Untitled

FAQ (FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS)

Q.

How do I get more information about the program? Whom do I contact with questions?

A.

The entire program brochure is available online at the main NW Cadiz Program web page, as is the application form, the housing form, current program fees, etc. Hardcopy is also available at UW in PDL C-104, [Box 354360 Dept. of Spanish & Port. UW, Seattle 98195] and from the IPE office at WWU and by request. Please read through the brochure before seeking answers to questions from program or UW staff. The general director of the program (identified on home page) will be happy to respond to your questions and direct you to those who can provide the answers you need. Several semesters of student evaluations of all aspects of the program are on file at the IPE office and in PDL C-104.

Q.

By when will we be told whether or not we have been accepted into the program?

A.

We formally admit qualified students within five days after the deadline for applying (March 20 for fall semester; Oct. 20 for spring semester). Your file will be reviewed as soon as it is complete, but admission is delayed until after the application deadline. A very few [4-5] students with exceptional academic merit may be granted early admission. These students need to alert the General Director of their interest in early admission.

Q.

Does the program operate in the summer?

A.

No. This is a two semester program. Students can enroll for fall or spring semesters or both.

Q:

How and where do I sign on for and pay for the group flight ticket?

A.

We no longer offer a group flight to Spain as students can now find better fares online. Each semester the on-site director or assistant will take a program bus to the Jerez airport on the specified arrival time and date to transport to Cadiz all those arriving from Madrid and others who choose to rendezvous there. Currently the bus meets the incoming Iberia flight that lands about 5pm. It departs around 5:30 for Cadiz, arriving there to meet up with all host families around 6:30-7:00. If at all possible, check luggage ALL THE WAY to JEREZ.

Q.

If I don't get in for fall, do I get my application fee back?

A.

Yes. The other option, if you so choose, is to leave it on deposit for the spring program, with a statement of your desire to have the application kept active for spring.

Q.

Can I pay my program fees by credit card?

A.

Unfortunately, no. We accept checks only, to be sent or delivered to the Dept. of Spanish & Port. Year-long and financial aid students commonly solve the problem of paying fees by leaving post-dated checks on deposit with the program (Padelford, C-104). Remember, checks for program tuition/fees are NOT to be deposited to your UW account with the registrar. Students receiving scholarships or others whose money is put into their UW account must make arrangements for transferring funds from that account to a personal checking account that can be used for paying program fees.

Q.

I'm on financial aid and I'm concerned about deadlines for paying program fees. I'm also a little worried about managing on the amount I'll have at my disposal.

A.

For students receiving financial aid, normally we can wait for payment until the scheduled distribution dates for financial aid (that is, delayed payments of the program fee). However, you must consult with Prof. Petersen (petersen@u.washington.edu) about setting up a payment plan and we ask that you arrange to have the financial aid office send her some kind of official confirmation of your eligibility, as well as an indication of when the funds will be released. In any event, B efore leaving the country ALL STUDENTS must make arrangements for payments of all program fees (by check, not credit card) to be sent directly to the program. (NW Cadiz Program -- Box 354360).
Students on financial aid at UW should discuss their anticipated financial needs while abroad with the Financial Aid staff to determine whether or not they want to request an adjustment in aid for the period of their study abroad program.

Q.

Where and when do I send the concurrent enrollment form?

A.

The IPE concurrent enrollment fee ($610 for one semester; $610 for the year) must be printed from the IPE Cadiz application site, signed and returned to the UW Office of International Programs and Exchanges (Box 355815 UW, Seattle 98195-5815). Their fee is totally separate from the program tuition. The signed contract and payment must be received by IPE for you to be enrolled at UW.

Q:

What about medical insurance?

A.

All students on a UW study abroad program must take out a health insurance policy with the carrier IPE has contracted with (currently On Call International) This can be done online (go to http://www.washington.edu/globalaffairs/insurance/). It costs approx. $45/mo. (2014-15), is very comprehensive, and includes emergency evacuation . If you are covered under another medical policy, you can request a waiver, but it will only be granted if your private policy has similar coverage for all situations including emergency evacuation (most do not).

Q:

I’m unclear about the student visa. Do I need one? How do I get it?

A.

