Navigating the Semester at Sea Portal: A Comprehensive Guide

Semester at Sea (SAS) offers a transformative educational experience, turning students into global citizens through multi-country comparative education. With over 58 years of experience, SAS prioritizes the health and safety of its participants, employees, and crew, while striving to make this life-changing journey accessible to students from diverse financial backgrounds. As a parent or student, understanding the resources and information available through the Semester at Sea portal is crucial for a successful voyage.

Introduction to Semester at Sea

Semester at Sea has been a pioneer and leader in multi-country comparative education for more than 58 years. It offers global comparative education in academic partnership with Colorado State University, integrating comparative experiential study, interdisciplinary coursework, and relevant field classes in multiple countries. Global comparative education is a form of international study that identifies and connects the world’s peoples, patterns, cultures and traditions. The program transforms students into confident citizens of the world. As a parent, you play a critical role in supporting your child’s journey. Semester at Sea operates with the philosophy that all undergraduate students should study abroad.

Accessing the Student Portal

Congratulations on your admission to Semester at Sea! After receiving your acceptance letter, the time leading up to the voyage can be both exciting and overwhelming. If your voyage is less than 12 months away, you will receive login credentials for the student portal, which serves as a central hub for essential information, important dates, and deadlines.

Troubleshooting Login Issues

If you've received your acceptance letter but are unable to log in, there are two common reasons:

Voyage Timing: Your voyage may be more than a year away.
Unpaid Deposit: You may not have paid your deposit yet.

Key Features and Information Available on the Portal

The student portal is designed to provide voyagers with all the necessary information and support to prepare for their journey. It also contains sensitive information and invoicing systems, individualized to each student. Here's a breakdown of what you can find:

Important Dates and Deadlines

The portal provides a clear timeline of important dates and deadlines related to payments, visa applications, course registration, and pre-departure requirements.

Financial Information

Students can access their financial expenses, credits, and updated bills through the Student Portal. Semester at Sea invoicing systems are individualized to each student and contain sensitive information.

Application Status

To start the application process, you must first create an account. After creating an account, you may start or continue your application using the same link.

Visa Information

Visa requirements vary depending on the countries included on the itinerary. Typically, you will need to secure two or three visas individually.

Financial Matters: Tuition, Fees, and Aid

A Semester at Sea voyage represents a major investment for students and parents in both time and money. Semester at Sea is committed to increasing access to our program to all students regardless of income.

Read also: Explore Global Opportunities

Payment Schedule and Methods

The entire balance of the program cost is due 90 days prior to sailing (excluding participants enrolled in the Semester at Sea payment plan). As soon as you are academically admitted, please submit your deposit within 30 days of admission. The deposit is applied against the tuition and fees for the semester. In order to confirm your intent to participate for the upcoming term, you must submit your $1,000 deposit online. Cabin space is not guaranteed solely upon admission. Payment can be made by check or credit card (Visa, MasterCard, American Express, or Discover).

Refund Policy

Prior to fall and spring departures, refund of all payments, with the exception of the application fee (not applicable to Lifelong Learners), will be made for written cancellations or transfers received no later than the 90-day payment due date before the beginning of the voyage. Cancellations received after the 90-day payment due date before the start of the voyage will automatically result in forfeiture of the deposit made at the time of confirmation of acceptance in the Program. After voyage departure, no refund will be made to a Participant who voluntarily withdraws from the program or who must withdraw from the program due to any violation of the Standards of Conduct. A note for Spotlight (partial) Voyages: the refund schedule and deposit information listed above is the same as if you were sailing the full voyage. For example, full payment for the voyage is due 90 days prior to the beginning of the voyage, not 90 days prior to when you board the ship.

