Each semester the University of Kentucky welcomes non-degree seeking exchange students from our many international partner institutions.
The first step if you are interested in attending UK on exchange is to speak with the education abroad or international office at your home institution.
You must be officially nominated by your home institution and approved by UK before you can start the UK exchange application process. UK cannot accept applications from students not officially nominated by their home institution, or from institutions with whom UK does not have an active exchange agreement in place.
Proof of funds required for study at the University of Kentucky for academic year 2025-2026.
See Cost of Attendance and Tuition and Fees for domestic and non-exchange students.
| Tuition and Fees | Included in Exchange Benefits |
| Accommodation, Meal Plan, Books & Supplies | $16,200 |
| Health Insurance | $3,122 ($1,185 for fall term, $1,937 for spring term) |
| TOTAL | $19,322 (approximately $9,661 per semester) |
Note: Amounts are subject to change at any time without notice
All non-native English speaking exchange applicants must provide a valid certificate from one of these providers demonstrating proof of English language proficiency.
ALL test results must be less be than two years old at time of application to the UK exchange program.
| Undergraduate | TOEFL® 527 (197 CBT, 71 iBT*) / IELTS 6.0 / Duolingo test with a minimum score of 105 |
| Undergraduate students in College of Business and Economics | TOEFL® 550 (213 CBT, 79 iBT*) / IELTS 6.5 / Duolingo test with a minimum score of 105 |
| Graduate | TOEFL® 550 (213 CBT, 79 iBT*) / IELTS 6.5 / Duolingo test with a minimum score of 115 (Official scores required for all language proficiency tests) |
UK also accepts these confirmations of English language proficiency for Undergraduate ONLY:
The first step in the admissions process is for you to be officially nominated by your home institution using the online UK Exchange Student Nomination form.
Once nominated, you will receive preliminary approval from the UK Exchanges Coordinator for acceptance into the exchange program. You will be instructed to complete the online UK EA exchange application. You must provide the following documentation as part of your application:
IMPORTANT! This is the only application an undergraduate exchange applicant is required to submit to UK. Do not submit any other applications to UK.
Graduate exchange applicants will be informed by the UK Exchanges Coordinator if you are required to complete an additional application to the UK Graduate School.
The UK Exchanges Coordinator will review your completed application packet and submit it to UK Admissions for processing.
Once UK Admissions completes the processing of the application you will receive an email informing you there is an update to your status and instructing you to sign-in to your ‘Check Your Status’ account.
Here, you can download your official acceptance (decision) letter and detailed instructions on next steps in the pre-arrival process (activate UK linkblue and email accounts, apply for accommodation, register for orientation etc).
UK does not mail out a hard copy of the official acceptance letter.
You will also receive a separate email from UK International Student & Scholar Services (ISSS) office with the subject line ‘ISSS Student Application & Determining I-20/DS-2019 Eligibility.’
This email will instruct you to use your LinkBlue credentials (provided in your acceptance/decision letter) to sign-in to iCAT. This is where you submit your Proof of Funds documents and request the DS-2019 form required for your US student visa application.
Once your proof of funds documents are approved your DS-2019 will be emailed to you by ISSS.
The US State Department requires international exchange students to have health insurance which meets all requirements of the Affordable Care Act.
To ensure this, you are automatically enrolled in the University of Kentucky Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP) when you enroll in classes. You do not need to complete any forms to enroll in SHIP.
For the academic year the cost of SHIP is $3,122 ($1,185 fall semester, $1,937 for spring semester). These amounts are subject to change.
Information about the policy and its requirements is available on the ISSS website here.
In certain circumstances, an exchange student who believes their own health insurance policy complies with the Affordable Care Act can submit a Health Insurance Waiver Request after arrival at UK. If the waiver request is approved you will not be required to purchase the UK SHIP.
If the waiver request is denied you will be required to purchase the UK SHIP. Information on the waiver requirements and process are available here - https://uky.myahpcare.com/waiver
You are recommended to review the requirements of the US Affordable Care Act very carefully before purchasing a health insurance policy in your own country. In most cases these policies DO NOT meet Affordable Care Act requirements.
Travel plans will not be accepted as proof of adequate health insurance.
| Deadline for Fall Waiver Applications: | September 15th |
| Deadline for Spring/Summer Waiver Applications: | February 22nd |