Petition for College-Sponsored Travel to Countries with State Department Travel Advisories Level 3
Travel to a country or region where there is a Level 3 travel advisory issued by the U.S. State Department and/or a Level 3 travel health notice issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention require that this travel petition be completed by the student traveler and reviewed and signed by the student’s parent/guardian. Travel to countries with a Level 4 travel advisory from the U.S. State Department is presumptively ineligible for college sponsorship. (The College has made an exception for study away starting in the fall 2021; students may petition countries with a U.S. State Department Level 4 travel advisory and/or a CDC Level 3 or 4.) Students applying to pre-approved study abroad programs must still petition the college so they, and their parent/guardian, understand the risks as outlined in the U.S. State Department travel advisory and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention travel health notice since pre-approval of a program is not an endorsement of the safety of the location.
Only students whose petitions are approved may transfer college funds and/or credit should they continue with their intended travel. The college may require a student to take additional steps before traveling or during the trip, or ask a student to make alternative plans. For students whose petitions are approved, should conditions change in the host country or region prior to departure, the college may advise or require deferring or cancelling travel plans, and revoke college sponsorship if necessary.
Resources to review:
- U.S. State Department Travel Advisory
- AIG Travel Guard
- Amherst College Travel Registry ("Register Trip" tab)
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (and their specific COVID information)
- Amherst College Travel Policy
Questions? Email geo@amherst.edu.