Exchange Students

1. Check with your home institution to confirm that there is an active student exchange agreement between your institution and The New School.

• If your home institution does not have an active exchange agreement with The New School, you may want to consider applying to The New School as a visiting student.
• If you’re unsure, contact [email protected] for assistance.

2. Complete the nomination process that your home institution has in place for students interested in participating in an exchange.

3. Your home institution will nominate you to study at The New School, and you will be invited to complete The New School Exchange Student Application.

• Exchange students must be nominated by their home institution to apply for admission to the exchange program and must meet all New School requirements for admission to the program.

4. Submit the exchange student application along with the required supporting documentation by the application deadline. 

• Required supporting documentation may vary depending on your exchange program.
• Refer to the instructions you received with your application and be sure to submit all required information and documentation.
• All exchange students must demonstrate minimum English language proficiency for their program.

5. Receive your program admission notice from The New School.

• You will receive your New School student ID number in your admissions notice.
• If you are not a U.S. citizen or permanent resident, your admission notice will also contain instructions to complete an I-20/DS-2019 application.

6. Prepare for arrival to the U.S.

• Check your New School email account for information and instructions.
• Submit the I-20/DS-2019 application immediately upon receiving your program admission notice. Exchange students who do not already hold legal status to study in the United States must complete the I-20/DS-2019 application in order to be issued a DS-2019 from The New School and to apply for a J-1 Exchange Visitor visa.
• Review the Academic Calendar to find the start date of classes. Plan to be on campus for required Orientation Week activities and events during the week before the classes start.

7. Prepare for arrival to The New School.

• Notify Student Disability Services if you would like to apply for disability accommodations.
• Apply for on-campus housing by the housing application deadlines.
• Submit required immunization documentation to Student Health Services.
• Consult with your New School academic advisor for assistance with course registration and academic planning. Exchange students will be assigned an academic advisor after acceptance into their exchange program.
• Follow the instructions for new students beginning study at The New School.
• Review the Getting Settled in NYC resources page for international students.

The New School maintains high standards of academic conduct, and all members of the university community are expected to exhibit honesty and integrity in their academic work. The university Code of Conduct, the Academic Dishonesty policy, and policies on Free Exchange of Ideas and Freedom of Artistic Expression, Discrimination and Sexual Harassment, Alcohol and Illegal Drugs, Smoking, and University-Wide Disciplinary Procedures have been adopted by the New School Board of Trustees for all students at The New School. Exchange students should familiarize themselves with these policies to better understand their rights and responsibilities as New School students.

For more information, see Student Conduct and Community Standards and Student Records Privacy.

Exchange students must be attached to the specific program of study indicated in the exchange agreement established between The New School and their home institution. Exchange students are restricted to available classes in that program only unless otherwise granted permission by The New School. Exchange students must seek permission from both The New School and their home institution to register for courses outside of their program.

While students may enroll in nearly all classes offered for their program, not all courses are open to exchange students, and some classes may impose academic or other prerequisites. See The New School Course Catalog for specific course details.

Exchange students are responsible for their course registration and should understand that they will not be able to register for courses or take classes in all New School colleges and academic departments. After being admitted to The New School, exchange students will be assigned an academic advisor, who can assist them in selecting their courses, completing course registration, and determining their class schedules.

Exchange students register for a full-time course of study, which includes 12 credits (about four classes) for undergraduate students and 9 credits (about three classes) for graduate students per semester.

Additional credit requirements may apply in accordance with the exchange agreement between The New School and the student’s home institution. International exchange students are also subject to possible additional credit or study requirements associated with their U.S. student visa status. 

As stated in The New School’s registration policies, any exchange student with an account hold, such as one for failure to submit immunization documentation or for a financial balance due to The New School, may be barred from completing course registration until the account hold is removed.

All exchange students studying at the New York campus must be enrolled in a health insurance plan that provides full coverage in New York City for the duration of their program. Students will be automatically enrolled in and charged for The New School's Student Health Insurance Plan. Students who have alternative health insurance coverage may request to waive the student plan, but their alternative plan coverage must meet all of the guidelines detailed on the Waiver and Deadlines page. This request must be submitted by the deadline.

In accordance with New York State Public Health Law, exchange students studying at the NYC campus must provide documentation of their immunization against measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) and provide a meningococcal meningitis response on the immunization form. All exchange students must submit the proper immunization forms to the Office of Student Health Services and may not be able to register for courses until doing so.

Fee Information
Exchange students are not charged tuition by The New School.

