Pre-departure Information

You are encouraged to study the following information to get prepared for the valuable cultural experience during your exchange studies. You may also download Handbook for Outbound Exchange Students for more information.

Academic Studies

Course Registration at Lingnan
If you are given and accepted an offer of SEP, you do not need to register any course(s) on your course plan(s) in DegreeWorks or during the online registration period at Lingnan for your designated exchange term. All pre-registered course(s) excluding concurrent course(s) e.g. senior thesis and final year project at Lingnan will be removed by the Registry by August. In case of withdrawal, you are required to inform both OGE and the Registry. If your withdrawal is beyond the online registration period in June, you can then only register your course(s) during the add/drop period of the term.


Course of Study and Graduation

Depending on your programme graduation requirements, you can take courses at your host institution which are equivalent to your programme required courses, programme electives, free electives or cluster courses.

In most cases, SEP participants can graduate on time if you choose your courses at host institutions very carefully. However, this may not always be possible and you might have to study an additional term at Lingnan to fulfill your graduation requirements. Therefore, you should pay extra attention to your graduation requirements and seek necessary advice from your Head of Department of your major and/or minor programmes, Programme Director, and/or Academic Advisor as appropriate.


Study Plan, Credit Transfer and Grades

To meet your graduation requirements while studying abroad, you should transfer credits gained from your host institution by obtaining prior approval to your Study Plan from relevant authorities. You can learn more about how to complete your study plan in our pre-departure briefing sessions. You should also read Guidelines on Completing Study Plan carefully before you fill it out.

You are required to take at least 12 Lingnan credits during exchange so as to qualify for your full-time student status. For details of the credit system of host institutions, please refer to Table of Credit Equivalence. After filling out your study plan, approval must be sought from relevant Subject Professor / Head of Department of your major and/or minor programmes / Director / Programmes Director / Delegate for credit transfer.

Course information of most of the host institutions will be made available through mails, e-mails, their websites and/or acceptance packages. Therefore, submission of study plan before your departure is compulsory unless course information of your host institution is unavailable. Please keep in mind that there is a possibility that some of the courses you wish to take may not be available, so do include some alternatives in your list of choices.

If you need to change your approved study plan, you must fill out a Revised Study Plan and submit it to the relevant authorities for approval before the end of the add/drop period of your host institution. If you seek approval via e-mail, you should forward the original e-mails to OGE (oge@LN.edu.hk) along with your revised study plan.

All credits earned from your host institution will be recognised and transferred back to Lingnan, provided that you have passed the course(s). The actual grades obtained at your host institution will be shown on your Lingnan transcript but will not be counted in your Lingnan Grade Point Average (GPA) calculation.

Estimated Expenses

As you are going on exchange as a Lingnan student, you will continue to pay for Lingnan’s tuition fees during your exchange term. In other words, your tuition fees of the host institution are waived. For accommodation fee, please refer to our Partner List to check whether your host institution is under full or half exchange agreement with Lingnan:

 

Tuition

Accommodation

Institutions under full exchange agreement

Pay Lingnan tuition fees

Pay Lingnan’s accommodation fee

Institutions under half exchange agreement

Pay host institution’s accommodation fee


Other estimated expenses to be incurred before and during SEP are listed below for reference only. Estimated expenses may vary among host countries and host institutions, as well as your personal lifestyle. Some, such as visa fees, may be subject to exchange rate fluctuations. You should refer to information listed on factsheets and student feedbacks available at our Partner List, websites of your host institution and acceptance package from your host institution.

 

Items

Estimated Expenses

1

Tuition fees

Lingnan tuition fees

2

Accommodation fees

Full exchange: Lingnan hostel fee

Half exchange: Host institution’s accommodation fee

3

Books and supplies

HK$3,000 (approximately)

4

Student activities fees and other mandatory fees

HK$1,500 (approximately)

5

Meal Plans (Mainly for U.S. institutions)

HK$13,000 (approximately)

6

Personal Expenses (e.g. local and inter-state transportation), excluding leisure traveling

HK$5,000 (approximately)

7

Health/medical/travel insurance as required by Lingnan or host institutions

HK$2,500 (approximately)

8

Student visa application fee and other fees (Depending on your host country, you may need to apply for a student visa or a resident’s permit and/or to provide a certain amount of financial proof / financial guarantee.)

HK$2,000 (approximately)

 

Financial Support

SEP participants are eligible for the following sources of financial support for transportation costs to host countries:

        

Air Ticket Sponsorships for IEP Participants

Lingnan sponsors IEP participants the net airfare of the most economic and reasonable flights between the host institution and Hong Kong, provided that both arrival and departure dates fall within the suggested periods as listed in the Table of Exchange Periods. For details, please refer to the Order Form to the designated travel agent.

     

Passage Allowance for MEP Participants

Lingnan offers passage allowance for MEP participants to sponsor their transportation costs to host institutions in Mainland China. The amount of passage allowances for Mainland institutions are as follows:

To host institution within Guangdong Province: $1,500
To host institution in regions other than Guangdong Province: $3,000

The allowance will be transferred to your bank account upon your departure for the exchange.

You should arrive at your host institution before the start of orientation programme and depart after the last day of examination. It is your responsibility to determine your actual arrival date to and departure date from the host institution thoroughly, by considering various factors such as the availability of arrival pick-up service, the date of orientation programme, the check-in and check-out dates of your accommodation, the last day of examination at your host institution and the commencement date of the upcoming term at Lingnan, the opening period of student hostel, and the last day of examination. Please confirm with your host institution if necessary.

You are responsible to purchase air tickets/ train tickets/ bus tickets on your own and make your travel plans carefully before the issuance of air tickets/ train tickets/ bus tickets. You should provide your itinerary and receipt to OGE for record purpose after your purchase.

