Step 3: Accept your McGill exchange nomination

Early to Mid-February - For Fall or full year

Late July or Early August - For Winter

Eligible candidates will be nominated to a specific exchange partner university by February for Fall and full year and by late July or early August for Winter Exchanges.

Exchange places at each destination are limited and there is no guarantee that you will be nominated to your first-choice exchange partner. Therefore, you should carefully consider whether the exchange partner you were nominated to fits within your personal and academic plans.

Remember that you are only allowed to submit one exchange application per application period, and declining a nomination means that you will have to wait until the following application round to re-apply. Note that the application fee is only charged once per academic year and is non-refundable.

Participating in an Exchange means your student record on Minerva will be updated to indicate “Exchange-Term Away” and your status to “non-Resident” for the equivalent McGill term(s). Note that this status does not permit you to register for McGill courses in the same term. For Fall (or full year) participants, your record will be updated in late March while for Winter, the update will take place in October. If you are enrolled in any courses at McGill during your exchange term(s), the courses will automatically be dropped as part of the update.


Cancelling an accepted nomination

If you need to cancel your nomination after accepting it, complete a Request to Cancel Exchange Term form as soon as possible and no later than the start of the exchange term. If you have concerns about your nomination or need more information about cancelling your exchange, contact or visit Student Exchanges - Service Point.

Students who apply for the Fall term (or full year) and wish to change to the Winter term will have to request to cancel their Fall exchange and submit a new application within the regular application period for Winter.

Important note: The COVID-19 pandemic has created countless health and safety concerns for higher-education institutions and their local governments. As such, exchanges may be cancelled by McGill and/or its partners at any time. It is therefore recommended to plan serious financial commitments accordingly and carefully review all cancellation policies (e.g., travel, accommodation, insurance, etc.)


Applying for funding

The Mobility Bursary for Exchanges is a McGill program that defrays a portion of the cost of student exchanges. The award is available to undergraduate students (Quebec, Canadian and International) who have been nominated by McGill to participate in an eligible exchange outside Quebec and who demonstrate financial need.  Students who are granted a Mobility Bursary for Exchanges can expect a value between $750 and $1500 per month of exchange.

You may be eligible for other funding opportunities, including external scholarships. Browse our funding page to learn more about the Mobility Bursary for Exchanges or other funding that is available to you!

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