Gina is beginning her second year of college at a state university just twenty minutes down the road from her small hometown in Vermont. She chose the nearby school because of the in-state tuition and the fact that she received an impressive academic scholarship. However, Gina has always wanted to pursue her interest in travel and though she dreamed of spending a semester in Rome, Italy, she knows that foreign travel is an expensive endeavor, plus she has never taken an Italian class and does not speak the language. Although Gina is doing well in her classes, she is looking for a way to experience a new campus culture without breaking her budget on a plane ride across the Atlantic Ocean.

Statistics show:

In 2007/08, about 262,000 American students studied abroad in foreign countries. This is an 8.5% increase in participants from the previous year. Ten years ago, approximately 114,000 took part in such programs abroad. That represents a nearly 130% increase in study abroad participation over the last decade. (Vistawide, 2011, ¶ 1)

However, there are several barriers that prohibit students like Gina from pursuing their study-abroad dreams. The University of Maryland suggests that cost, along with lack of foreign language skills and issues with transfer credit, are some perceived barriers to studying abroad (UM, 2012). Furthermore, the fear of studying in a foreign country and adapting to a different culture is another roadblock that keeps students from pursuing international travel (IIE Passport, 2011).

While there are ways for students to overcome these hurdles, an option that allows students to stay closer to home yet still experience many of the benefits of study abroad is the National Student Exchange (NSE). The NSE allows students at participating institutions to study at almost 200 locations, including the United States, Canada, Guam, Puerto Rico, and U.S. Virgin Islands (NSE, 2012). NSE offers students opportunities to take courses not offered at their home institutions, cost-effective alternatives to studying and living in a foreign country, a chance to investigate graduate or professional schools and removes the language barrier that exists in most foreign countries, plus endless opportunities for social and personal development (NSE, 2012). These benefits are comparable to those of study-abroad experiences and include improving students’ global awareness, positively impacting their career paths, strengthening students’ communication skills, and further developing their self images (Haynes, 2011, pp. 17–18). Given the academic and social benefits available to NSE participants, the purpose of this article is to inform academic advisers about the NSE, share the benefits to NSE student participants that accrue, and provide specific tips about how best to advise qualified students about the NSE.

An Overview of the National Student Exchange

Eligibility requirements, tuition and fees, room and meals, and special programs are four essential elements of the NSE. First, eligibility for the NSE is the same at all member institutions since the NSE consortium, founded in 1968, determines the criteria (NSE, 2007f). Requirements include enrollment as a full-time undergraduate student, a cumulative GPA of at least 2.5 the semester before the exchange, as well as good academic, personal, and financial standing at the university (NSE, 2012). In addition, institutions that participate in the NSE may have additional requirements. For example, the University of South Carolina (USC) requires interested students to complete at least thirty credit hours at the university before participating in the NSE. Also, a student must receive special permission if he or she wants to participate in the exchange within the last thirty credit hours of degree completion (USC, n.d.).

Aside from eligibility, student tuition and fees are another vital part of an NSE experience. An interested student has two different payment options: Plan A and Plan B. Institutions may utilize either Plan A or Plan B or allow the student to choose between the two. The chosen payment plan determines to which school the student pays tuition. NSE (2012) outlines the two different plans as follows:

• Plan A requires the student to directly pay the host campus. Under Plan A, the student is charged resident (in-state/provincial) tuition and fees while studying at the host institution.
• Plan B allows the student to pay the normal tuition and fees to the home institution. For example, USC adheres to Plan B set forth by the NSE and also permits students to keep their financial aid while studying at a host institution (USC, n.d.).

Room and meals are a third component of a student’s NSE voyage. As prescribed by the NSE, if a student chooses to live on campus at the host institution, then the student pays the costs for room and meals directly to the host campus (NSE, 2012). In order to gain a better sense of the costs for room and meals, the student should contact those campuses of interest. It is also important to note that some host institutions may require the NSE participant to live on campus, while other universities may give the visiting student the option to live on or off campus (NSE, 2012). If a student opts to live off campus while at the host institution, then he or she will incur individual living and food expenses as well. For example, at Illinois State University (ISU) in Normal, Illinois, students choosing to study there are encouraged to live on campus. Furthermore, all participating first- and second-year students studying at ISU through the NSE program are required to live on campus (ISU, 2012). ISU’s website, which describes NSE as “one of the best-kept secrets” (ISU, 2012, ¶ 1), shares a wealth of information regarding the costs of room and meals at the university.

Finally, the NSE provides special program options. These include internships, student teaching opportunities, and resident assistant exchanges. These options require advanced planning, special arrangements, and additional application materials (NSE, 2012). Special program options at USC include Honors Exchange, Resident Assistant/Resident Mentor Exchange, and Canadian Exchange. USC encourages the student to consult the NSE coordinator for further information (USC, n.d.).

Benefits of an NSE Experience

While institutions’ study-abroad programs tend to have flashy websites and recruitment materials, this excitement tends to overshadow the many benefits students accrue when participating in an NSE adventure. By understanding the benefits of NSE, advisers can pass this knowledge along to those students who may be suitable NSE candidates. First, the NSE may provide a student with access to classes that are not offered at the student’s home institution. For example, a student who is majoring in biology but really wants to take some courses in marine biology that are not offered at the student’s home institution may be able to take marine biology classes at an NSE institution. Since all of the NSE institutions are accredited, the student will not experience some of the challenges that study-abroad participants face when trying to get courses to transfer for credit at the home institution (NSE, 2012).