Yes, all students who will be staying in Spain (or any of the Schengen countries) for longer than 90 days must have a student visa. This means all of you except those holding a European Union Passport. All Washington residents and students attending college in Washington state will apply through the Consulate of Spain in San Francisco. The necessary documents and entire application process will be reviewed carefully at the 1^st orientation meeting for students accepted into the program. If you will be studying in Spain for longer than 90 days but less than 6 months, you will be issued a 6 mo. visa. If you will be enrolled in a study program in Spain for longer than 6 months, you will be issued a 3 mo. visa and will apply for a student residence card after you arrive in Spain (during our on site Orientation program). Once you have applied for the residence card (and even before you get it), your visa is in fact extended beyond the expiration date printed on it. Your orientation packet, handed out at the first orientation meeting, includes the Spanish Consulate's instructions and a page of "Detailed instructions" for filling out the many questions on the application. It is critical that you check “multiple entries” on this form so that you can travel freely in and out of the Schengen countries while abroad. Yearlong students must take care that the medical clearance letter (on Dr's letterhead and signed by an MD, not an RN), use the exact wording suggested on the Consulate’s instruction sheet. Yearlong students are also required to get a notarized letter from the Washington State Patrol (Criminal history clearance, which can be done online) and a set of fingerprints from any local police station. These documents must then be taken or sent to Olympia (Dept. of State) for an Apostille stamp. See the instructions in your information packet or on the Sec. of State's page about Apostilles. The entire process will be reviewed at the first (mandatory) orientation session, so it is essential that you or someone you trust be present at that meeting.

Q.

How much of the Spanish major or minor can I do in Cádiz?

A.

For UW students, credit can be earned for everything beyond 203. The UW core courses 321,322 & 323 are offered both semesters, as are 301, 302, 303 and 406. Students earn course credits for the level at which they are working. The same rules and restrictions apply as at the UW: However, because ours is a semester program, there is some leeway at the transition between levels. The last 300’s and first 400’s can be undertaken simultaneously, although students must have completed 303 before they are allowed to earn credit for 406. (All courses count towards the minor, as well.)

Q.

CREDITS: I know I can get 45 UW quarter credits for 2 semesters of study on the Cadiz program, but how many credits can I earn if I go for only fall or spring semester?

A.

Fall semester students normally take 4-5 classes (20-25 cr). Five courses (25 cr) is the norm in spring (i.e. 45-50 cr for the full year). More advanced students are encouraged to enroll in one or two regular Univ. of Cadiz (UCA) courses. Our Resident Director will help you choose and enroll in these classes.

All students can earn 2 General Ed. credits each for up to two approved extra-curricular activities taken for two consecutive months each (dance, classical guitar, ceramics, etc.). This option is especially useful to financial aid students who need a minimum of 24 cr for the spring semester (12+12), but who don't wish to take five regular courses. Note, however, that these do not count towards the major or minor

All students are encouraged to consult with the Program Executive Director and all must arrange to review their plans with the Spanish Advisor in Padelford C-104 prior to leaving for Spain to sketch out a program of study that best meets their academic and personal goals (see below).

Q.

When / where / how do I register for classes?

A.

All students should have worked up an approved, tentative schedule of classes with their advisor before leaving for Cádiz (at UW, Suzanna Martinez for Spanish). The UW IPE office will automatically enroll you for 12 foreign study credits each quarter of your projected stay, but only if you have signed and returned to IPE Concurrent Enrollment contract. Until your transcript and grades from Cadiz have been sent to UW, reviewed, forwarded to IPE and entered into the database at the end of the semester, your MyUW page will display only "12 credits foreign study" regardless of the courses and credits you are actually pursuing. If you are accepted for the year and later decide to return to UW at the end of fall semester, it is your responsibility to inform IPE and the Financial Aid office of this change of plan as soon as you make this decision (see instructions for filing the required IPE "Withdrawal Request" form.)

Financial Aid recipients must register for 5 courses in spring quarter to remain eligible or avail themselves of two extra curricular 2-credit courses (Gym membership is not elegible for GenEd credit..

You do not actually register for Cadiz classes at UW; rather, you register in Cádiz with the Resident Director (during orientation week, finalizing your selection of classes at the conclusion of the 1st week school.

Q:

When and where do we meet up with others in the group or with our host families?

A.

We discuss travel options extensively at the orientation sessions; the options are many, but your program web page will tell you the day, hour and place where your host family will be expecting to meet you unless you have arranged otherwise with the program director and housing coordinator (rendez-vous is normally around 6:30 in the Plaza de de la Hispanidad (essentially, Pza de España, on the pre-established arrival date). All students make their own arrangements for travelling to and from Cadiz, thus it is very important that you inform the Res. Director of how, when and through what airports/train stations you will travel and your expected arrival time. They will make every attempt to alert your host family of any last minute changes or delays in your travel plan.

