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Defining Non-credit/Non-study Abroad Travel

Current Students

Non-credit undergraduate travel is considered Northwestern-sponsored if it meets at least one of the following criteria:

  • funded, in full or in part, by Northwestern and regardless of purpose (conference, research, field studies, performance, competition, service learning, etc.);
  • undertaken by a Registered Student Organization (RSO) representing Northwestern University or otherwise using the name or branded as associated with “Northwestern University”;
  • actively arranged or advised by Northwestern faculty or staff (examples include: signing off on university documents or agreements associated with the travel, accessing funds from a Student Organization Finance Office (SOFO) account; arranging overseas housing; facilitating Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval, etc.);
  • accompanied by a Northwestern faculty or staff member in the capacity of his/her employment.

International students traveling to their home country even for university affiliated / sponsored travel should not register their travel in the travel registry. International students studying or researching abroad during the academic year have to submit a "Report Study or Research Abroad" request via the OISS portal. Disclosures outside this time frame or for other purposes are optional.

Alumni / Students Who Have Graduated 

The ability to engage with the Travel Registry is tied to an active NetID, which expires 148 days following a student’s separation from the university (i.e. graduation). As a result, students may only access the travel registry and be eligible for GeoBlue up to 147 days following graduation. Once a student’s NetID has expired, they are no longer eligible to participate in university-sponsored international travel.    

Exceptions to this may be made at the school, unit or department level, but it must be made clear to such travelers that they cannot utilize the ITR, be enrolled in Northwestern’s GeoBlue products, or receive any other supportive services Northwestern provides to typical student travelers. In addition, the trip leader or organizer is responsible for ensuring such travelers sign the Guest Release, which can be obtained from OGSS.  

The sponsoring school, unit or department should also strongly recommend that non-student travelers purchase an international medical insurance product equivalent to NU’s GeoBlue plan for the duration of the trip.  Links to commercial insurance plans from GeoBlue can be found at Health Insurance for Leisure Travel.