Also, NSE participation is a cost-effective way for a student to study at a different institution without taking on the financial burden of living in a foreign country. The two payment-plan options for tuition and fees allow a student to continue to pay approximately the same tuition that has been budgeted for in the past. While room and meals are another expense, this is a payment that a student would incur anyway.  Furthermore, a student is able to experience a new part of the country at no additional cost, whereas if the student had chosen the host school as the home institution, then the student may have been charged out-of-state tuition.

By taking advantage of NSE, a student also has the opportunity to investigate graduate or professional schools. There may be an opportunity for the student to do some undergraduate research or take a class from a particular faculty member while at the host institution. This research and class work may confirm the student’s decision to attend graduate school and could also provide the student with networking opportunities. Moreover, if the student is interested in a specific geographical location post-graduation, then he or she could explore this area through NSE participation.

By opting for NSE instead of study abroad, a student is immersed in a new culture without the pressures of learning a new language. Also, a student can be an active participant at the host institution without enrolling in an introductory language course, which is typically required abroad. For example, the American Institute for Foreign Study (AIFS) in Rome, Italy, requires participants to take a “mandatory Italian language study at Eurocentres language school during the 2-week orientation. … In addition, all students are required to take an Italian language course during the semester” (AIFS, n.d., ¶ 2).

Finally, NSE participation promotes social and personal development by encouraging students to break outside of their comfort zones. NSE provides opportunities to travel “ … outside one’s comfort zone [which] can plant the seeds for a collaborative, positive exchange of ideas, information, and perspectives” (Sorensen, 2010, p. 26). Studying at a host institution strengthens the student’s intellectual and social development, while exposing the individual to a new living and learning community, and likely, a new part of the country. Not only does the student have the opportunity to take classes with different professors and adapt to an unfamiliar environment, but NSE also helps the student polish his or her sense of independence.

How Advisers Can Approach Students about the National Student Exchange

This section will highlight specific steps that advisers can take to educate and encourage their students to participate in NSE.

Make Sure the Institution Is an NSE Participant

If advisers are not yet aware, they should find out if their institution participates in NSE. There is a list of all participating institutions at http://www.nse.org, which provides a wealth of information regarding the exchange program.

The To-Do List for Advisers at Participating Institutions

The following is a list of ways that advisers can promote NSE at their institutions and effectively suggest this option to qualified students:

• If a student indicates an interest in studying abroad, advisers should bring up NSE participation as an alternate option. More specifically, if a student is interested in studying abroad but mentions financial barriers, the adviser can suggest NSE and highlight the financial guidelines that the institution follows.
• Advisers should meet with the NSE coordinator to learn more about the NSE program on campus. Also, advisers could ask the NSE coordinator to speak to the campus adviser group.
• On the advising center’s website include a link to the institution’s NSE website.
• Have NSE program handouts and brochures available to distribute to prospective students during advising appointments. Ensure that this information includes a current list of participating institutions.
• Feature a student from the adviser’s unit who participated in NSE. This could appear on the unit’s website and in publications to raise awareness of the program.
• Keep a record of students who participate in NSE. These students can serve as resources for others who express interest in NSE in the future.
• Encourage students who participate in NSE to share their experiences through a welcome home event. This can be an opportunity for students to further process their NSE experiences and hear from other participants.
• Use email, newsletters, and websites to notify prospective NSE students of upcoming NSE deadlines.
• Plant the seed early about NSE by discussing this opportunity during orientation.
• If NSE is not the best fit for a student, inform him or her of educational opportunities that are comparable to NSE such as study abroad, internships, student-run clubs, and intentional selection of elective courses.
• Advisers should familiarize themselves with the different calendar systems at participating institutions (e.g. quarter, semester, full-year systems). If a student expresses interest in NSE, then the adviser should help the student understand the effects, if any, that enrollment at another institution will have on his or her status at the home institution (NSE, 2012). For example, if a student’s home institution is the University of South Carolina and the student studies at another school for only a single quarter, then he or she will likely fall behind in credit hours at USC, since the university will no longer consider the NSE participant a full-time student (USC, n.d.).

If the Institution Is Not an NSE Member

If an adviser’s institution is not an NSE participant but the adviser feels the program would benefit the student population, then the adviser should bring the program to the attention of the appropriate campus administrators. Typically, these administrators would be from offices overseeing study abroad programs, honors programs, student success centers, enrollment management, academic advising, student services, and student government (NSE, 2012). Further information regarding guidelines for membership can be found on the NSE website.

Conclusion

Students’ increasing interest in study abroad programs provides advisers with the opportunity to suggest the NSE to qualified candidates. NSE offers an experience comparable to that of study abroad, removes some of the barriers associated with study abroad programs, and offers similar benefits to NSE students. With the help of academic advisers, more students may be able to take advantage of NSE opportunities at participating institutions. By gaining a solid understanding of the way NSE functions as a whole and at particular institutions, advisers can provide their students with the tools they need to embark upon an academically invigorating and cultural adventure.