National Student Exchange (NSE)
Have you dreamed of studying in the United States? NSE's member campuses represent an untold diversity of people, culture, and geography among the 48 states, the District of Columbia, 3 US territories and 5 Canadian provinces.
The National Student Exchange program was established in 1967. Today, students can study at one of 135 partner institutions in the USA, Puerto Rico, Guam and the US Virgin Islands! Students can spend a semester or a year at one of the member campuses open to Home Pay (meaning you will pay your regular UCalgary tuition fees to attend).
Each member campus has its own profile on the NSE website with details of the campus, the location, programs offered, etc. Before searching member profiles, please be sure to sort the list by "Receive from Canada" as not all NSE members exchange with Canada.
Key information
Student experience
A video introducing NSE, with interviews from students!
Applying for an NSE exchange is slightly different than our other exchange programs! Please carefully review the information and application instructions below. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to contact the UCalgary global learning advisor at study.abroad@ucalgary.ca or book an advising appointment on Elevate.
Key information
Undergraduate programs are available in all disciplines: science, arts, engineering, kinesiology, etc. Across the diverse NSE campuses, many unique subject areas are also offered which are not available at UCalgary (such as journalism, oceanography, peace studies, criminology, ecogastronomy, entertainment management, forensic science, speech pathology, and more).
Graduate programs are not available. Graduate-level UCalgary students may not participate in this exchange. This includes JD Law students, as law is a graduate program in the USA. Some NSE campuses may have additional restrictions where exchange students are allowed to take classes in certain subjects.
Credit: Generally, 1 course in the USA transfers back as 1 course at UCalgary, although there is some variation (see Semester info below). For specific transfer credit information, contact your UCalgary academic advisor. Due to transfer credit difficulties, we strongly recommend focusing on courses of at least 2nd-year standing, and not taking any 1st-year courses while on exchange through NSE.
Most NSE campuses run on a similar semester calendar as UCalgary. Fall semester usually goes from late August/early September to late December, and Spring semester (what we call "winter") goes from early January to late May/early June.
Some NSE campuses run on the "quarter system", where the academic year is divided into four 3-month sessions. Three sessions make up an academic year: fall (September to December), winter (January to March), and spring (March to June). These are equivalent to two semesters at UCalgary. Quarter credit hours generally earn one-third less value than semester credit hours.
Exchange students pay their tuition and academic fees to the University of Calgary. Other expenses are paid directly to the service provider. Also, remember to include things like student visa, insurance, vaccinations etc. in your budget planning. NSE also provides great information about visas for students from Canada on their website.
All NSE campuses provide their own cost estimates, as the cost of living can vary dramatically depending on the state and city. Your housing situation will also affect this: most NSE campuses offer on-campus housing, although rooms may or may not be guaranteed, and exchange students might have to be flexible in living off-campus if needed.
Did you know that you can take your UCalgary funding with you on exchange? Since you remain a degree-seeking student at UCalgary while studying abroad, you remain eligible for any awards and scholarships you are otherwise eligible to receive from the university, as well as student loans.
Our office administers several awards, including the Global Access Fund and the Global Learning Award. Students may only receive these awards once. Please see the funding page for more information.
Another funding option is the Killam Fellowship. Administered by Fulbright Canada, this $5000 fellowship supports students from UCalgary to do a semester or year-long exchange in the USA. Killam applications must be submitted separately in addition to your NSE application, and are only taken once per year.
This exchange is open to regular, full-time undergraduate students in any faculty at the University of Calgary, who have completed at least one full year (10 courses) at the post-secondary level, with a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5 (B-). Note: Some campuses have higher GPA requirements!
Students applying to study in Puerto Rico may be asked to meet additional language requirements, if the main language of instruction is Spanish. To take courses in Spanish, students must have completed a minimum of SPAN 303 (4 semesters of Spanish) at UCalgary, or have the equivalent training/knowledge.
Several NSE campuses may ask for a reference letter down the road. However, no reference is required at the time of application.
Application instructions
Start at the Campus Search Map. Enter your home campus, University of Calgary; under the Campus Details filters, make sure to select "Home Tuition Payment" and "Accepts Canadian students" so that the map shows campuses you are eligible for!
Other options to search for campuses are Browse by Location (useful if you already know what state you want to study in) and Browse by Programs of Study (useful to search for campuses that offer your desired subject area).
When clicking on a campus, be sure to scroll down the page and check ALL sections:
- Academics - Is your desired subject area available or restricted? Some campuses also list registration timing here, which is good to know (e.g. if registration happens after on-campus students, it's important to be flexible in your class selection as seats may fill up quickly).
- Conditions - Are there any extra requirements, such as a higher GPA? Does the campus accept Home Pay from Canada? (Mandatory for UCalgary exchange students!)
- Finance - You will pay normal UCalgary tuition as a Home Pay exchange student. However, use this section to check other estimated costs.
- Room - Use this section to check housing arrangements and options.
- Chance of acceptance - Use this section to check how competitive the campus is.
