FAQ’s

Please read below for answers to our most frequently asked questions.

General

The Student Portal is an information hub for completing your onboarding checklist, registering for required Pre-Departure Orientation sessions, Community Events, conversing with fellow Vertoans, important updates, and on-site communications.

Once you are enrolled, you will receive an email prompting you to login to the Student Portal using your personal email address and password. You may access the portal from your desktop computer and using your phone by downloading the “Verto Education Student Portal” app from the Apple App Store or Google Play.

Read the Student Portal Manual for login instructions.

For additional access support, contact your Student Onboarding Advisor. If you’re unsure who your SOA is, email: [email protected]

Participants are responsible for booking travel to and from the abroad location. Please plan to arrive on your location’s official arrival day and time window — be sure to review your arrival and flight booking details in the Student Portal under your abroad location Group and navigate to the “Documents” tab.

Verto locations will have an official arrival day where your on-site staff will arrange airport pick-up for you within a specific time frame. You will receive information about your official arrival day and times in your Student Portal. Be sure to compete your Student Portal checklist, which includes submitting your flight information. If you are arriving outside of the designated day and time frame, you will be responsible for coordinating and paying for your own transportation. The location team will be able to provide you with the address of your residence.

Participants can find location-specific information on their abroad location page. Generally though, Verto costs include:

  • Housing and accommodation
  • Airport reception upon arrival – for participants only
  • Verto Discovery Week, including city tour
  • University registration through our Academic Provider, the University of New Haven
  • Pre-departure assistance and helpful guides/handbooks
  • Outside the classroom experiential learning activities/excursions
  • Onsite/international staff support
  • Books (digital)

Does Not Include:

  • Airfare
  • Airport reception for those arriving outside the abroad experience arrival dates (except Costa Rica – due to distance outside arrival city, transportation can be arranged for additional fee)
  • Return airport transportation (with the exception of Costa Rica)
  • Travel insurance/property insurance
  • Out-of-pocket medical expenses at time of service (insurance included from Verto requires submitting receipts for reimbursement)
  • COVID-19 testing
  • Meals (some locations/ housing assignments may include meal plans)
  • Passport fees
  • Student visa or other immigration requirements, or costs incurred while obtaining a visa
  • Course supplies such as laptop, notebooks paper pencils, etc
  • Personal transportation
  • Personal expenses
  • Cell phone and local sim card (sites will assist with getting a local sim)

Please be sure to read over the Payment, Cancellation, and Refund Policy for any questions pertaining to payment, cancellations and refunds.

Please visit our Location Resources for a detailed packing list for each abroad location.

All incoming Vertoans MUST attend three virtual Pre-Departure Orientation sessions prior to their study abroad experience—the Global Orientation, Location Orientation, and Care Team Hangout.

If your pathway to Verto included an invitation from one of our partner colleges, you may be invited to an additional required event to cover details for a smooth transition back to your university after studying abroad.

All event details and registration is located in the Student Portal.

We also encourage you to attend our other optional Community Events including monthly hangouts, workshops, affinity groups, and more. See the full event list in your Student Portal.

Passports Visas & Flights

All students must have a valid passport in-hand and uploaded to the Student Portal. Please upload this as soon as possible. Follow our Passport Guide on how to apply for or renew your passport ASAP — passports will take several weeks to obtain. 

For locations requiring a visa (Italy, Spain, and Czech Republic), you must have your passport in-hand at least 3 months prior to the experience start date — we cannot produce student visa paperwork without your passport number.

All passports must be valid for at least 6 months beyond the end of the abroad experience (and possibly more depending on your Verto location). If your passport does not meet this criteria, you must renew their passport as soon as possible.

Please see our Passport Guide blogpost for instructions on how to apply for or renew your passport.

You need a student visa if:

    1. You are traveling to Czech Republic, Italy, or Spain.
    2. Participants traveling on non-U.S. passports will likely need a student visa for other locations, including Argentina, Costa Rica, or the United Kingdom (England). Participants with non-U.S. passports must contact their Student Onboarding Advisor.

Purchase your flights as soon as you know your location’s official arrival date and arrival time window. This information will be made available on the Student Portal.

Participants traveling to Italy will need to have roundtrip flights booked in order to apply for their student visas. As such, you must purchase your flight as soon as the official arrival date is made public on the Student Portal. 

For all locations, you will want to make sure your flight arrives on your location’s official arrival date during the designated arrival time window so that you will be eligible for Verto’s airport pickup service. 

If you are arriving outside of the designated day and time frame, you will be responsible for coordinating and paying for your own transportation. The location team will be able to provide you with the address of your residence so that you can reach there on your own on official arrival day or after.

