Domestic Exchange Programs

The Graduate School has established exchange partnerships with 12 US-based institutions of higher education, which allow PhD students to spend a term or a full academic year at the host institution pursuing coursework or research at no additional tuition cost.

Funding your exchange

The Graduate School's exchange agreements waive tuition at our partner institutions, but your host institution typically will not provide funding to cover living costs. Additionally, some host institutions may charge an application fee or fees for services that are not covered by tuition, which would be your responsibility to meet. 

PhD students in the humanities and social sciences who are not required to teach in the semester or year of their planned exchange will continue to receive their University Fellowship stipend. You should discuss the timing of your exchange with your director of graduate studies (DGS) and faculty adviser such that you will go during a term or year in which you receive the University Fellowship (UF). If you are a student in the sciences, you should discuss timing and funding considerations with your DGS and faculty adviser. You can also apply for external grants or fellowships to cover living expenses and costs during an exchange.

Application information

Applications for domestic exchanges must be submitted no later than eight weeks prior to your intended start. It is generally best to submit the application earlier than this to ensure that there is enough time for the host institution to approve the application and process your registration.

Both the IvyPlus Exchange Scholar Program application and the JTSA Exchange Scholar Program application are fillable PDF forms. Please complete the application parts A through C and submit the application to the administrative contact at the home institution for completion of part D. Note that parts E and F are completed by the administrative contact at the host institution. Any extension to an approved exchange enrollment requires a separate application form.

Registration at Yale

During the semester(s) of your exchange program, you should register in absentia at Yale. You can do so by submitting the Absentia form on the University Registrar’s website here.

If you are planning to enroll in one course at an IvyPlus institution within commuting distance while still based in New Haven and engaging in coursework or research here, you should register in residence at Yale. You will still need to complete the Exchange Scholar Program application to have the tuition at the host institution waived, and cross-register for the course following instructions sent by the host institution.

Health coverage

During your exchange, your health coverage will remain on your term bill unless these fees are waived by the appropriate deadline. Waiver forms and student rates for Yale students can be found on the Yale Health website. Some host institutions may allow Exchange Scholars to enroll in their health insurance program. Please consult with the host institution directly for more information about these options.

If you are going to be in the US on a domestic exchange, you have the option of enrolling in the Approved Academic Travel Rider program through Yale Health. The Yale Health pages on this option contain detailed information about deadlines for applying for the rider, coverage considerations, eligibility, and costs. Please review this information carefully before enrolling and make sure that you are aware costs, coverage, and the relevant application deadline, which is firm. You must first be registered in absentia (see above) to be eligible to apply. Only students registered in absentia in the US (excluding Alaska and Hawaii, and outside of the Yale Health coverage area in Connecticut) are eligible to enroll in the Approved Academic Travel Rider program.