Office of International and Domestic Programs Policies and Procedures

Office of International and Domestic Programs Policies and Procedures

The International and Domestic Programs Office (IDPO) administers all semester-long and yearlong study away programs for Pomona College students. Interested students can learn more about opportunities to study abroad by visiting the website, reading program feedback forms available at the IDPO and online, scheduling an advising appointment, and talking with program faculty liaisons, peer mentors, and study away returnees. International and Domestic Programs advisors are available to answer questions, provide insight, and assist in all stages of the application process.

In order to receive Pomona College credit for a semester or year of study away, students must participate through the International and Domestic Programs Office. Academic credit will not be granted for study abroad or domestic programs while on leave. Applications are made available after meeting with an IDPO advisor and are reviewed by the International and Domestic Programs Committee. Deadlines vary but are generally near the beginning of the semester preceding the semester to be spent off-campus.

The IDPO maintains a program brochure that lists eligibility requirements and other program information. Students participating in an international or domestic program are required to enroll in a full-time course load as defined by the program and Pomona College. Total course load typically ranges from 3 to 4.5 Pomona credits and may allow for up to 6 Pomona credits, depending on the requirements and policies of the program. Students currently on academic or disciplinary probation may not apply to or participate in international or domestic programs. Students are expected to be enrolled full-time on campus in the semester prior to participation and must complete the semester with grades in each of their courses. Students who have been on leave status or who have withdrawn from the College must successfully complete one academic semester (fall or spring) of full-time coursework on campus before participating in an international or domestic program. 

All international and domestic program participants are charged Pomona College tuition and the standard room and board fees for the semester off-campus. The Associated Students fee is not charged. The comprehensive Pomona fee is billed in the usual manner and covers the student’s program tuition, standard room and board, program application fees, and administrative costs incurred by Pomona. For international programs, the fee also covers a round-trip airfare allowance, reimbursement for a visa or residence permit (if required), international emergency medical and evacuation insurance, and a local transportation allowance, if necessary for commuting to class. For Domestic Programs, students receiving financial aid may also be eligible for financial assistance with the following costs, if needed: a round-trip travel allowance and/or a local transportation allowance, if necessary for commuting for class and academic purposes. More information about fees and expenses is available on our website.

Financial aid continues for eligible students for study away. The IDPO also maintains a list of additional scholarshipsfor study abroad. Students should discuss how additional outside aid may impact their existing aid package with the Financial Aid Office.   

All international and domestic program participants should remember that living in another location may involve extra expenses not covered by the program fees, such as books, passport, immunizations, personal expenses, entertainment, and independent travel. Students should carefully plan a budget before going off-campus, using information from peers, program providers, and online resources about costs in their host location.

Pomona College Policy Regarding College-Funded International Student Travel

Pomona College supports meaningful international experiences for all students. Such experiences may take several forms, ranging from semester-long study abroad approved by Pomona College’s International and Domestic Programs Committee to summer undergraduate research mentored by a Pomona College faculty member, internships or community engagement activities abroad, grant-funded experiences, short-term programs abroad, participation in intensive language study, a skills-based workshop, field school, or an apprenticeship program in the arts. 

For semester and yearlong study abroad, students will follow policies and procedures as specified by the International and Domestic Programs Office and the International and Domestic Programs Committee. 

For all other opportunities that include international travel funded in full or in part by Pomona College, all students are required to register with the Worldcue Tracker system, which provides for an array of services aimed at ensuring the student’s security. 

In order to receive a travel award, students will be required to submit a detailed project description, including a detailed budget, with their funding application. Students must submit a travel itinerary and emergency contact information as well as one or more contacts in the destination country.

All students whose travel is funded in full or in part through Pomona College will be required to sign a waiver indemnifying the College and stating that they are aware of the risk of international travel. The waiver must be co-signed by the student’s guardian or parent(s). Students will receive supplemental emergency medical and evacuation insurance through The Claremont Colleges’ International Travel Insurance Plan.

Note that, as a rule, Pomona is unlikely to support international experiences for students that involve travel to countries or regions for which the U.S. Department of State has issued a Level 3 (Reconsider Travel) or Level 4 (Do Not Travel) Travel Advisory and/or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued a Travel Health Notice at Warning Level 3 (Avoid Nonessential Travel).