Health & Safety

Please indicate your food allergies on your “Health History Form” and the “Dietary Accommodation Form” in the Student Portal under My Checklist. It’s important that you submit these forms as soon as possible and bring up any questions or concerns with your Student Onboarding Advisor so that the on-site team can prepare for your arrival.

Learn about vaccines and COVID-19 safety on our Health & Safety page and Vaccinations page.

Verto enrolls all participants in international health insurance coverage provided by Cultural Insurance Services International (CISI). Verto’s coverage for participants provides comprehensive medical insurance benefits, alongside travel assistance services in the event of emergencies. You may access information about your insurance in your Student Portal approximately two weeks prior to departure.

Participants may choose to get their own supplemental travel or property insurance as those are not included with Verto.

No, you are unable to opt out of Verto provided insurance. You are welcome to purchase additional insurance, if necessary. Our team can work with you to help answer any questions you may have regarding your Verto provided insurance.

Verto Discovery Week (your first week on-site) emphasizes the importance of self-care for your personal growth and academic success; we’ll cover topics including nutrition, time management, exercise, and rest. This blog post also has some great tips for maintaining mental health while traveling if you want to start planning now. 

Throughout your time abroad with Verto, you’ll have a team of mentors including your Student Life Coordinator (SLC) and Academic Success Coordinator (ASC), who will be there to answer any questions and direct you towards the right resources. 

Participants who experience minor injuries or illnesses will be assisted in seeking immediate medical support or treatment by the SLC, and emergency medical services are available in all Verto locations.  

For Verto’s health and safety policies, read our Health & Safety page and Policies page.

We highly encourage you to bring a sufficient quantity of prescription medication with you for the duration of your time abroad. This is because it may be difficult to obtain your medication while abroad. Please plan ahead accordingly with your doctor and loop in your Student Onboarding Advisor if you have any questions or concerns.

If you need to obtain prescription medications while abroad, you can work with your on-site staff to identify local pharmacy providers.

Your on-site staff will be available to assist you in identifying preferred and English-speaking medical providers, if needed while in-country. You will need to pay costs for medical services up front, and then you can submit a claim with your abroad experience insurance provider (CISI) in order to receive reimbursement for all covered medical expenses. Be sure to keep all receipts for any medical services obtained abroad – keep the physical copies and email yourself photos as well!

Mental Health support is available for participants via on-site and remote support services. Contact your Student Life Coordinator and Academic Success Coordinator while on site if you need assistance. You can also email [email protected] if you would like assistance prior to departure or need anything urgently while onsite.

Participants seeking 1:1 counseling support with a licensed mental health professional are provided local contact information, and assistance with scheduling an appointment. We must be informed of any medical or health concerns well in advance of arrival.

This varies by location. Many Verto locations are in the heart of a public ‘city-center,’ where a cluster of different buildings provide spaces for participant housing and curricular and extracurricular activities. Security guards may or may not be present. All Verto locations and accommodations are screened for safety.

Verto in-country staff are available to accompany participants to medical appointments, and assist them with communication with local medical providers.

Domestic, independent participant travel is permitted during periods when required classes and activities are not being held (e.g., weekends or holidays), unless otherwise indicated by local staff.

Extended overnight travel – or independent international travel – is likewise permitted, but participants must check with local staff before making any out-of-country travel plans, and register their travel plans with Verto staff. Whether you travel internationally or domestically, all participants must submit an Independent Travel Form (online-digital document) prior to extended absences from their site.

If participants travel internationally without explicit permission of local staff, they may face disciplinary action.

Academics

Ensure you have completed all of the required Academics items in your Student Portal, including registering for courses and sharing a copy of your high school transcript(s), previous college transcripts (if applicable), and test scores (AP and/or IB). Email those documents to [email protected].  

Review the Verto Attendance Policy and other academic policies, and attend all of the academic orientation sessions leading up to departure.

Please come prepared to put your best efforts into your academics during your time with Verto!

All courses, credits, and transcripts at Verto locations are delivered by our accredited Academic Provider, the University of New Haven.

Questions prior to departure should be directed to your Student Onboarding Advisor. 

Once in-country you can reach out to your Academic Success Coordinator and Student Life Coordinator for support.

All courses, credits, and transcripts at Verto locations are delivered by our accredited Academic Provider, the University of New Haven.

After your Verto abroad experience, all participants may request their official transcripts in MyCharger from our Academic Provider, the University of New Haven. Towards the end of your time abroad with Verto, you will receive communication from Verto with further directions to request your transcript.

All courses, credits, and transcripts at Verto locations are delivered by our accredited Academic Provider, the University of New Haven.

 

Incoming Vertoans may complete the Academic Accommodations Form in MyCharger. All academic accommodations must first be approved by the University of New Haven (UNewHaven).

