Faculty & Staff Advisors
Main Points for Advisors
The National Student Exchange (NSE) is a partnership among nearly 200 institutions in the United States., U.S. territories (Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Guam) and Canada. Students apply to participate in the NSE through the Office of the Provost and Executive Vice President by submitting an application and a $150 application fee.
The priority application deadline for the upcoming fall or spring semester is late February each year. Following priority placements, students may still be placed directly at a host institution based on availability. In all cases, students are required to meet with the NSE Coordinator, Lisa Stricklin, in the Office of the Provost.
Details for Advisors
Students choose the National Student Exchange (NSE) program for many reasons, including enhancing their academic program, experiencing a university setting outside of Mississippi, and exploring opportunities for graduate school or future employment after MSU. Because students remain enrolled at MSU during their exchange, most scholarships and financial aid typically apply; however, we can confirm eligibility with the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid if needed.
Upon completion of the exchange, students transfer their coursework back to MSU, and approve credits are considered resident credit. Students may participate in NSE for one semester or up to one academic year and may attend as many as two different host institutions.
Outgoing MSU students continue to pay tuition and fees to MSU, while additional costs such as housing, meals, lab fees are paid to the host institutions. Students are also responsible for transportation fees to their destination. Students are required to obtain pre-approval for all courses taken at the host institution to ensure they are equivalent to MSU coursework or fulfill their academic requirements. Some students may also choose courses that support future career goals but are not required for their degree. While this is permitted, students should be advised that not all their coursework may apply towards degree completion.
The NSE Coordinator works closely with academic advisors to help students identify appropriate course and select an exchange them that aligns with their academic plan. The NSE Coordinator can also contact host institutions to request syllabi or course descriptions when they are not publicly available.
A list of NSE participating institutions is available on the NSE Campus webpage here: Campuses.
By providing guidance on how NSE can fit within a student's academic plan and which requirements may be fulfilled while on exchange, advisors play a key role in the process. Students will meet with advisors to complete required course equivalency paperwork prior to leaving for participation.
Details for Faculty
If you are interested in having our office present to your class or organization, please contact the NSE Coordinator, Lisa Stricklin, in the Office of the Provost and Executive Vice President for additional information or to schedule a presentation. If a presentation is not needed, but you would like a pamphlet or PowerPoint materials, we are happy to provide those upon request. Our goal is to support your efforts in ensuring students are aware of the opportunity to participate in an exchange program.