Financial Aid and Scholarships

About 60% of voyagers receive some type of financial aid. Use of any federal aid or loans that you receive, such as Pell Grants and Direct loans, are dependent upon the policies of your home institution. The use of any institutional aid you receive from your home school or from another source must be determined by that source. Even students who do not qualify for standard forms of financial aid (such as Pell Grants) on their home campuses may be eligible for scholarships through the Institute for Shipboard Education (ISE) and Semester at Sea. For federal aid and loans you should complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) on your home campus. The information that this process generates will be used both for federal aid and loans and for ISE assistance. For international students, please complete the ISE International Student Aid form, found in your student portal. Semester at Sea financial aid deadlines are typically 3.5 months prior to voyage embarkation date.

Financial Aid for International Students

International students are also welcome to apply for any ISE scholarships. For international students, please complete the ISE International Student Aid form, found in your student portal.

Payment Plans and Options

Monthly Payment Plan: Students may break the program fee balance into chunks with more time to pay. The benefit includes having three additional months to make final payments.

529 Plans

State 529 plans can generally be used, with approval of the 529 organization, for study abroad. However, they will only release the funds to a Title IV institution so the check has to be sent to our academic partner, Colorado State University (CSU).

Fuel Surcharge

In advance of sailing, Semester at Sea may enact a fuel supplement surcharge for all participants, in the event that the average price for the blended types of fuel and related costs during the voyage is expected to exceed a certain budgetary threshold in pricing per metric ton, the amount of which will be offset by advance fuel fee billings/payments. Such surcharges when enacted are necessary to offset the total excess fuel costs that exceed this budget threshold.

Travel Insurance

While all voyagers are signed up for SAS-provided medical insurance, we do not provide trip/travel insurance. In an effort to minimize any potential financial loss, Semester at Sea recommends that travel insurance is obtained. To assist with this, Semester at Sea has identified a third-party provider of trip protection plans, Education Insurance. If you enroll in the voyage after October 16, you will have three weeks from deposit date to enroll in optional CFAR or IFAR coverage. This plan has a maximum trip cost of $37,000. We strongly recommend that parents and students to carefully consider this option for your family since Semester at Sea’s program fee is not refundable for any reason (including forced withdrawal for medical and/or mental health reasons) after the semester commences at initial embarkation. Please direct any questions about quoting, enrollment, coverage, etc., to Semester at Sea’s partner Education Insurance Plans and they will assist you. Please note that this travel insurance option is only available to voyagers within the United States.

Preparing for the Voyage

Voyagers will receive all the information and support they need to get ready to sail the world with Semester at Sea.

Passport and Visas

Yes, if you do not already hold a passport, you should apply for one now. If you do have a passport, you should check its expiration date. Your passport needs to be valid for six months beyond the end of the voyage. We advise purchasing the largest passport book available.

Packing Essentials

Each trip will have different needs, but the golden rule of traveling is to always pack light for more freedom and less hassle. Often times we are taking an in-country flight or transferring hotels, so packing light and bringing smaller luggage is highly encouraged to make it a stress-free experience. It’s recommended to bring sunscreen, hat, layered clothing, sneakers, camera and chargers/converters.

Cabin and Roommate Information

Semester at Sea’s passenger ship is outfitted as a globe-exploring university; a living-learning community that provides a platform for discussion, coursework and deep connections all while traveling to new locations. It is expected that most participants will have a specific individual in mind to live with and mutual roommate requests will be honored when possible, regardless of gender, as long as both parties are requesting the same cabin type.

Staying Connected During the Voyage

Your student is off on the experience of a lifetime, but how do you keep in touch? What can you provide for them while they are away?

Communication Channels

Before departure we encourage you to establish a system of communication with your child while they are away. However, do not worry if you do not hear from them as regularly as you would like. The demands of travel in so many different ports can make communication difficult at times. Plan to have a discussion with your voyager before they leave regarding communication and DO NOT expect or encourage them to communicate with you a lot.

