on the student’s behalf. Additionally, CMC will require repayment of any funds issued directly to the student, including but not limited to any stipends for airfare, housing, meals, public transportation, and CGE Expense Awards.

CGE Need-Based Expense Awards

Students eligible for need-based financial aid and in good academic and conduct standing are invited to apply for our CGE Expense Awards, funded by the generous annual donations of our CMC study abroad benefactors. These awards are issued directly to the student by our office.

• Richard, Mary and Brian Butler Award
  • Funding: $500-$2,500 for one semester
  • Eligibility: students with little to no previous international experience, including living or traveling abroad
• Wagener Family Award
  • Funding: $2,500 for one semester
  • Eligibility: students studying abroad during a spring semester in a non-English speaking country, priority to Sophomores
• Visa and Residence Permit Award
  • Need-based aid eligible students are encouraged to complete this award application for the reimbursement of student visa or legal residence permit fees including, but not limited to:
    • Application and processing fee(s)
    • Background check
    • Fingerprinting
    • Biometrics

Additional Scholarships

Program providers often offer scholarships. Some are need-based, and some are merit-based. Information about these may be found on the program provider’s website. National awards may be available with pre-planning, including the Gilman and the Boren Awards. Students are encouraged to contact the Director of Fellowships and National Awards, Brian Davidson, for information on each of these prestigious scholarships and awards.

Students are strongly encouraged to confer with the CMC Office of Financial Aid to discuss how non-CMC scholarships may impact CMC financial aid.

1. Attend a CGE Info Session (see below for upcoming sessions)
2. Schedule a one-on-one advising appointment by calling or emailing CGE
3. Research and choose a program Approved Programs
4. Meet again with CGE staff to review the details of your selected program and open the CGE application
5. Complete the CGE application in our portal
6. Complete the program provider application on their website

Upcoming Info Sessions

• Due to numerous factors, including the sometimes lengthy student visa application process, students must apply to study abroad a year in advance.
  • For a fall semester abroad, students must submit a completed application to CGE by December 1^st of the previous fall.
  • For a spring semester abroad, students must submit a completed application to CGE by May 1^st of the previous spring.
• We encourage students to start the process by attending one of our CGE Info Sessions in the second semester of their first year. See How to Apply section for upcoming sessions.