SHSU NSE Application & Placement Process

Get Started

Attend an NSE Info Session OR make an appointment with the SHSU NSE Coordinator through Campus Connect.
Before your appointment, take a look at nse.org to select "Find A Campus." You can search by major or areas of interest, region, campus size, or special designations. Start thinking about:
- Why you are considering an exchange.
- What semester or academic year would work best for you to exchange.
- What you would like to experience geographically, culturally and academically.
- Your top choice schools (3-5) and why.
- The courses you want/need to take and if they are offered at the schools you are considering.
In your meeting, you will discuss the application process, timeline, eligibility, how to research campuses, costs, and goals for your exchange.

Make sure you meet the NSE eligibility requirements. Some institutions can have additional requirements.
On your own, you will research & select three to five campuses that meet your academic and personal goals.
- Remember that SHSU is on the HOME school tuition plan (formerly called Plan B). Your Financial Aid will travel with you.
- Some campuses are more popular and therefore more competitive than others. Talk with your NSE Coordinator about selecting back up campuses.
Look through each school's NSE Profile as well as the official school website and course catalog of your top choices, concentrating on courses you might need for your major or minor.
- If they are not available, ask yourself if you could spend a semester away without taking major or minor courses, and still graduate on time.
- A good exchange experience requires good research, communication with advisors, and flexibility.

Once you have identified and ranked the schools you want to apply for go to https://nse.org/exchange/apply/ and start your application.
Fill out the NSE application completely in the NSE application portal.
Meet with the National Student Exchange Coordinator/Study Abroad Coordinator. To go over your application and verify your choices and the likelihood of being placed at each school.
Start working on your Course Equivalency Form to pre-approve courses you want to take during your exchange.
Complete the NSE application through the Bearkats Abroad Portal on or before our deadline.
- Summer: November 1 - February 1
- Fall: February 1 - May 1
- Spring: May 1 - November 1
Pay the $200 application fee through the NSE application portal (by February 15 for Priority Placement, or before placement for Direct Placement).

NOTE: The application is not complete until the $200 fee is paid and the application is reviewed by the NSE Coordinator with you.

Placements are made at the annual NSE Conference in early March. Your SHSU NSE Coordinator will attend this conference and advocate for your placement.
Applicants are only offered one placement: The NSE Coordinator tries for the first choice and if that is not available, they continue down your list of schools in the priority they are listed. Placements are not guaranteed and are determined by many factors at each host campus, such as: their outgoing numbers, course availability, housing, and other factors. Applicants should work closely with the SHSU NSE Coordinator to review past placement statistics.
Students who apply by the NSE Priority Deadline (February 15) will be notified of their exchange site before Spring Break, and will meet with the NSE Coordinator shortly thereafter to begin the necessary paperwork for participating in National Student Exchange.
Find out more about the NSE placement process at https://nse.org/exchange/placement/.