Campus visits provide advisers with first-hand knowledge of U.S. colleges and universities and can help them speak to their students about life on a U.S. campus in a concrete way using real examples.
The EducationUSA network’s success depends on advisers' access to current information and skills-based training. Campus visits also help U.S. institutions raise their profile internationally and provide them with the opportunity to highlight specific programs and services for international students.
HOST ADVISERS YEAR ROUND ON YOUR CAMPUS
Review the Toolkit: How to Host EducationUSA Advisers on your Campus for best practices on a successful visit.
Eligibility: All accredited U.S. HEIs may host EducationUSA advisers. Hosts must be able to cover all costs for the entirety of the visit including international airfare, meals, lodging, and transportation, and health/travel insurance. Hosts must accommodate any dietary restrictions or disability requirements an adviser may have.
When to Host: Institutions host advisers whenever it is convenient for them. EducationUSA does not designate the dates.
Whom to Host: Institutions should invite advisers directly, copying Department of State staff and REACs: Regional Managers on all emails (contact information listed in the Toolkit). Department of State and REAC staff can help identify advisers if needed. We recommend hosting advisers who have not been to your campus before to expand their knowledge of accredited institutions in the United States.
PRE/POST CONFERENCE CAMPUS VISITS [PROGRAM APPLICATIONS FOR 2024 CLOSED]
EducationUSA has a formal campus visit program tied to U.S. based international education conferences under which the network flies a limited number of advisers in for the conferences, then accredited U.S. HEIs can apply and host advisers before or after those events. Applications for campus hosting opportunities pre/post conferences are currently closed. However, U.S. HEIs can now host advisers year-round without funding from EducationUSA (details above). The main difference between the two hosting opportunities is that EducationUSA covers international airfare costs for the pre/post conference visit program and HEIs must apply ahead of time.
Applications for the 2024 hosting cycle pre/post conference campus visits are now closed.
Applications will open for the 2025 hosting cycle in the fall of 2024. Information on the program is available below for U.S. HEIs to prep for their 2025 application.
In 2025, there will be opportunities to host EducationUSA advisers and Regional Educational Advising Coordinators (REACs) virtually or on campus for approximately two to three days either before or after an education-related conference that advisers will attend (a list of 2025 conferences is included below and are tentative).
An application to host advisers in-person on your campus should include, as possible, engagement with international students, a mock admissions panel to review international student applications, and a visit(s) to one or more nearby colleges or universities, including institutions of different types (e.g., community colleges, minority-serving, liberal arts, etc.). For in-person visits, campuses typically host groups of 2-8 advisers and 1-2 REACs. REAC participation is not guaranteed and based on their availability. For in-person visits, campuses must host at least two advisers but may indicate capacity to host larger groups. A sample in-person schedule is provided below.
An application to host advisers virtually should include speakers and activities that provide advisers a broad understanding of the institution and its offerings. Please be descriptive in your proposed schedule by including speaker titles, cultural activities, and/or learning objectives. A sample virtual schedule is provided below.
Eligibility
Applicants must be accredited U.S. post-secondary educational institutions (non-profit or for-profit), U.S. higher education associations, university systems, consortia, or qualified entities that meet provisions in IRS Section 26 USC 501(c)(3).
Costs
For a virtual campus visit, host institutions will not incur any costs, other than staff time or a license for a virtual meeting platform. However, if HEIs do not have a license for a virtual platform (e.g. Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Google Meet), EducationUSA can provide access to our Google Meet platform to host a campus visit.
For an in-person campus visit, host institutions cover adviser costs for lodging, meals, domestic airfare or ground transportation, and local transportation, including travel to/from the airport as needed. The U.S. Department of State normally covers advisers’ international airfare to and from the city where the conference is taking place. If advisers arrive or depart from a different airport than the conference location because they are participating in a campus visit, host institutions may be asked to cover the cost difference of the international airline ticket, if any. In this case, you will also need to reserve and purchase the one-way domestic travel for advisers visiting your campus. In the case of medical emergencies, campus hosts are expected to cover upfront costs and to work with the U.S. Department of State on subsequent reimbursement. Advisers are able to visit campuses during weekdays or weekends, whichever works best for your institution, as long as the dates align with the dates of the respective conference (immediately before or immediately after).
proposal SUBMISSIONS FOR HIGHER EDUCATION CONFERENCES ARE NOW CLOSED. ONLY APPLICATIONS FOR THE EDUCATIONUSA FORUM IN WASHINGTON, DC ARE OPEN WITH A DEADLINE OF FEBRUARY 5, 2024.
Conference | Location | Travel Dates | # of Advisers Attending (estimated) | |
Community Colleges | Not Yet Announced | Feb. 2025 |
| 5 |
American | Not Yet Announced | Apr. 2025 |
| 3 |
National | Not Yet Announced | Apr. 2025 |
| 6 |
NAFSA Annual | Not Yet Announced | May 2025 |
| 13 |
Int’l Association | Not Yet Announced | July 2025 |
| 12 |
EducationUSA Forum | Not Yet Announced | July / August 2025 |
| 44 |
National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC) | Not Yet Announced | Sep. 2025 |
| 4 |