Information for outbound GO LSE students

Studying abroad has the potential to be a life changing experience. Not only will you be exposed to a new academic institution, with teaching and learning opportunities that you might not find at LSE, but you'll also be engrossing yourself in a new culture, getting to meet new people and accumulate some amazing new experiences.

During your time overseas you can expect to develop your academic portfolio, make new connections, and develop a whole range of useful skills.

Don't worry if this all feels a bit overwhelming. There is a lot to do, both before you depart and once you arrive at your host institution, but we're here to help.

'Home' fee status undergraduates who participate in a year abroad exchange scheme can be charged a maximum of 15 per cent of the fee for the year in which they started their programme of study, eg, students starting in 2023/24 on a fee of £9,250 will be charged a maximum of £1,385.00 for the exchange year.

 'Overseas' fee status students will be charge 50 per cent of the 'Home' undergraduate fee for the year in which they undertake their exchange year.

These figures are quoted from LSE's Table of Fees and are subject to change.

BUTEX Scholarship:

BUTEX offers a number of scholarships for undergraduate students who are undertaking study abroad programmes.

The value of each scholarship is £500 and will be paid once you have arrived and registered at your host institution. Payment will be made to a UK bank account.

More information, including how to apply, can be found on the BUTEX website.

Student Finance Travel Grants:

UK students who receive funding through Student Finance England are eligible to request additional financial support to cover some of your travel expenses. The amount you will be eligible to receive depends on your household income. The money does not need to be repaid. 

You can apply for funding for up to three return journeys between your home and your host institution, as well as costs relating to essential travel expenses (including medical insurance and visa applications). 

Visit the Student Finance travel grants webpage for further details.

There are a number of key tasks that you'll need to complete before the commencement of your exchange programme:

• Apply for a visa: This can be a time consuming and costly task, so ensure that you do your research thoroughly before starting your application.

• Book accommodation: We recommend that you only book accommodation, either in university housing or in the private sector, once you have received your visa. Do not enter into binding agreements before your travel and visa arrangements have been confirmed.

• Book your flights: Again, we recommend only booking your flights once you have received your visa. Try and get tickets that our refundable or exchangeable - just in case your plans need to change.

• Consider health and travel insurance: We recommend that all exchange students take out health and travel insurance for the duration of their study abroad programme. In some places, such as University of California, having health insurance is a requirement of enrolment. 

• Get your vaccinations: Some countries have strict requirements on what vaccinations you need to enter the country. For guidance, visit the NHS website.

Further guidance is provided in our institution-specific advice pages, which you can find listed at the top of this page.

Student.com is the world’s leading marketplace for student housing.

Most GO LSE students need to find their own accommodation during their time studying abroad. Whilst our partner institutions usually provide guidance and advice on the process they rarely guarantee housing. One option for GO LSE students seeking a place to stay is to use Student.com. They list more than 1 million beds in over 400 cities worldwide and offer a wide range of rooms in purpose-built student accommodation. These are properties that were built specifically for students and are managed by well-known and trusted student accommodation providers. Their easy-to-use filters let you find a room for your specific needs and budget. With the map function you can see which housing options are close to your host university, or in a part of town you’d like to live in.

Scan the QR code below to download the Student.comAPP.

Travelling abroad can entail risks. As you acclimatise to a new country and way of life, it's important that you take steps to minimise those risks.

• Before travelling overseas, please ensure that you are fit enough to undertake your programme. If you have any concerns about your physical or mental health, please speak to the GO LSE team before travelling. All concerns will be handled confidentially.

• Do your research into the local culture. You may find that your host country has different laws, rules of etiquette, and cultural norms to what you are used to. Find out as much as you can before you leave to avoid unintentionally breaking the law or causing offence.

• Ensure that you keep a printed list of key emergency contacts to hand. Don't rely exclusively on your mobile phone - should it be stolen, lost, or damaged you won't know who to speak to.

• Use your common sense to stay out of harm's way. Avoid putting yourself in any dangerous situations by asking locals for travel advice, keeping close to people that you trust (especially at night), and ensuring that your valuables are concealed when in public.

• Keep us up to date. If your address or telephone number changes, let us know immediately.

You can read further travel safety advice by visiting the UK Foreign Office's website and selecting your destination country.

Throughout your programme abroad you remain an LSE student. That means that you can continue to make use of all of the support services available to students on campus:

• LSE Disability and Wellbeing Service

• LSE Student Counselling Service

• LSE Careers

• LSE Library

• LSE LIFE

Before your programme begins, you will be allocated a member of GO LSE staff to act as your point of contact. You can expect to hear from them at scheduled check-in points during the year.

You are encouraged to get in touch outside of these meetings if you need any additional help or advice.

Will Breare-Hall

Student Recruitment and Study Abroad Manager

Rockhill T. Focho

Outbound Study Abroad Officer

Minesh Batavia

Outbound Study Abroad Coordinator

You can get in touch with the GO LSE team by sending an email to our shared mailbox: ard.outbound@lse.ac.uk