Coronavirus (COVID-19) Travel Guidelines
Find the most recent travel guidelines and communications in response to Coronavirus (COVID-19).
If you're interested in conducting research or studying independently abroad while maintaining UT enrollment, independent study and research (ISR) may be right for you. Learn more about requirements, credit, deadlines and other pertinent information.
Find the most recent travel guidelines and communications in response to Coronavirus (COVID-19).
Credit is not granted by Texas Global for ISR status. If students want to seek credit for their time abroad they need to speak to their graduate coordinator or Graduate and International Admissions Center (GIAC).
Once approved for ISR, your registration will be completed by Texas Global. However, you must confirm your registration by paying your tuition bill. ISR is an exclusive registration, and cannot be combined with any other courses.
While most students will be abroad for the entire semester or year, many students in ISR status have some days, weeks or months in Austin before going abroad and will be able to use these resources before, during, and upon return.
Education Abroad will accept new applications or extensions until the deadlines. Students must complete all requirements for application prior to the application deadlines.
Application Fee: There is a one-time, $75, non-refundable Texas Global administration fee for ISR status.
Registration: The fee for registering in ISR status is $600 per semester. This fee, in lieu of tuition, will be posted to your My Tuition Bill. Student will receive an email notification of the fee and must make payment by the university fee bill due dates.
Insurance: All UT Austin students studying abroad are enrolled in mandatory Overseas Insurance for their travel dates abroad. The cost is $19 per week. Students cannot opt out of the UT Overseas Insurance, even if their program or overseas sponsor provides them with a similar type of coverage. International students returning to their home country are automatically exempt from this coverage and associated charges, although they are able to opt in to the overseas insurance coverage by emailing sarah.survance@austin.utexas.edu. However, international students may still be subject to charges for US-based insurance coverage. This is separate from overseas insurance, and is often required in order to maintain visa status.
Financial Aid and Scholarships: Students in ISR are not eligible for federal, state, or institutional loans. Students should also note that ISR does not satisfy the enrollment requirement for either academic or non-academic employment with the university. Some grants and scholarships may be awarded to students in this registration category. To apply for scholarships in Global Assist use program code 300999. All students in ISR are eligible for apply for the International Education Fee Scholarship (IEFS).
International students MUST speak with an Immigration Advisor in International Student and Scholar Services in Texas Global before leaving the United States. All international students accepted into ISR will be automatically charged for UT Domestic Student Health Insurance because the university cannot be certain that ISR students will remain abroad for the full term.
Students who want to continue research in the same country should complete the documents listed below for each subsequent semester they are in ISR beyond the initial semester. Students must submit approvals before the application deadlines listed above. Students will have to pay the tuition and insurance fees for the extension semester but the $75 application fee will be waived.
If you are traveling to a country on the UT Austin Restricted Regions List and the approval period listed on your letter from the IOC has expired or will expire during your proposed extension period, you must seek a Restricted Regions approval extension from the International Oversight Committee before your ISR extension can be considered. Please submit Restricted Regions extension request to sarah.survance@austin.utexas.edu with the following information:
Email all requirements to grs@austin.utexas.edu.
If you are traveling to a UT-Restricted Region, If you must get International Oversight Committee (IOC) Approval. You can apply for this and ISR at the same time. Students not traveling to a UT-Restricted Region should proceed directly to the next step.
Email sarah.survance@austin.utexas.edu with the following information:
You will then be granted access to the MyAbroad Portal and sent an email notification. Students in ISR should not register their travel in the International Travel Registry.
Students participating in Global Career Launch (GCL) should not apply for ISR. Upon acceptance to the GCL program, they will automatically be enrolled in the MyAbroad Portal and registered in ISR by the GCL Program Coordinator.
Log into the portal or "MyAbroad" and complete the "Online Registration Form" along with all listed steps / modules.
Download the ISR Cover Sheet, and obtain the required signatures. If you or your supervising professors are out of the country, email the cover sheet and one-page proposal to your faculty member and graduate adviser for an email approval. Send all documents and approvals to the ISR Coordinator at sarah.survance@austin.utexas.edu.
Complete a one-page abstract / proposal that addresses when, where, for how long, and for what purpose you will be abroad. Email the application to sarah.survance@austin.utexas.edu or turn it in at Texas Global front desk or mail it to Education Abroad's physical address (listed in our website footer) - [Attention ISR Coordinator]
Once final approval has been granted, including Restricted Region requests, an email notification will be sent to the students confirming the student's ISR application status. You will then be registered in ISR 00090.