Your Student Abroad
For Parents
& Families
Your student is heading to one of 12 SFS field research centers. Here's what you need to know about safety, academics, finances, and staying in touch.
For Parents
Start Here
What Your Student Is Joining
When your student chooses SFS, they're joining a small cohort of peers at one of our 12 permanent field research centers worldwide. They'll live on-site, conduct hands-on environmental research, earn transferable college credit, and develop the kind of confidence that only comes from doing real work in real places.
We know this is a big step, for them and for you. This page is designed to answer your questions, ease your concerns, and connect you to the resources and people who can help along the way.
SFS asks students to take an active role in their own preparation, from travel logistics to packing lists. We provide thorough materials and a dedicated Admissions Counselor to guide them. We encourage you to support that independence; it's an important part of how students grow at SFS.
Your Crash Course
The SFS Experience at a Glance
SFS programs are structured and closely supervised, and students live where they study.
Proven Outcomes
95% of SFS students say the experience met their academic and personal goals. Graduates go on to careers in conservation, policy, medicine, law, education, and beyond. See where SFS alumni are now.
Accredited Academics
Every program carries transferable college credit through the University of Minnesota Twin Cities, the School of Record. Students take 16–18 credits per semester or 4–8 over the summer, keeping them on track to graduate on time.
Faculty-Led Research
Under faculty mentorship, students design and carry out real research that feeds their center's long-term scientific work.
Small Cohorts
Programs run 20–30 students, small enough that faculty know every student by name. Cohorts often stay in touch for years after the program ends.
Cultural Immersion
Students engage with host communities through outreach, day visits, and local partnerships. They return home with a worldview shaped by real relationships.
Structured & Supervised
Days follow a set schedule of classes and field activities, and nearly every center observes a daily curfew. Faculty and staff live in the region year-round, and many live at the center alongside students.
Safety & Support
Your Student Is in Good Hands
Safety is built into how we run every program, and it has been since 1980. Every SFS center has on-site staff dedicated to student health, safety, and wellbeing, and our Health & Wellness Managers live at the center, available around the clock. Emergency action plans, medical evacuation protocols, and crisis communication procedures are in place at every location.
SFS enrolls every student in emergency evacuation and repatriation insurance. Our centers maintain relationships with local medical providers, and our global operations team monitors conditions that could affect student safety.
For a closer look at how we prepare students, from pre-departure medical review to center-specific guidance, visit Know Before You Go on our Student Life page.
While They're Abroad
Communication While on Program
Preparing for the field works best as a partnership. We work with students directly on program logistics and academics, and we encourage them to keep you involved, sharing program details, academic updates, and any health matters as they get ready and while they're abroad.
In the event of a medical emergency or critical issue in the field, SFS will contact parents or guardians directly and work to put you in touch with your student as quickly as possible.
Internet and phone access varies by center: some locations are remote by design. Your student's program materials will include specific guidance on connectivity and the best ways to stay in touch. For a window into daily life in the field, follow SFS on Instagram.
Finances
Investing in the Experience
SFS program fees are comprehensive, covering tuition, housing, meals, field excursions, emergency evacuation insurance, and most in-country transportation. There are very few additional costs once your student arrives at the center.
Many families find that an SFS semester is comparable to or less than a semester at their home institution, especially when room and board are factored in. Key financial considerations:
- Most students use their existing financial aid, grants, and loans toward SFS tuition
- SFS-specific scholarships and loans are available
- Credits transfer through the University of Minnesota, keeping students on track
- The Admissions team can walk you through your specific financial situation
“She came home with a sense of purpose that wasn't there before. The research skills, the independence, the friendships. SFS gave her something no classroom ever could.”— Parent of SFS Costa Rica Alum
Get in Touch
We're Here to Help
Have questions? Our Admissions and Student Life teams are happy to speak with parents and families about any aspect of the SFS experience.
Many answers are already on our Resources page, which gathers the documents families ask for most: the current cost sheet, the financial aid application and loan information sheet, each center's Health & Safety Guide, the Academic Handbook on credit transfer and grading, and the Policies & Procedures that apply at every center.
Admissions: admissions@fieldstudies.org
Student Life: studentlife@fieldstudies.org