COVID-19 Updates

At this time, students participating in our UC Santa Barbara program in 2023 will be required to be fully vaccinated.

The U.S. is following the World Health Organization’s approved vaccines which include Pfizer, Moderna, Johnson & Johnson, Astra Zenica, and Sinovac. We expect that UC Santa Barbara will follow similar guidelines.  If an international (non-U.S.) student is not able to be vaccinated in their country of residence prior to arriving on campus, or if an international (non-U.S.) student is not able to receive an approved vaccine, they must cancel by June 1, 2023, and will be eligible to (1) roll-over their enrollment to Summer 2024 or (2) receive a full refund less the application fee and optional travel/tuition insurance.

Families will be asked to provide their vaccine information through our Health Form Portal. This portal provides a way for families to securely share medical information with our staff prior to campus arrival. Families should be prepared to upload copies of their vaccination card as well as dosage dates and batch number information. Our Health Form Portal will be available in April.  

At this time only our program at UC Santa Barbara will require a vaccination and there is no exemption for medical or religious reasons for this program.

At this time, students and staff will not be required to wear facial coverings while indoors and near other participants in small group settings unless explicitly mandated by university policies or if observed trends warrant a temporary increase in our safety precautions. Our protocols may shift based on CDC and university guidelines.

At this time, students and staff will not be required to be tested prior to arrival on campus for most of our summer programs. All students and staff at UC Santa Barbara will be required to provide proof of a negative COVID test prior to arrival on campus program. Tests must be taken within 48 hours prior to arrival at the program. Students will provide test results via our online Health Form Portal. 

We are actively working to minimize and prevent COVID transmission on campus, but we are prepared should a student test positive.

If a student is identified as testing positive for COVID-19, the student will remain under our supervision while being isolated in a designated quarantine area on campus. The student will be tested again, and if the student is confirmed to have COVID via the subsequent test, the student will be required to be picked up by an authorized adult (COVID-19 Point of Contact) within 24 hours. Academic accommodation will need to be made on a case-by-case basis. 

If a student tests positive for COVID-19, a parent or guardian will be notified immediately, and the student will be moved into isolation. Depending on the university policy, a parent or guardian may be asked to pick their student up from the program as soon as possible, but no later than 24 hours after being notified. If a parent or guardian is not available, we will use the contact designated on the “COVID-19 Point of Contact” form. Any costs associated with healthcare, travel, meals, accommodation, or anything additionally related to isolation or immediate pick-up are to be covered by the family.  

We understand not everyone lives close to our program locations. However, this year, we are requiring that families designate a “COVID-19 Point of Contact” who will be able to pick a student up from campus within 24-hours of a positive COVID-19 case if needed. This policy is designed to keep students and staff safe and healthy and help to not spread the virus.