Emergency Communication

The fastest way to reach your voyager on board is to call the ISE 24-hour emergency phone number at (602) 693-0839. You will either be connected with the ship or a member of the ISE Senior Leadership Team in Fort Collins, CO, who can assist in an emergency. If you have a crisis related to your voyager, please call 1-602-693-0839. who will work to relay messages and information to our colleagues abroad. A lost passport, an ER visit, or being a victim of theft are all difficult experiences, but not an instance where ISE will automatically notify an emergency contact. team.

Ship-to-Shore Calls

Every cabin aboard the MV World Odyssey is equipped with phones that enable around the clock ship-to-shore calling (both receiving incoming calls and placing outgoing calls). Students can make outgoing calls by purchasing pre-paid calling cards from the Purser’s Desk on the ship. The caller will be asked to provide a credit card that will be charged approximately $3.95 per minute. Your call will then be connected directly to your voyager’s cabin.

Shipboard Services

You can still celebrate birthdays, admissions acceptance, moments of self-advocacy, and other milestones with cakes, massages, nail services, and much more. Please visit our shipboard services page to learn more about options and deadlines.

Internet Access

A limited amount of free Internet time is allotted to students, and after it is used up, additional access minutes may be purchased on the ship.

Sending Packages and Funds

Do not send currency, food or medicine. Although sending packages is possible, we do not recommended sending items of value or items that cannot be replaced because of customs restrictions and/or duty charges (as a result, packages are not always received by the intended recipient onboard). The Institute for Shipboard Education (ISE) cannot accept checks or other forms of payment for transfer to a participant after initial embarkation. The most efficient way to increase your participant’s funds is to deposit money directly into their bank account. In the case of an emergency, or if a participant does not have a debit card, they must request a cash advance from the ship’s purser. Cash advances cannot exceed $300, are limited to one per port, and carry a $15 surcharge.

Staying Informed

The official SAS blog, News from the Helm, is the best way to follow the current voyage.

Health and Safety

The health and safety of our voyagers and crew are the most important considerations on any Semester at Sea voyage. Each voyager completes a Health History Form which allows key medical determinations and information to be shared with providers on the ship and, when necessary, in-country providers. Please help us in ensuring all medical history information is shared so that your student voyager can receive accurate and timely care no matter the clinic, country, or condition. Medical Care for voyagers includes a combination of services and systems on-ship and within each country. Our ship sails with a medical team who can address urgent medical concerns, similar to a visit to urgent care in the United States.

Support for Gap Year Students

We know that Gap Year students experience the voyage a little differently and Semester at Sea is here to support them from deposit to final disembarkation. To help them stay on top of pre-voyage tasks, make sure to ask them for their login and password for their student portal. This way you can get access to all of the information they have, see who their advisor is, and have access to making payments on their account. Gap year students can only enroll in 100 or 200 level courses that don’t require prerequisites. Gap year students are not eligible for federal financial aid. Webinars: There will be a health and safety webinar geared for parents and family members a few months before the voyage. Part of the webinar will be specific to parents of Gap Year students, so be sure to attend if you are able. For many gap year students, this will be the first time they are away from home for such a significant amount of time. Your voyager may experience homesickness, worry or anxiety. Just know that this is normal and we’re here to support you.

Additional Resources

Admissions Counselors

Semester at Sea admissions counselors are located across the United States, and we have a dedicated counselor to support international students. Applying early increases your chances of securing a spot on the ship, as voyages do fill up.

Virtual Events

We hope you’ll engage in one of our virtual events designed to reach families throughout the world. Times and registration links will be added as they are confirmed. Recording links will also be posted here if you are unable to attend an event live. Logistical Preport Webinar - Hear about important embarkation details and health and safety tips for the voyage. Field Programs and In-Country Travel Planning Webinar - Ready to dive in to your in-country travel planning? Watch this webinar to discover how SAS Field Programs can transform your in-country experience! Course Registration Webinar - Watch this webinar to learn about the course registration process, which starts on October 7.

Social Media

If you are looking to engage through social media, you can like and follow us at our links at the bottom of this page.

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