Despite the variety of travel itineraries, we invite students to meet up with one another and at the Barajas airport in Madrid (the most common first destination in Spain) the morning of "arrival day" in time to take an Iberia flight to Jerez de la Frontera. To allow time for the vast majority of students to arrive from the US, we currently schedule arrival into Jerez on the inbound flight that lands about 5pm. There will be a bus at the Jerez airport which will depart around 5:30 (after loading bags, etc.) and arrive in Cadiz at the appointed spot as close to 6:30pm as possible. The Jerez-Cadiz bus is the only portion of the trip that we arrange. Students may join others in Madrid, meet up at the Jerez airport or get to Cádiz on their own by plane and train from Barcelona, Sevilla, Jerez, Málaga, London, etc. We ask only that you make sure we know when/how you plan to reach Cadiz.

Q.

Is there an address we can use to send things on ahead so we don't have to carry so much on the flight?

A.

Yes. For students who need to send things ahead by mail, if you do not yet have the name and address of your host family, the program address is:
NW Cádiz Program

Facultad de Filosofía y Letras (Despacho C)
Gómez Ulla s/n
11003 Cádiz SPAIN

Q.

Addresses and phone numbers in Cádiz?

A.

See the appropriate link from the home page for each year.

Q:

Is there any change in the courses available since the brochure was published?

A.

The online brochure is updated annually. The basic lineup of fall and spring courses is constant, with an elective class added or supressed occasionally in response to enrollment figures.

Q.

Will we have access to email in Cadiz? Should I take a laptop?

A.

We highly recommend you take a laptop (take, DO NOT SEND it nor any other electronic device including cell phones). Having your own computer vastly simplifies preparing course work, papers, etc. (which can be printed out in the office). A flash drive for the purpose is very handy. In and around Filosofía y Letras (campus) WIFI is readily available, as it is here and there around town. All our host families are required to provide internet access (wifi).

Return to NW Cadiz Program home page

Q.	How do I get more information about the program? Whom do I contact with questions?

A.	The entire program brochure is available online at the main NW Cadiz Program web page, as is the application form, the housing form, current program fees, etc. Hardcopy is also available at UW in PDL C-104, [Box 354360 Dept. of Spanish & Port. UW, Seattle 98195] and from the IPE office at WWU and by request. Please read through the brochure before seeking answers to questions from program or UW staff. The general director of the program (identified on home page) will be happy to respond to your questions and direct you to those who can provide the answers you need. Several semesters of student evaluations of all aspects of the program are on file at the IPE office and in PDL C-104.

Q.	By when will we be told whether or not we have been accepted into the program?

A.	We formally admit qualified students within five days after the deadline for applying (March 20 for fall semester; Oct. 20 for spring semester). Your file will be reviewed as soon as it is complete, but admission is delayed until after the application deadline. A very few [4-5] students with exceptional academic merit may be granted early admission. These students need to alert the General Director of their interest in early admission.

Q.	Does the program operate in the summer?

A.	No. This is a two semester program. Students can enroll for fall or spring semesters or both.

Q:	How and where do I sign on for and pay for the group flight ticket?

A.	We no longer offer a group flight to Spain as students can now find better fares online. Each semester the on-site director or assistant will take a program bus to the Jerez airport on the specified arrival time and date to transport to Cadiz all those arriving from Madrid and others who choose to rendezvous there. Currently the bus meets the incoming Iberia flight that lands about 5pm. It departs around 5:30 for Cadiz, arriving there to meet up with all host families around 6:30-7:00. If at all possible, check luggage ALL THE WAY to JEREZ.

Q.	If I don't get in for fall, do I get my application fee back?

A.	Yes. The other option, if you so choose, is to leave it on deposit for the spring program, with a statement of your desire to have the application kept active for spring.

Q.	Can I pay my program fees by credit card?

A.	Unfortunately, no. We accept checks only, to be sent or delivered to the Dept. of Spanish & Port. Year-long and financial aid students commonly solve the problem of paying fees by leaving post-dated checks on deposit with the program (Padelford, C-104). Remember, checks for program tuition/fees are NOT to be deposited to your UW account with the registrar. Students receiving scholarships or others whose money is put into their UW account must make arrangements for transferring funds from that account to a personal checking account that can be used for paying program fees.

Q.	I'm on financial aid and I'm concerned about deadlines for paying program fees. I'm also a little worried about managing on the amount I'll have at my disposal.

