Enrolling in a Non-Centre Program

Through our own regular semester programs in England, France, Mexico, Japan, Turkey, and Northern Ireland, and through CentreTerm programs every January in several additional countries around the world, we provide students a large and rich option of choices in international study.  About 96 percent of Centre students who study abroad do so using programs that we run ourselves.

A few students each year choose to study abroad for a semester in a non-Centre program.  The International Programs Office keeps on file information on hundreds of non-Centre programs, arranged by country, for students to consult at their leisure.  To participate in a semester program abroad sponsored by another institution or organization, Centre students take a temporary leave of absence from Centre.  They fill out a form from the Registrar’s Office and list the courses they intend to take abroad.  In consultation with the faculty, the Registrar then lets those students know ahead of time how their non-Centre abroad courses will translate into Centre courses when they transfer in.  Grades from non-Centre courses are recorded on the student transcript and used to figure graduating honors but are not counted in the student’s Centre College cumulative grade-point average. 

Some Centre students with limited or no financial aid may be able to participate in a non-Centre, semester program abroad for about the same cost they would pay at Centre.  Mr. Reigelman or Mrs. Nesmith in the Office of International Programs can advise students about this.  

Because of the law, our Student Financial Planning office may not process any financial aid or loans for students on leaves of absence from Centre.  That is, students who take a leave of absence to enroll in a non-Centre program abroad will not be eligible to receive Centre, State, or Federal financial aid of any kind through our Student Financial Planning office.  This includes State KEES money and the various federal loan programs.  In the past few years Centre student have occasionally been misled by questionable recruiting tactics of outside organizations that have implied that Centre would sign some sort of “consortial” agreement with them, and that our Student Financial Planning office would then be allowed to process some of the students’ non-Centre financial aid.  This is not the case; we will not sign consortial agreements with outside institutions or organizations, and our Student Financial Planning office will, unfortunately, not be able to process outside grants or loans, including the KEES grants.

In the summer, Centre sponsors an Early Summer Strasbourg program, running from the day after Commencement through early June.  (In 2008, the dates are from May 19 through June 9.)  Students may also choose from many attractive, low-cost summer options sponsored by the Kentucky Institute for International Study (K.I.I.S.)

Because Centre is a member of K.I.I.S., our students get preferential treatment when applying and do not have to pay the surcharge for students from non-member institutions.  Students who choose one of the K.I.I.S. semester programs, as with other non-Centre programs, take a leave of absence from Centre, getting prior approval of their courses from the Registrar.