Frequently Asked Questions

• After the application deadline, no new applications for international individual projects will be accepted (with the exception of students who are travelling to a country where they are a citizen or permanent resident). 
• After the application deadline, no new funding requests will be accepted. 
• Students who need to register after the application deadline, and wish to register for an on-campus or off-campus U.S. domestic individual project, should contact wterm@oberlin.edu to request an application. 
• Typically, a few seats remain available in on-campus group projects after the deadline. Applications for those projects will remain open until the start of Winter Term. 

You will receive an email confirmation when your application has been approved.

To review your Winter Term application, log on at  studyaway.oberlin.edu and click "Applicant" and then "My Applications". Your in-process and submitted applications will appear on this page. 

When your application status at  studyaway.oberlin.edu appears as "committed", this indicates that your application is complete and has been approved by your sponsor and the Office of Winter Term.

In late-January, it is strongly encouraged that you review your unofficial transcript to confirm that your title of project is listed correctly.  Your project will not appear on your transcript before the start of Winter Term.

Contact your academic advisor to see if they can suggest a sponsor.  The Office of Winter Term can also help you identify an appropriate sponsor.

Students are required to complete three Winter Term projects in order to graduate.  Transfer students must complete a project for each Winter Term they are on campus. 

Early planning is the key to a successful project. Students should begin planning at the beginning of the fall semester.

For students who live in Residential Education housing and are enrolled in a Campus Dining Services meal plan during the fall and/or spring semester, there are no additional fees for living and dining on campus during Winter Term. 

Most off-campus projects, especially those requiring travel or specialized equipment/supplies, will include a fee from each student participant to help defray expenses.  Students pursuing individual projects off-campus are responsible for their own housing, meals, and other project expenses. 

Students have the opportunity to apply for competitive, need-based funding from the Office of Winter Term. The funding request form is included in the project application. 

For students who live on campus and are enrolled in a meal plan during the fall and/or spring semesters, there are no charges for living on campus during Winter Term.  Students will be able to stay in their dorms during this time. 

For off-campus projects, students will need to arrange their own accommodations. 

No, the 100 hours of project work (averaging 5-6 hours per weekday) must be for unpaid work.

Students who will engage in paid work during Winter Term, while also participating in an individual project, may contact the Office of Winter Term to discuss project planning and strategies for managing their paid work and project work schedules. 

No.  Although completing three Winter Term credits is a requirement for graduation, Winter Term projects do not count toward the total number of academic credits required for graduation (128 credits for the College of Arts and Sciences, 168 credits for the Conservatory of Music, or 214 credits for the Double Degree Program).

• If you are short the required Winter Term credits for graduation, you must immediately contact the Registrar to discuss how to proceed.  
• Any other issues related to past Winter Term project credits may be directed to the Office of the Registrar at registrar@oberlin.edu