Since health and safety is our highest priority, USAC requires all students enrolled in our on-site, in-person programs to be fully vaccinated for COVID-19.
We strongly recommend booster shots for anyone who is eligible prior to departing for your study abroad program. Some USAC program countries require booster shots to obtain local vaccine passes and to avoid entry restrictions. The CDC has recently increased eligibility for COVID-19 boosters and they are widely available in the U.S. Please see details of the new guidance at CDC COVID-19 Vaccine Booster Shots.
Students will submit their vaccination information using the Covid Vaccination Information Form located in the Health & Safety section of their Gateway account. The deadline to submit proof of vaccination for summer terms is April 1, 2023. The deadline to submit proof of vaccination for the fall semester is June 1, 2023.
Please submit your vaccination information form as soon as possible after applying.
If you are not a U.S. citizen, or do not have access to a U.S.-approved vaccine, please contact us at health@usac.edu.
To complete the vaccination process in time, we strongly recommend students get their first dose (if receiving a two-dose vaccine) as soon as possible.
Following are some options for finding a vaccine provider:
While USAC highly recommends eligible students receive their booster shot when they are available, it is not a requirement for enrollment at this time unless required by the program host country. USAC will inform students if the host country requires a booster shot. We will continue to monitor the CDC's guidance on booster shots as it is available, and provide updates to our policy as necessary. If students do receive a booster shot, they should send an updated picture of their official CDC COVID-19 vaccination card to health@usac.edu.
Students requesting exemption due to documented medical or religious reasons should contact us at health@usac.edu for the Request for Vaccination Exemption form.
Each request for exemption will be reviewed by USAC’s Health and Safety team. When a host country, location, or host university requires vaccination (with no exemptions), USAC may not be able to extend an exemption.
For religious exemption requests: We will require a written statement explaining how vaccination violates your sincerely held religious beliefs. USAC reserves the right to ask for additional documentation.
Please be prepared for possible exclusion from certain program activities, access to places of business, and additional on-site expenses due to non-vaccinated status, for example, required testing.
If you have questions or would like more information regarding this new requirement, please email health@usac.edu.
To complete the vaccination process in time, we strongly recommend students get their first dose (if receiving a two-dose vaccine) as soon as possible.
USAC has made enhancements to our study abroad programs to accommodate studying abroad in a COVID-19 world. Plans for all programs are proceeding and efforts are being made to ensure that students will be able to enjoy safe and meaningful experiences while abroad. While safety and health have always been a top priority for USAC, we are increasing our efforts and measures due to the current global situation.
You can email us at health@usac.edu with your pre-departure study abroad and health questions.
You can find the most current U.S. and global COVID-19 updates and travel advisories here:
If you need to contact the Health and Safety team for any reason, please email safetyabroad@usac.edu.