Education Abroad COVID-19 Notice

UNG is closely monitoring the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact around the world. While UNG is planning for all programs to run, travel and safety conditions related to COVID-19 may prevent programs from happening.

Currently, spring, spring break, summer 2022 programs are accepting applications. The Center of Global Engagement (CGE) will make an initial determination on whether UNG-sponsored programs will run by the program application deadline. Students can check their program deadlines in the education abroad application portal.

CGE will continue to monitor programs/locations up until the program’s departure date so program suspensions or cancellations may still come after the program application deadline. It is important that students remain flexible and do not make any large non-refundable purchases, such as flights, until closer to the program’s departure date.

The decision to suspend or cancel programs is one UNG does not take lightly. When making the decision, each individual program is reviewed and evaluated taking into consideration information from the following sources.

• State Department Travel Advisories
  • UNG generally prohibits UNG students/faculty/staff to travel to countries with a Level 3 or Level 4 Travel Advisory in place.
• CDC Travel Health Notices
  • COVID-19 Recommendations
• Information from partner institutions & local contacts
• Security information from partners and risk management firms
• Current University System of Georgia travel policy

The decision to suspend or cancel programs will affect all program types which include:

• UNG faculty-led programs
• UNG Direct Enrollments
• UNG Reciprocal Exchanges
• Third Party Provider programs (ISA, CIEE, and ISEP)

Cancellation and Refunds

• UNG will make an initial go/no-go determination by the program application deadline. 
• The only payment due by the application deadline is the program deposit.  The deposit minus the administrative fee (around 2%) will be refunded to students in the event of a cancellation.
  • Please review the full refund policy in your education abroad application portal.
• Students participating on UNG-approved programs, sponsored by another organization, are subject to the cancellation and refund policies, if any, of the respective organization. i.e. USG Goes Global (USGG) International Student Exchange Programs (ISEP), Council on International Educational Exchange (CIEE), and International Studies Abroad (ISA).

Appeals Process for Travel to Level 3 Countries

Students who are participating in an exchange, direct enrollment, or provider program may request an appeal to the initial program suspension or cancellation.

Students eligible for an appeal will be notified via e-mail and should follow the steps outlined in this document for appeals in order to submit an appeal. Submission of an appeal does not guarantee travel approval. The CGE Associate Director will forward the appeal to the UNG Education Abroad Travel Committee for review. The CGE Associate Director will communicate the committee’s decision to students via email. 

UNG faculty-led Programs: Program Directors may submit additional information to the Education Abroad Travel Committee if their program country is at a level 3 at the time of the application deadline. CGE will reach out to individual program directors with further guidance prior to the program application deadline.