UNewHaven has a holistic approach in determining eligibility for accommodation and will review all information that a participant submits. Once accommodation has been approved, our team will work with you to set up meetings with the relevant faculty to assess what the accommodation will look like in their classrooms.

All courses, credits, and transcripts at Verto locations are delivered by our accredited Academic Provider, the University of New Haven.

Course selection information and instructions will be provided via the Student Portal. 

Please login to your Student Portal to access and familiarize yourself with the course selection guides (for guidance on course interests by location). If you are attending Verto as part of a program through a partner university, please view the channel partner registration guides for help mapping credits to those specific partner schools. You may also want to take a look at our website to browse course offerings there.  

You will be notified via email and the Student Portal when course registration is open.

If you have questions about course registration, email [email protected]

All courses, credits, and transcripts at Verto locations are delivered by our accredited Academic Provider, the University of New Haven.

You will have a designated Academic Success Coordinator (ASC) on-site who can provide various levels of academic support and tutoring outside of the classroom. This coaching can include one-on-one meetings, study groups, and more. Your ASC can help direct you to further resources if needed.

All courses, credits, and transcripts at Verto locations are delivered by our accredited Academic Provider, the University of New Haven.

Add/drops are made during the first week of classes in the Course Registration Portal. Participants must also contact their Academic Success Coordinator (ASC) to make these changes.

All courses, credits, and transcripts at Verto locations are delivered by our accredited Academic Provider, the University of New Haven.

It is very likely that you will have class every day of the week Monday through Friday, but not guaranteed. Your course schedule depends on course registration and availability, the number of courses you are taking, and the number of course credits you are enrolled in. Please note that in some Verto locations, there may be mandatory experiential learning activities or programming activities that take place outside of traditional class time.

Close to the start date of your Verto abroad experience, all course schedules will be available in the Course Registration Portal.

All courses, credits, and transcripts at Verto locations are delivered by our accredited Academic Provider, the University of New Haven.

In order to participate with Verto, you must take a minimum of 12 credits. The credits allotted to each course vary, with one course usually counting towards 3 or 4 credits on average. Participants typically take 4 or 5 courses. If you want to take more than 5 courses, you must seek approval from the Verto academic team by emailing [email protected].

All courses, credits, and transcripts at Verto locations are delivered by our accredited Academic Provider, the University of New Haven.

Your Experience Abroad

Domestic, independent travel is permitted during periods when required classes and activities are not being held (e.g., weekends or holidays), unless otherwise indicated by local staff. 

Extended overnight travel – or independent international travel – is likewise permitted, but participants must check with local staff before making any out-of-country travel plans, and register their travel plans with local Verto staff.

If participants travel internationally without registering their travel plans and with explicit permission of local staff, they may face disciplinary action.

Academic and attendance policies remain in place regardless of visitors; Verto participants are expected to attend class, complete coursework, examinations, and assignments as scheduled in order to receive credit through our Academic Provider, the University of New Haven.

To help families gain insight into your participant’s transformative experience abroad with Verto, students and Verto staff team up to host a virtual Family Week. They’ll get to participate in events such as student-led campus tours, cultural demonstrations, and helpful sessions on subjects like career success and finding purpose. We believe this is the best way for families to connect with their student’s experience while encouraging them to focus on their coursework and academic success, building their abroad community, and meeting fellow students on arrival day.

If your family plans on visiting, please adhere to the guidelines as outlined in our Location Resources.

No – except in the case of our foreign language courses, all courses will be facilitated in English. It helps if you’re able to speak a bit of the local language, so it’s in your best interest to learn a few key phrases in advance of your experience!

You will require a laptop or tablet for your courses. If you do not have one, you may complete the optional “Laptop Loaner Form” in your Student Portal checklist.

Please note that, due to limited availability of laptops, we may not be able to satisfy all requests. Get your request in early!

Also, at some locations, you may be required to sign an agreement to borrow the laptop, and you may also be asked to make a cash deposit (returned to you, once the laptop is returned to Verto).

 

Packing lists per location are available on our Location Resources page.

Only Service Animals are permitted on Verto study abroad experiences. Service Animals are entirely location-dependent and subject to the local laws of your abroad experience.

Requests to bring a Service Animal should be made by emailing: d[email protected].

Emotional Support Animals (ESA) do not qualify as service animals under the ADA and are not allowed on Verto study abroad experiences.

You will receive housing details including your address, roommates, and general expectations approximately 14 days prior to your depart date. This will be shared through the Student Portal.

This depends on the location and housing type (e.g. homestay vs. residence), but generally speaking, yes. Participants typically have 1 or 2 roommates, but may have more. 

If you wish to request a specific roommate, you can indicate so, along with other preferences, on your Roommate Preference Form in the Student Portal.

