2023-2024 Undergraduate Bulletin > Academic Information and Policies > Adventist Colleges Abroad

Adventist Colleges Abroad

Walla Walla University, together with 13 other Seventh-day Adventist colleges in North America, founded the Adventist Colleges Abroad (ACA) organization in 1967. The ACA program allows students to immerse themselves in the culture and life of the host country and to become conversant in the language. Summer, quarter-by-quarter, and full-year opportunities are available. Presently, students may take a full year at:

Course Evaluation and Credit Toward Degree
In keeping with typical regional accreditation standards, courses listed in the applicable ACA bulletin and taken while studying through an ACA program are considered in-residence and will be recorded on the WWU transcript. Courses that are listed on an ACA transcript but do not match the ACA bulletin in prefix, number, title, and credits during the applicable year taken, will not be recorded on the WWU transcript. Such courses may be considered as potential transfer credit upon request. Course credit will apply for one of the discipline prefixes listed in the ACA bulletin but will not be allowed for both (i.e. HIST/ENGL 399 - 3 credits, may be taken for either History credit or English credit but not both – 3 credits total). Credit may not be split between discipline prefixes.

Courses will be evaluated based on content rather than course prefix. (Though a student enrolls in Contemporary Religious Outlook with a SPAN prefix, the course will be evaluated as an RELH course at WWU based on content.) WWU/ACA course equivalency information is available in the Academic Records office or online at: http://www.wallawalla.edu/academics/student-academic-services/academic-records/aca1/ 

College-Level ACA Program Participation

• Must pay $100 ACA processing fee prior to application being submitted to ACA.

• College-level students may enroll in a 9-credit summer ACA program without prior WWU attendance, however must pay the $200 WWU enrollment fee and $100 ACA processing fee prior to application being submitted to ACA.

• Must have elementary level competency in Spanish (2 years in HS or 1 year in college) before applying for the full-year program in Spain or Argentina. There are no language pre-requisites for the other programs.

• Must have a cumulative GPA of 2.5 and a GPA of 3.0 in Spanish if going to Spain or Argentina.  

• Student cannot be on academic probation.

• Should complete ENGL 121, 122 and a general studies math course prior to studying abroad.

• Have a good student conduct record.

• Have an application on file in the Academic Records Office on the appropriate ACA application form.

• Should expect to take a normal full-time academic load.

• Should not enroll in more than 18 quarter credits per academic term. Exceptions to this policy must be made in advance through Academic Standards. Additional credits reported without prior approval may not be accepted as WWU credit.

• Understands that by withdrawing from all ACA courses within a term, student will be considered totally withdrawn from WWU. This may affect continuing financial aid and scholarship eligibility.

• Ability to meet the financial requirements.

• Loses WWU scholarship eligibility if they attend an ACA program for more than 3 terms, not including summer.

• Must pay ACA tuition in full in advance, less subsidy and awarded financial aid.

ACA Application Process

Students planning to study under the full-year program must submit a completed ACA application with a $100 processing fee by July 15. Applications may be obtained online at www.aca-noborders.org.

All applications and payments for tuition, room, and board are to be made through Walla Walla University. Any deviation from this schedule by students of Walla Walla University must be arranged in advance with the Office of Student Financial Services.

Students cannot plan on financial credit for work while residing in foreign countries. The student financial aid officer has information on grants and loans available to students for overseas study. Academic credit may be granted for these studies so that a student may be able to complete a full college year abroad. Prospective students must have successfully completed 2 years of Spanish language in high school or one year of Spanish in college. No prerequisites for the summer program in Spain or for all other language programs. Applicants must consult with their academic advisors, financial aid counsellor, and the ACA Coordinator prior to enrollment. The Registrar, the chair of the applicant's major department, and the Academic Standards Committee will determine how the credits are applied.

Academy/High School Student Participation
A student who has not yet earned a high school diploma but is seeking college level ACA credit, may be accepted as a WWU participant in a language program under the following guidelines:

• Has been accepted as a freshman at WWU and paid WWU enrollment fee; or

• Has completed six semesters of high school and paid $250 WWU processing fee.

• Student’s cumulative high school GPA is 3.25 or above.

• Student must be recommended by the high school principal or vice-principal to participate in the program.

• Student may not enroll in more than 9 quarter credits per term.

• Participation is limited to summer programs only.

• Student understands ACA coursework will be recorded on the permanent university transcript, which may enhance or reduce acceptance to a specific university.

• Dual credit may be earned for both the high school diploma (at the discretion of the high school) and a university degree.

• Student is not eligible for financial aid until high school diploma is earned.

• Payment in full must be received by WWU prior to application being submitted to ACA office.

• WWU will not bill subsidy. Parents may work directly with employer to determine subsidy eligibility. Some employers may pay in advance to help meet the payment-in-full requirement.