- Resources - Links to learn more about the campus.
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If you are applying in the PRIORITY round
Priority Deadline: January 12, 2026
(Instructions will be updated here in time for the next priority round)
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If you are applying in the DIRECT round
Closed for UCalgary Fall 2026 applicants. OPEN for Winter 2027 applicants - final deadline: August 15, 2026
Please check the Direct Placement Availability page to confirm which campuses are still taking applications for Home Payment Exchange. If your desired campus is "Open", you can apply only to it and do not need any backups. If your desired campus is "Limited", you should consider an open campus as a backup, just in case.
Once you have narrowed down your desired campus(es), download the NSE Supplemental Application Form PDF.
Fill it out with your top campus(es). Please provide a list of courses for each campus. This allows the UCalgary global learning advisor to verify that the campus is a good match for you. Note, this is a tentative list and may be changed later; your transfer credit will later be negotiated with your UCalgary academic advisor.
-
If you are applying in the PRIORITY round
Priority Deadline: January 12, 2026
(Instructions will be updated here in time for the next priority round)
-
If you are applying in the DIRECT round
Closed for UCalgary Fall 2026 applicants. OPEN for Winter 2027 applicants - final deadline: August 15, 2026
Please ignore the instruction on the form to list 3-5 campuses. You may only apply to one campus, unless it is "Limited"; if so, please list a second campus as a backup.
Open the UCalgary application portal RAISA. Log in with your regular UCalgary eID (the same way that you log in to D2L or campus WiFi).
Click on "Study Programs" and search for the program name "National Student Exchange". You do not need to enter any other search criteria. Click "Apply" to fill out the application, attach your supplemental form, and submit it!
Be aware of the deadlines:
- Priority Placement Applications for Fall 2026/Winter 2027 due on January 12, 2026
- Direct Placement Applications for Fall 2026 are now closed
- Direct Placement Applications for Winter 2027 are open until August 15, 2026
- Note, the NSE.org website may have different deadlines posted; please defer to the UCalgary deadlines. These have been set to ensure that UCalgary applicants have adequate time to apply for a visa and arrange other logistics.
After your application has been reviewed by the UCalgary global learning advisor, you will be contacted and directed to submit a secondary application directly in the NSE.org website. We ask that you do not initiate this application until after you are contacted by UCalgary, in case of any errors or edits that have to first be made to your UCalgary application.
As part of this step, please note you will be required to pay a $150 USD application fee.
Are there smoke-free campuses?
Yes! Refer to this list of smoke-free colleges and universities. Note, not all USA campuses listed here are also available through NSE, so you will need to compare it with the NSE website.
Are there campuses with good LGBTQ+ communities & supports?
Yes! Here are just a few examples of campuses that offer gender-inclusive housing/facilities, diverse curriculum, and welcoming student life: University of Wisconsin Eau Claire, University of Minnesota Twin Cities, University of Minnesota Morris, and Southern Oregon University.
Can I study at a campus that is not listed on the NSE website?
No. UCalgary students only have access to exchange programs through NSE.
The campus I want is closed to Home Pay. Can I study on Away Pay instead?
No. UCalgary students are only allowed to do Home Pay NSE exchanges.
Can I do multiple NSE exchange programs?
Yes! You may return to attend multiple semesters at different campuses. Please note it is not allowed to spend more than 1 academic year (2 semesters) at a single NSE campus. It is also usually not possible to attend 2 NSE campuses within a single academic year, depending on current visa limitations.
Have questions?
The advisor for the program is: Kathryn Bauer
How to Apply
Download the application guide
This PDF contains information on how to complete your application and what to do after you have applied.
Identify three programs of interest
We recommend applying for your top three programs for the priority application deadline, as placement may be competitive. We will assess your applications in ranked order.
Check requirements and deadlines
These may vary by program, so check the individual program pages and make sure that you are aware of any different application deadlines or eligibility requirements.
Start your application
Once you have gathered everything you need, you can begin your application!
Please note: Applications will not be considered complete until all required documents are submitted in full.
International travel presents challenges that may not be found when attending classes on campus. There may be a lack of resources, emergency services, hospitals, accessibility issues and/or demands on the physical and the mental self, all of which can challenge individuals when away from their usual support systems and structures. Adequate preparation is essential.
For this reason, it is imperative that you evaluate all aspects of your own physical, psychological, emotional and spiritual condition against the rigors of the particular global learning program you are selecting. If you are unsure of whether or not this program is a good fit for you and/or if you have any circumstances that could impede your enjoyment of the program, please contact us. Our Global Learning Advisors will be happy to assist in finding the best options for you and arrange any supports or accommodations necessary to ensure your success.
If you have or are seeking a certificate from Student Accessibility Services, you should provide this early to your Global Learning Advisor to ensure that the option that you are seeking can support your needs.
Please note: All participants must adhere to COVID-19 and other vaccination-related requirements for the destinations visited on this program. Failure to do so may have consequences such as being denied access to accommodation/housing, program activities, or to the host country itself.