*Remarks: Students enrolled in self-financed programmes should consult the respective programmes offices/home departments.

Travel Documents

IEP Participants

Passport: You are required to check if your passport is still valid for at least 6 months beyond the intended stay in the host country. Please check the validity of your current passport, or you may have to renew it before departure.

Student Visa: Most countries require exchange students to apply for valid student visas if they are planning to stay there for more than 180 days. You may also refer to the Information about Visa Application prepared by OGE. As immigration legislation changes frequently and without warning, please check the relevant embassy and websites for the most updated information, and do not rely solely on the information prepared by OGE.

As soon as you receive a formal acceptance letter from your host institution, please make prompt arrangements and bring all necessary documents to apply for a student visa from relevant consulate or embassy. Failure to comply with the entry visa requirements may result in delays or even deportation.

MEP Participants

You should obtain a Mainland Travel Permit for Hong Kong and Macau Residents (港澳居民來往內地通行證/回鄉卡) for Hong Kong / Macau residents or China visa for non-local students for studies. Check the validity of your Travel Permit / China Visa, and make sure it has at least 6 months validity beyond the intended stay in Mainland China. If not, you are advised to apply before departure through China Travel Service (Hong Kong) Limited by making an online appointment.

Accommodation

Most of the host institutions offer on-campus accommodation for international students. You should check the details about application for accommodation available at website of your host institution or your acceptance package. For accommodation providing compulsory or optional meal plans, you should select the one which suits your needs most. Before your departure, please make sure that you have confirmed your accommodation with the host institution or other relevant agencies. In case you do not have any offer of accommodation, you need to plan to arrive 1-2 weeks earlier to settle the accommodation arrangement.


Important Note: Students going to host institutions under full exchange agreements have to pay Lingnan hostel fee. You will receive a debit note of Lingnan hostel fee issued by Finance Office (FO) before the strat of your exchange term. It is your responsibility to check the debit note at your Banner account and avoid delay in settling Lingnan hostel fee.


If your host institution does not provide on-campus accommodation for international students, you should obtain information about private accommodation prepared by your host institution. Please allow sufficient time on searching and selecting a suitable apartment, and book your accommodation once your exchange application has been accepted by your host institution. If you try to find housing on your own, please make sure to do so through official websites or companies that you can trace and be aware of untrustworthy landlords and unreliable room agencies.


Landlords of private accommodation may request you to provide rental references and financial proofs. Before you sign the rental contract, you should check carefully and make sure if utilities such as gas, electricity and water will be included in the monthly rent. You should also be prepared to pay for the first month’s rent, the last month’s rent and a security deposit before you move in.

 

Insurance

You are required to provide a proof of insurance coverage to Lingnan and your host institution. You should obtain suitable and adequate insurance packages covering travel, personal property, accident, medical expenses (accident and non-accident), hospitalisation and emergency, evacuation/repatriation throughout the entire exchange period and personal trips. You must submit the proof of coverage to OGE before your departure.

If campus insurance plans are available at your host institution, you should join these plans. If you find the insurance coverage inadequate or if your host institution does not offer a compulsory insurance plan, you must purchase insurance with comprehensive coverage.

In case of an accident or whatsoever that you need to claim for indemnification after exchange, remember to retain and provide all the receipts and documents relating to the claims to the insurer.

Health

Some host institutions, particularly those in the U.S., require students to provide proof of good health. In this case, you need to arrange a medical check-up on your own. To protect yourself from infectious diseases endemic in your visiting countries, you may have to get inoculations and vaccinations.

 

Safety

To ensure a safe and rewarding journey, you should obtain some basic information about safety beforehand. You should keep an eye on the Travel Advice notice issued by the Hong Kong SAR Government to get the most updated and accurate information on some affected countries.

For passport holders of HKSAR and China, you should obtain contact information of the nearest Embassies of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) at your host country.

The PRC’s consular organs are responsible for protecting the legal rights and interests of Chinese citizens outside Chinese territory in case of emergency. If you hold a passport which is neither the HKSAR passport nor China passport, make sure you know the locations and details of emergency contacts of the consular organs of your country.


Partying and clubbing are common social activities overseas, and alcohol and drugs may be present. Never take drugs of any kind or abuse alcohol. You should also make sure you understand local laws and customs about drinking before participating.

Responsibilities of SEP Participants

Attend Pre-departure Briefing Sessions and Training Sessions

To gain a clear overview of exchange and to get yourself ready for the immersion, you are required to attend several pre-departure briefing sessions and training sessions organised by OGE and Office of Student Affairs (OSA) respectively. Please attend all sessions so that you do not miss any important information and preparation tips such as documentation required by host institutions, preparation of study plan, hostel arrangements, travel arrangements, visa application and cultural adjustments. Important documents and presentations that are useful for your exchange preparation are available at Download.


Complete SEP Evaluation

To gauge the effectiveness of your exchange studies, you are required to submit your pre-exchange survey, post-exchange survey and Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI) assessment (mandatory). Failure to complete the evaluation on time can result in the delay or denial of credit transfer and hence affect your graduation.


Participate in Buddies Scheme

You are likely to be eager for cultural exposure during your exchange as well as back to the internationalised Lingnan campus. To acknowledge the support rendered by Lingnan and enrich internationalisation on campus, you are expected to participate in the Buddies Scheme to assist in orientation programmes for incoming students organised by OGE and various university functions. For further information, please refer to Buddies Scheme.


Serve as Cultural Ambassador and Commit to Internationalisation at Lingnan

You are strongly recommended to live with our non-local/ incoming exchange students in student hostels. Please pay attention to the application details about your roommate preference for student hostels to be released by OSA.