If for any medical reason a participant requires a single room, you must request this in advance by starting the conversation with your Student Onboarding Advisor. Please note that we can only accommodate this in some locations and in some cases. You may be required to pay any fee associated with having a single room.

This varies by location. Please view your unique location page to check whether or not food is included in your accommodations and experience cost.

Most dietary options can be accommodated across Verto locations, however do keep in mind that some cuisines may work better for you than others. It is important you specify your dietary needs on your Health History Form in your Student Portal, and reach out to your Student Onboarding Advisor with any questions or concerns.

This varies depending on the location. Please check out our Location Resources for more information on your Study Center.

Your on-site staff are available for any help you may need. You will receive the phone numbers of your on-site Student Life Coordinator and Academic Success Coordinators during orientation and in your Student Handbooks. 

If you or your family would like to escalate any questions or concerns, please email the team of your respective location: 

If there is an emergency: 

You should first try the phone numbers of your on-site team (which you will receive during orientation). 

If for any reason you need another number, or your family needs to reach you in an emergency, contact Verto’s general emergency phone number: (971) 801-0955.

Mental Health support is available for participants via onsite and remote support services. Contact your Student Life Coordinator, Academic Success Coordinator while on site if you need assistance. You can also email [email protected] if you would like assistance prior to departure or need anything urgently while onsite.

Participants seeking 1:1 counseling support with a licensed mental health professional are provided local contact information, and assistance with scheduling an appointment.

We must be informed of any medical or health concerns well in advance of participant arrivals.

We do not have medical professionals on Verto staff teams. However, local, in-country medical providers are available in each Verto location. Your on-site staff will be available to assist you in identifying preferred and English-speaking medical providers. You will need to pay costs for medical services up front, and then you can submit a claim with Verto’s insurance provider (CISI) in order to receive reimbursement for all covered medical expenses. Be sure to keep all receipts for any medical services obtained abroad–keep the physical copies and email yourself photos as well!

This varies by location. Check out our Location Resources for information on transportation. If you have additional questions, reach out to your Student Onboarding Advisor.

This varies by location. Please view your respective location page to check whether or not you will have access to a kitchen.

Check out our Location Resources for information on how setup your phone for usage abroad. If you have additional questions, reach out to your Student Onboarding Advisor.

Financial Services & Billing

In order to be departure ready from a financial services perspective, you must have either paid any balance due in full, or set up a formal payment plan in MyCharger with our Academic Provider, the University of New Haven.

If you have questions about financial services, billing statements, or payments please reach out to: [email protected]

Looking for further assistance? Schedule a meeting with Financial Services.

Please view Financial Grants & Scholarships page for information about funding options and get in touch with our Financial Services team to learn more about your eligibility. 

If you have a remaining balance after any scholarships or grants, your options include:

  1. Applying for a student loan.
    Use Sparrow, a trusted portal, to research and compare your loan options.
  2. Setting up a payment plan in MyCharger.
  3. Paying your balance in full within MyCharger.

If you have any questions about private loans or setting up a payment plan, please contact Financial Services at [email protected].

Payments are made by logging into MyCharger and accessing ePay for payments, eBill Statements, and setting up payment plans. You will receive an email to your UNewHaven inbox when your eBill Statement is available. 

To Pay Online

Set up a one-time payment through ePay. Accepted methods of payment are:

  1. Electronic Check (e-check): Requires a valid bank routing number and account number for a personal checking or savings account. There is no service fee for using e-check.
  2. Credit/Debit Card (Visa, MasterCard, Discover, or American Express): Please note that credit/debit card payments are subject to a 2.85% service fee.Read UNewHaven’s ePay Quick Guide for detailed online payment instructions.

To Pay By Mail

Payments can be mailed directly to the University of New Haven. All checks should be made payable to the University of New Haven, include the student’s name and Verto student ID number, and be mailed to:

The University of New Haven
One Stop
℅ Bursar’s Office
300 Boston Post Road
West Haven, CT 06516

Monthly Installment Plan

This optional plan allows you to make interest-free tuition payments on a monthly basis. The cost to enroll is $50 per semester. Read the Monthly Installment Plan page for further details.

If you have any questions regarding payments and billing, please contact [email protected] for assistance.

You may check your eBill Statement balance and verify payments received in MyCharger.

Payment due dates are reflected on the Dates & Deadlines page and on your eBill Statement in MyCharger. All outstanding balances must be paid by the due date listed, or the participant must follow any instructions to set up a formal payment plan.

Inclusion of meals varies by location. Please see location pages for each location’s details.

Within 1-2 weeks of enrolling, you will receive login details to your personal email inbox and setup your UNewHaven email account via the following step-by-step instructions.

Looking for additional resources?

Check out our Packing Lists, Arrival Details, and more for your abroad location.