A.	For students receiving financial aid, normally we can wait for payment until the scheduled distribution dates for financial aid (that is, delayed payments of the program fee). However, you must consult with Prof. Petersen (petersen@u.washington.edu) about setting up a payment plan and we ask that you arrange to have the financial aid office send her some kind of official confirmation of your eligibility, as well as an indication of when the funds will be released. In any event, B efore leaving the country ALL STUDENTS must make arrangements for payments of all program fees (by check, not credit card) to be sent directly to the program. (NW Cadiz Program -- Box 354360). Students on financial aid at UW should discuss their anticipated financial needs while abroad with the Financial Aid staff to determine whether or not they want to request an adjustment in aid for the period of their study abroad program.

Q.	Where and when do I send the concurrent enrollment form?

A.	The IPE concurrent enrollment fee ($610 for one semester; $610 for the year) must be printed from the IPE Cadiz application site, signed and returned to the UW Office of International Programs and Exchanges (Box 355815 UW, Seattle 98195-5815). Their fee is totally separate from the program tuition. The signed contract and payment must be received by IPE for you to be enrolled at UW.

Q:	What about medical insurance?

A.	All students on a UW study abroad program must take out a health insurance policy with the carrier IPE has contracted with (currently On Call International) This can be done online (go to http://www.washington.edu/globalaffairs/insurance/). It costs approx. $45/mo. (2014-15), is very comprehensive, and includes emergency evacuation . If you are covered under another medical policy, you can request a waiver, but it will only be granted if your private policy has similar coverage for all situations including emergency evacuation (most do not).

Q:	I’m unclear about the student visa. Do I need one? How do I get it?

A.	Yes, all students who will be staying in Spain (or any of the Schengen countries) for longer than 90 days must have a student visa. This means all of you except those holding a European Union Passport. All Washington residents and students attending college in Washington state will apply through the Consulate of Spain in San Francisco. The necessary documents and entire application process will be reviewed carefully at the 1^st orientation meeting for students accepted into the program. If you will be studying in Spain for longer than 90 days but less than 6 months, you will be issued a 6 mo. visa. If you will be enrolled in a study program in Spain for longer than 6 months, you will be issued a 3 mo. visa and will apply for a student residence card after you arrive in Spain (during our on site Orientation program). Once you have applied for the residence card (and even before you get it), your visa is in fact extended beyond the expiration date printed on it. Your orientation packet, handed out at the first orientation meeting, includes the Spanish Consulate's instructions and a page of "Detailed instructions" for filling out the many questions on the application. It is critical that you check “multiple entries” on this form so that you can travel freely in and out of the Schengen countries while abroad. Yearlong students must take care that the medical clearance letter (on Dr's letterhead and signed by an MD, not an RN), use the exact wording suggested on the Consulate’s instruction sheet. Yearlong students are also required to get a notarized letter from the Washington State Patrol (Criminal history clearance, which can be done online) and a set of fingerprints from any local police station. These documents must then be taken or sent to Olympia (Dept. of State) for an Apostille stamp. See the instructions in your information packet or on the Sec. of State's page about Apostilles. The entire process will be reviewed at the first (mandatory) orientation session, so it is essential that you or someone you trust be present at that meeting.

Q.	How much of the Spanish major or minor can I do in Cádiz?

A.	For UW students, credit can be earned for everything beyond 203. The UW core courses 321,322 & 323 are offered both semesters, as are 301, 302, 303 and 406. Students earn course credits for the level at which they are working. The same rules and restrictions apply as at the UW: However, because ours is a semester program, there is some leeway at the transition between levels. The last 300’s and first 400’s can be undertaken simultaneously, although students must have completed 303 before they are allowed to earn credit for 406. (All courses count towards the minor, as well.)

Q.	Addresses and phone numbers in Cádiz?

A.	See the appropriate link from the home page for each year.

Q:	Is there any change in the courses available since the brochure was published?

A.	The online brochure is updated annually. The basic lineup of fall and spring courses is constant, with an elective class added or supressed occasionally in response to enrollment figures.

Q.	Will we have access to email in Cadiz? Should I take a laptop?

A.	We highly recommend you take a laptop (take, DO NOT SEND it nor any other electronic device including cell phones). Having your own computer vastly simplifies preparing course work, papers, etc. (which can be printed out in the office). A flash drive for the purpose is very handy. In and around Filosofía y Letras (campus) WIFI is readily available, as it is here and there around town. All our host families are required to provide internet access (wifi).