Health & Safety Abroad

Your safety abroad starts with your own honest assessment of your health and safety needs, and careful consideration of the political situation and living conditions in your prospective host country.

• If you have a chronic or recurring health condition (including a learning disability or other condition for which you receive accommodations here), you should discuss your needs in advance with your health care providers, your family, the staff in the McCulloch Center, and potential host programs/universities. Not all locations will be able to accommodate all needs, and you should take local conditions into account before deciding where to travel.
• Because students have varying levels of previous experience and comfort with difference, the College believes that it is your responsibility to research the areas in which you are interested and to determine where you would feel comfortable and safe. We have identified some resources to help you locate country- or region-specific information; individual program sponsors can provide site-specific information and advice. The staff in the McCulloch Center can also help you gather and evaluate information, but the final decision about whether and where to travel is, of course, your own.
• For detailed information and resources about health and safety, including the topics below and more, see What to Know Before You Go: Handbook for Education Abroad (PDF).
  
  • Waiver of Liability
  • Resources
  • Health Insurance
  • International SOS
    

Waiver of Liability
Every student applying to or through Mount Holyoke for a program of study, research, internship, or other activity abroad will be required to sign a waiver of liability form as part of the application process. You must submit the completed form before we can process or consider your application. The purpose of the waiver is to verify to the College that you are aware of and understand the potential risks of study or other travel abroad, and that you acknowledge all responsibility for decisions about where and when to travel. Of course, you should consult with your parents/guardians about your plans before you sign the form (and note that some programs will require their own waivers, with parent signatures, as well). If you apply for more than one type of activity (for example, a semester of study abroad, and a summer internship), you will need to submit a signed waiver to the appropriate office for each activity.

Resources on Health and Safety Abroad
You are responsible for researching health and safety conditions, required vaccinations, and other preventive measures for travelers abroad. The following websites include country- and region-specific information about health and safety. We encourage you to talk with faculty and other advisors who are familiar with the places to which you expect to travel, and to read local newspapers and other media sources as well.

• U.S. State Department, Bureau of Consular Affairs. On this site, you will find health and safety information and travel advice about every country with which the U.S. has diplomatic relations, as well as general tips for students and other travelers. (Students who are not U.S. citizens should also check the analogous websites of their home governments, as travel advice may vary according to the nationality or residence of the traveler.) Note these resources in particular:
• Country Specific Information Sheets, Travel Warnings, and Travel Alerts
• Background Notes for a summary report of each country with which the U.S. has diplomatic relations
• U.S. Embassies and Diplomatic Missions for links to the web sites of U.S. Consulates and Embassies abroad
• Tips for Traveling Abroad for general advice and information about staying safe while traveling.
• International Travel Safety Information for Students
• Centers for Disease Control publishes travel warnings related to health risks, as well as information about immunization requirements and other health considerations and advice for travelers.
• World Health Organization publishes information about health issues and advice for travelers around the world.
• The Center for Global Education SAFETI Clearinghouse ("Safety Abroad First Educational Travel (The Center for Global Education SAFETI Clearinghouse) has links to many travel resources, including an adaptation of Peace Corps materials.
• Mobility International has resources for students with disabilities of all kinds
• ASIRT (Association for Safe International Road Travel) promotes awareness of road safety issues abroad and offers country-specific information and advice.

Health Insurance
You must have adequate medical insurance coverage while you are abroad. It is especially important for you to maintain health insurance coverage with no gap in dates if you have a chronic or recurring medical condition.

Students on academic leave of absence for study abroad (or study in the U.S.) will be enrolled in the Mount Holyoke student health insurance plan just as if they were here. For details about coverage outside the U.S., please refer to MHC Student Health Insurance. Coverage runs from August 15 of one year to August 14 of the following year. Students who have other insurance and do not wish to have coverage under this plan will need to waive the plan before August 14 each year. You will need to demonstrate that you have other appropriate medical insurance. See Student Health Insurance for additional details. Before choosing to waive this plan, it is critical that you confirm that your other insurance will cover you while you are abroad, and that you understand how to access benefits while you are abroad. (International students may not waive this coverage even if they are studying abroad for the year. If you are an international student who has been awarded a Laurel Fellowship for study away, your aid package will cover the cost of the plan.)

International SOS
Five Colleges Inc. has contracted with International SOS, the world's largest medical and security assistance company, to provide emergency services to Mount Holyoke students, faculty, and staff traveling abroad on college-sponsored programs or business. Students are covered for medical evacuation and repatriation of remains and may access I-SOS travel security information; additional benefits are available on a cost basis. This program is not a substitute for your present health insurance. It provides only supplemental insurance and assistance for certain medical emergencies and for repatriation of remains.