Pre-departure information day
Every June, the International Office organizes an Information Day for those going abroad on student exchange programs, in order to provide all the necessary information to ensure a safe and successful journey. This Information Day is also an opportunity to meet and talk to other students leaving for student exchange programs.
At the same time, you must take care of the following:
Acceptance to courses
Before you leave, you must consult with faculty advisors and receive approval for the courses you are planning to take abroad.
Learning Agreement:
You must submit a Learning Agreement to be signed by your faculty/school that includes information about the classes you plan to take abroad. The signed Learning Agreement will serve as confirmation that these classes will be recognized upon your return, for the purpose of completing your degree. This form must be signed before you go abroad on the student exchange program.
Many institutions have an official Learning Agreement which they send you once you have been accepted. You must fill in your selected courses and corresponding credit points, and have it signed by the official in your faculty responsible for approving courses. If the host university does not send you a Learning Agreement, your faculty’s academic office will supply a generic Learning Agreement for completion.
Keep in mind that undergraduate students who study abroad for a semester must take courses worth at least 10 credit points and no more than 25 credit points to be recognized on their transcript as courses studied abroad.
Master’s students are required to study a maximum of 10 credit points per semester abroad, subject to the approval of their advisor.
It is recommended to use this table for converting credit points when considering courses in other universities.
Important: You can only receive academic credit following your return from the student exchange program for courses that have been pre-approved.
When arriving at the university abroad, you must contact your HUJI faculty/school’s academic office in order to register the semester/year spent abroad on a student exchange program as follows: Full-year student exchange – 74100, Semester student exchange – 74101. These codes signal that students are on a student exchange program for the purpose of tuition calculations.
The grades of courses studied abroad as part of a student exchange program that are recognized by Hebrew University will not be recorded; rather, they will appear solely as credits earned (as determined by Section 13.3 of the Regulations).
Policy for recognizing courses studied abroad
Credit points for courses studied abroad will be granted upon successful completion of the courses (a passing grade at the host university).
Bear in mind that your faculty might require a higher grade than the minimum passing grade for courses for which this requirement also exists in Hebrew University’s curriculum.
When you return to Israel, you will have to present a grade transcript for the courses studied abroad (not later than three months from the day you return to Israel). You will be informed of the status of courses taken abroad after the official transcript is received from the university where you studied abroad. Credit will be given according to equivalence principles (see Teaching Policy and Procedures – 2022/23 )
Student visa
After you receive the official letter of acceptance from the host university abroad, you must start the process of obtaining a student visa.
It is mandatory to obtain a student visa. This is your responsibility and entails costs.
The requirements and conditions differ from country to country and may also change over time. We recommend checking the website of the relevant embassy/consulate or calling them to obtain the following information:
- What are the required documents?
- What is the schedule?
- Do you need a special medical exam?
- Will you be allowed to work?
- Is it possible for your partner to receive a visa as well?
Be patient. For some countries, this can be a long process.
Airplane tickets
In some cases, airplane tickets are paid for by the host university. Contact your host university to find out in advance whether your ticket will be covered and whether you should purchase the ticket on your own.
Be aware that some universities hold orientation days before classes officially begin. Make sure to book your flight so that you arrive in time for orientation. The orientation sessions are very important, and in some cases, they are an integral part of the exchange program.
Tip: Keep your flight ticket and boarding pass, in case you will later be asked to present them.
Health insurance
Health insurance is mandatory. Usually, you can choose the health insurance plan yourself. However, certain universities require that you use a specific health insurance exclusively. Check this carefully in advance. This information will appear on the university’s website or fact sheet.
Housing
We recommend contacting the foreign host university’s International Office to obtain information about dorms and housing.
If you decide not to live in the university’s dorms, research the housing options before you go abroad, including the local requirements for signing rental agreements, conditions in the contracts, etc.
There are websites for most destinations that will help you with this information, sometimes within the host university websites and other student websites.
Local bank account
Exchange students usually open a local bank account in the host city. Ask your contact people at the host university about their requirements regarding opening an account with a local bank. If this is indeed a requirement, what is the process? (Notarized approval, confirmation of the amount of time you will stay, etc.)
Certain universities require documents demonstrating your financial situation.
Tip: Make sure you have funds for the entire time you will be abroad, including the flight. Even if you have a full scholarship, we recommend taking enough money with you to cover your living expenses for several weeks.
Scholarships
The manner in which scholarships are paid differs from one university to another.
Erasmus+ scholarships are the responsibility of the host university and each university handles them in a slightly different manner. Your host university will inform you when you arrive as to how you can expect to receive the funds.
Students will receive a one-time grant from the International Office and/or scholarships from certain institutions, as described in the Call for Applications. As soon as you arrive at your host university, you must have the relevant contact person at their International Office sign a form confirming your arrival, after which you’ll need to send the signed form back to Hebrew University’s International Office – to Liat Gabai (liatga@savion.huji.ac.il) or Elinor Notrika (Elinorh@savion.huji.ac.il, for non-European universities).
The grant will be deposited into your account through the Student Administration. If you would like the money to be deposited into a different account, be sure to update your bank details in your personal info page on the HUJI website.
Note: If you are spending the autumn semester abroad and expect to receive a grant from the International Office, note that the money will be transferred to your account following the start of the academic year in Israel, most likely during December. Consequently, you should not count on the grant money being available for use during your stay abroad.
Tuition
For full-year study abroad: you will be charged 25% of the full tuition fees at HUJI without supplementary payments).
For one semester abroad: you will be charged 25% of the full tuition fees at HUJI plus supplementary payments (welfare fees, security fees, and fees for the union and the National Representation of Students).
You will be charged tuition for each course for which you receive academic credit upon your return, according to the number of credit points. You will be charged 25% or according to the number of hours, the higher of the two.
If it is your final year of degree studies (and you have declared to your faculty that you have completed the requirements for your degree), you will be charged tuition according to the study hours for which you received credit or according to the accrued tuition for your degree – the higher of the two.
If you missed a mandatory course for which there was no equivalent course at the host university due to participating in the student exchange program in your 3rd year, you will have to complete the course in your 4th year. You will only be charged for that course during your 4th year, or until you reach the cumulative tuition for your degree – the higher of the two. In the 4th year, you will not be charged overhead, welfare fees, or security fees, as long as you register for at least one mandatory course.
For more information about tuition payments, please refer to the Student Administration guidelines.
You can use this checklist (in Hebrew) to organize your preparations prior to departing for your student exchange program.