Purdue Registration Information
All students studying abroad must be registered at Purdue during the term of their program. Before your program begins, the Study Abroad Office will register you for a placeholder course with an “SA” subject code. This course will stay on your record during the program, and after the program ends it will be replaced with the Purdue credits for the course or courses you took on the program.
Please note: for students on co-sponsored, exchange, and direct enroll programs, there is a separate process for registering for courses at your host institution.
Registration Requirements
To be registered for the SA course, you must:
- Be in accepted status for a study abroad program
- Upload a signed Participation Form to your MyStudyAbroad page
- Upload Proof of Deposit if it is required for your program
- Resolve any Registration Holds on your account
- Have room in your schedule for the number of credits associated with your program
Registration Timelines
Study abroad registration happens on a rolling basis. For Fall Semester, Spring Semester, and Spring Break programs, registrations begin during the open registration period. Registration for Summer programs generally begins in mid-February, and Winter Session registration begins around October.
Many programs are not ready for registration at the beginning of the registration period. If the registration period for your program has begun, but the SA course has not been added to your schedule:
- Make sure you have met all the registration requirements
- Check your email for any messages from the Study Abroad Office
If you have completed all your requirements and have not been contacted by our office, your program likely is not ready for registration. Plan to check your schedule again closer to the start date.
Financial Matters
- The Purdue billing is tied to your registration for the SA course, so the Purdue charges for your program will not be added to your bill until we have registered you.
- Your Purdue registration is still subject to the Purdue add/drop calendar, so you are responsible for making sure we can register you in a timely manner and for understanding your financial liability if you withdraw from the program after the term has begun.
- If your program has a Purdue cancellation policy, you will be subject to the terms of that policy if you withdraw.
- If you are receiving a Giant Leaps Scholarship and have requested Early Disbursement, those funds cannot be disbursed until you are registered.
Credit Limits and Overrides
Confirmation of Enrollment
You are responsible for confirming your enrollment at Purdue for the term. Even if you are studying abroad for the full semester, you will still be enrolled at Purdue and therefore must confirm your enrollment. Failure to do so will result in your registration being dropped, and you will be subject to the late registration fee once you are re-registered.
Registration Verification
You are responsible for reviewing your Purdue registration and making sure you are registered for the correct study abroad course. In the week before your program begins, check your schedule to make sure the SA course is there and matches the SA # and (if available) the CRN listed on your MyStudyAbroad page.
If you are participating on a departmental study abroad program with multiple credit options, please make sure you are registered for the correct number of credits. If you are participating on a semester-length program, the SA placeholder course will be 12 credits.
If you believe the information is incorrect, or if the start date for your program is approaching and the SA course is not on your schedule, please reach out to our office for assistance.
Dropping Registration
If you are withdrawing from your program and need to drop the study abroad course after you have been registered, you will need to contact our office in writing. Email your study abroad advisor, your program leader, or studyabroad@purdue.edu to make the request.
If the study abroad course is the only course you are enrolled in for the term and you are withdrawing after the term has begun, you will need to contact our office and go through the Office of the Dean of Students to withdraw from the term.
Semester-Length Programs: Keeping On-Campus Registration
As a rule, students participating in programs for a full semester or longer should drop any other Purdue registrations for the term(s) they are going abroad. However, there are occasional exceptions, such as for students who are not sure they will receive their visas in time to participate on the program.
If you believe you have extenuating circumstances and wish to temporarily remain registered for on-campus courses until you can confirm you will be able to study abroad, reach out to your study abroad advisor to discuss your circumstances.
If you do decide to remain enrolled on campus, there are two options available to you, with important considerations to keep in mind.
- We can wait to register you for the SA placeholder while you decide whether you will be able to participate or not. We will need to register you before your program’s start date, and you will be responsible for dropping your on-campus courses and notifying us when you are ready to be registered. You will also need to keep in mind the Financial Matters listed above.
- You can ask your academic advisor to raise your credit limit so we can register you for the SA placeholder in addition to the on-campus courses. If you do end up studying abroad, you will be responsible for dropping the on-campus courses by the Add/Drop Deadline. If you end up withdrawing from study abroad, you will be responsible for notifying our office so we can remove the SA course.