The University of Florida main campus is located on 2,000 acres in the North Central Florida college-town of Gainesville. Home to 50,000+ students, UF’s student body includes the highest number of international students in Florida, whose backgrounds’ span 140 countries. Contributing to the international make-up of our campus are international exchange students, hosted each semester by various participating UF colleges.
Exchange students come to us from all over the world through one of our upwards of 110 reciprocal partner institutions. Reciprocal partnerships allow students hosted at each institution to pay tuition to their Home University rather than the Host University - opening up global education, at no additional cost. The UF International Center (UFIC) values its partner institutions and has remained committed to fostering these global partnerships, some spanning decades.
Within the UF International Center (UFIC), the Exchange Student Services (ESS) unit is tasked with upholding partnership terms, serving our visiting students, and administering successful exchange programs.
Exchange Students and Partner Institutions can expect ESS to administer the onboarding requirements of Exchange Students in two-fold: 1. By facilitating their affiliation as non-degree students with the University of Florida and 2. By facilitating appropriate visa sponsorship for their program.
ESS liaises with many different offices on UF’s campus to make these programs possible - including academic units in hosting colleges, the Bursar’s Office, Health Compliance/Services, Housing, Office of the University Registrar, and the Division of Student Affairs.
Exchange Students’ journeys at UF start with their Home School selecting and nominating them to UF. Eligible students then complete applications online. ESS will review these applications and issue acceptances, including required immigration status materials and arrival information. ESS supports programs prior to, during, and after their programs. Navigate through our website for more information on each stage of the process.