Each exchange student is responsible for paying, where applicable, any course, material, or special fees associated with individual courses, as well as any applicable university fees (“Additional Fees”), including the following:

• University Services Fee
• Orientation Fee
• International Student Fee (NYC campus students only)
• Global Campus Fee (Paris campus students only)
• Health insurance (unless eligible for waiver)
• Housing and meal plans (if participating in on-campus housing or meal plans)

Additional fees and any other charges incurred (including but not limited to damage costs) by the exchange student will be billed directly to the student for the amount due.

Payment Information
The Student Accounts office will electronically issue an invoice of charges and fees. A notification will be sent to the exchange student’s New School email address notifying them that the invoice is ready to view via the my.newschool.edu student portal. Exchange students are responsible for payment of all charges, and failure to remit payment by the payment due date may result in late penalty fees, automatic withdrawal from courses, or withholding of academic transcripts until the outstanding balance is resolved. Exchange students can remit payment via the university’s accepted forms of payment.

If invoice charges will be paid by the exchange student’s home institution or another third party, the exchange student should complete the following Third Party/Sponsor Payment process:

1. The exchange student comes to The New School and registers for courses.
2. Student Accounts generates an invoice of appropriate fees to the exchange student's account.
3. Upon issuance of the invoice, the exchange student submits a formal letter (see guidelines below) to Student Accounts either in person (72 Fifth Avenue, 2nd floor) or by email ([email protected] with the subject line “Third Party”) from the third party or sponsor confirming coverage and intent to pay for the exchange student's fees. The exchange student does not have to wait until they receive an invoice to submit the letter.
4. Student Accounts confirms its receipt of the letter from the exchange student and provides a Third Party Deferment Form for the student to complete. If the exchange student does not hand in the form right away and receives a bill from Student Accounts, the exchange student must submit the form by the payment due date to avoid incurring a late payment fee.
5. Once the exchange student submits both the letter and the form, the Student Accounts office places a memo on the exchange student’s account for the amount expected to be paid by the third party or sponsor.
6. After the add/drop period for class registration ends, Student Accounts sends an invoice to the exchange student’s sponsor or third party for payment.

The third party or sponsor letter must:

• Be on official letterhead
• Indicate the current date
• Provide the student’s full name (and New School ID number, if available)
• State if the third party or sponsor will cover all tuition and fees, state the specific fees, or indicate the amount that will be covered
• Indicate how long the third party or sponsor will cover the amount stated (e.g., covering fees for the spring or fall semester, the academic year, two years, etc.)
• Provide the full name of a contact person with a contact phone number and/or email details for the third-party or sponsor
• State that the third party or sponsor would like to receive an invoice from The New School
• Provide an address where the invoice should be mailed or provide an email address where the invoice can be emailed (preferred) 

In most cases, exchange students may study at The New School for a maximum of one semester, in accordance with the exchange agreement between The New School and the exchange student’s home institution. In rare cases, an exchange student may be permitted to extend the exchange study period for an additional semester.

To extend the exchange study period, exchange students must:

1. Consult with their home institution to determine eligibility to extend by the home institution.
2. If the extension approved by the home institution, contact [email protected] to request an extension and receive further instructions. Extension requests must be approved by The New School in addition to the exchange student’s home institution.
3. Once approved by The New School to extend the exchange study period, exchange students who have been issued a DS-2019 must apply to extend the DS-2019 with the International Student and Scholars (ISSS) Office. Applications must be completed with all required supporting documentation and processed before the original program end date noted on the DS-2019. Processing time may be up to 15 days upon submission of a complete application and all required supporting documentation. Students who may be traveling while the application is being processed or close to the DS-2019 program end date should contact [email protected] regarding travel plans before engaging in any travel.

Exchange students who are not eligible or able to extend their exchange study period but wish to continue to study at The New School can apply to study at The New School as a visiting student. Students should first consult with their home institution before applying and are also encouraged to speak to their advisor to discuss impacts on their student status. Please contact [email protected] with any questions.

Following the end of the exchange program, The New School will issue an official academic transcript, which will note the student's course information and final grades and the number of credits earned. Earned credits and final grades noted on transcripts are determined in compliance with The New School's grading and academic policies. Exchange students may request copies of their transcripts from the university's Registrar's Office to be sent to their home institution. See the Transcripts page for more details.

Transferring New School credits is entirely at the discretion of an exchange student's home institution. Exchange students should consult with their home institution for information concerning how courses, grades, and credits will qualify toward academic requirements at their home institution.

The New School is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE), a U.S. regional accreditor and federally recognized body. The New School has been accredited by MSCHE since 1960. All degree programs at the New York City campus of The New School are registered by the New York State Department of Education (NYSED). Both NYSED and MSCHE provide assurance to students, parents, and all stakeholders that The New School meets clear quality standards for educational and financial performance. For more information on The New School's accreditation status, please see New School Accreditation.