Spring 2022 Exchange Student Newsletter
Hello students!

Welcome back to the third newsletter for Spring 2022 exchange students at Washington University in St. Louis.

As a reminder, you can access all information for exchange students through the Spring 2022 Exchange Student Guidebook. Please note that this link is the most up-to-date version of the guidebook. The link sent out previously will not work.

Please reach out to either your academic division exchange adviser, OISS, or the First Year Center if you have questions.

We are excited to welcome you to campus soon!

-First Year Center
Update: COVID-19 Requirements
You must upload proof of your COVID-19 vaccination to the Student Health Portal by January 10th. As you plan for your arrival to the U.S., please note that in addition to WashU's requirement for students to be vaccinated against COVID-19, the U.S. government also updated their entry requirements in terms of vaccinations.
  • All international students traveling to the United States must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and show proof of a recent negative COVID-19 test. There are limited exceptions available.
  • Review the full policy and list of exceptions from the CDC.
  • WashU will continue to communicate with you about any relevant changes to travel policies.
  • Please contact the Office for International Students and Scholars if you have any questions.
Preparing to Study at WashU
  • The Office of University Registrar will send you the “Getting Started at Washington University” email, with instructions on activating your WUSTL Key. Your WUSTL Key will be your login and password to most university systems. This email will also give you information about setting up your WashU email account, and logging in to WebSTAC, the university portal to billing, course registration, and more.
Dining
Orange and red watercolor graphic with fork plate and knife
  • Meal Plan: You are required to purchase a meal plan. WashU offers a wide variety of dining options. Visit Dining Services to learn about meal plan options. Please note that the off-campus meal plan only applies to students living in non-Residential Life housing.
  • Meal plans run January 14th - May 12th. During orientation, you will be provided with meals and a meal card as your meal plan will not be active.
  • All dining options on campus are declining balance, meaning you will use your meal points to pay for each item by the price indicated. If you run out of meal points at any point during the semester you can add Bear Bucks to continue using your campus card at dining locations. For more information about the Bear Bucks system, visit Campus Card Services. 
Student ID
You will use your ID to access various buildings, make meal purchases, check out books from the library, and more. Learn more by visiting Campus Card Services. 

Don't forget to submit your ID photo! You must submit a picture of yourself against a blank background, with no editing or filters. Upload the picture online.  
Billing
  • Paperless Billing: Washington University uses a paperless billing system, so all statements will be available on WebSTAC. The secure eBilling service will send an email to your WashU email account whenever a new monthly statement is ready. Students are responsible for making sure their accounts are paid in full by the due date to avoid late fees. 
  • Third Party Access: If you would like someone else to be able to view or pay your bill, you will need to give them access by going to the Billing tab of WebSTAC and adding a new contact under “Payers.”  
  • Enrollment Deposit: All undergraduate exchange students are required to pay a non-refundable enrollment deposit upon admission to Washington University. The enrollment deposit for exchange students is $500. This enrollment deposit covers costs for Fall/Winter Welcome, the new student orientation program, additional orientation experiences for international students, and programming offered for exchange students throughout the semester such as local excursions and holiday celebrations.
  • For detailed instructions and more information regarding billing, visit Financial Services.
Important Dates
Spring 2022 Dates

Spring 2022 Exchange Student Arrival: January 12th
Winter Welcome: January 13th- January 16th 
Spring Meal Plans Begin: January 14th
Martin Luther King Holiday (no classes): January 17th 
First Day of Class: January 18th
Spring Break (no classes): March 13th-19th 
Last Day of Class: April 29th 
Reading Period and Final Exams Begin: May 2nd 
Final Exams End: May 11th 
Quick Links