FAQs for Students
My college offers study-abroad programs in Spain. Why is USpain different?
Spain's sunny climate, sandy beaches, historic traditions, delicious cuisine, cosmopolitan cities and a warm, personable culture make it a top destination for study-abroad participants!
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Many study-abroad providers in Spain, however, offer only a "college-like" experience. For example, you may live in an American dorm. You may take classes in an off-campus "study center" or "language school" with American classmates. Some of your classes might be taught in English. And the program's main contact might be an administrator based in the US.
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USpain offers you an alternative: an authentic, academic-cultural program. All of your courses are taught in Spanish at the University of Valencia. We offer individual advising, coursework, tutoring and mentoring. available to every Spanish university student. And we can help you navigate real life in Spain, whether you want to immerse yourself in the local lifestyle or explore the Mediterranean's ancient history, vibrant ecology or cultural diversity.
And we hunt down every deal, offer, bargain and discount to ensure that you can experience everything Spain has to offer on a real college student's budget!
USpain is not an affiliate program in my school. Can I still enroll?
Of course! We welcome all students who meet the minimum eligibility requirements to enroll, whether or not your school has an affiliation with USpain.
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First, it's helpful to understand what "affiliation" means. An affiliation is a legal and financial agreement between a private company (called a "provider") and a school: the provider administers educational programs abroad and, in turn, the school pre-approves the provider programs' courses and credits. For this reason, most schools encourage students to participate in its affiliate programs.
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Many schools also permit students to study abroad with non-affiliated providers, such as smaller-scale programs like USpain. These programs are often more personalized, since they provide you with individual attention. They are also more affordable, since smaller organizations are less expensive to administer.
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Each school has its own requirements for students interested in a non-affiliated program, and we are happy to discuss with you, your study abroad director, financial aid officer or faculty adviser our commitment to academics, cultural immersion and your own well-being while in Spain.
Will the credits I earn with USpain transfer to my home campus?
All of USpain's courses are taught on the campus of and in collaboration with the University of Valencia, an internationally-renown institution of higher education that maintains consortium agreements and credit-transfer arrangements with hundreds of colleges and universities in the United States, Europe and elsewhere.
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As an independent study-abroad program, USpain is not directly affiliated or sponsored by a United States college or university. This means that you ought to ensure that the credits you will earn through USpain will count towards your home campus' degree requirements. You can do this by asking your home campus study-abroad office for their policies regarding non-affiliated study-abroad programs and their requirements for transfer credits.
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We are happy to consult with your home campus' study abroad officers, academic advisers and/or Spanish faculty to demonstrate the rigor, depth and breadth of our courses; to indicate which USpain courses are equivalent to those taught on your home campus; and to determine the number of credits which will be approved for transfer upon your return to campus.
Can I use my financial aid package to pay for USpain fees and living expenses?
USpain accepts deferred payment for students who rely on financial aid to pay for their college education. However, you must ensure that your financial aid package permits disbursement to USpain. Check with your loan and/or financial aid officer to ensure that you can apply your disbursement towards your USpain fees.
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If your financial aid package may be used to pay for your USpain fees, you can request a deferment on your USpain payment until your disbursement. In this case, we will request a letter from your financial aid officer to guarantee disbursement and provide a payment date.
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If your financial aid package is not permitted to pay your USpain fees, you are still eligible to enroll; however, you are responsible for all fees in full at the time of enrollment. In this case, we request a notarized letter from an authorized co-signer to guarantee payment of USpain fees.
Am I eligible to enroll in USpain?
If you are a currently-enrolled undergraduate-degree student whose university or college has an affiliation with USpain and you meet your home-campus criteria for studying abroad, you are automatically eligible to enroll in USpain! If your school is not affiliated with USpain, you are also welcome to enroll provided that:
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You have an overall GPA of 2.5 or higher;
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You are taking Spanish classes for credit on your home campus;
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You are enrolled in an Honors college or program;
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You have earned 4 semesters of college or advanced placement credits in Spanish;
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You have taken a college language placement test that qualifies you to enroll in a 5th-semester Spanish college course;
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You have intermediate/advanced linguistic competency in Spanish through personal life experiences (i.e, Spanish is spoken at home, among family members, in the community, at school, etc.). In this case, student fluency will be evaluated by USpain's academic director.
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How do I enroll in USpain?
Our on-line form at the Apply! will walk you step by step through the enrollment process. It's helpful to have the following documentation available when filling out the on-line form:
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Your official college transcript(s) from all the post-secondary institutions you've attended.
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A list of the college-level Spanish courses you've taken, including those taken in high school for college or advanced-placement (AP) credit.
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A letter of recommendation from your college's academic adviser or a current or former college teacher of Spanish.
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A letter of approval from your college's study abroad office if you are currently enrolled in college and wish to transfer your USpain credits towards your home campus' degree requirements.
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A letter of approval from your college's financial aid officer if you plan on applying your financial aid disbursement towards your USpain fee, housing and/or living expenses.
Do I need a passport or visa to enroll in USpain?
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All US citizens need an unexpired passport book to travel to Spain. For information on how to obtain or renew your passport book, visit the US Department of State's Bureau of Consular Affairs Passport Information page. Note that a new US passport book costs about $145.00; a renewal costs about $110.00.
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US citizens who visit Spain for less than 90 calendar days do not need a visa to enter the country. Therefore, if you enroll in a USpain summer term and plan to return to the US within 90 days, you do not need a visa.
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If you will stay in Spain for longer than 90 days, either as a Fall, Spring or Year USpain student, or if you plan to travel in and around Europe following your term, you need a visa. For information on how to obtain a visa, visit the Spanish Embassy: Going to Spain page.
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You do not need a specialist to obtain a passport and/or a visa; you can follow the steps at your convenience and your costs will remain the same. However, the process for both US passports and Spanish visas have multiple steps and requirements. USpain is glad to offer our assistance in to help you process your passport and student visa at your request, completely free of charge.
What if I still have questions?
If you still have questions, we're happy to answer them! Just send an e-mail to info@uspain.online or send us a message using the form below: