For the purposes of this policy, accompanying includes but is not limited to engaging with student participants, living in program housing, eating meals with the program, traveling on program transportation, participating in program arranged activities, etc. If an individual’s independent travel coincides with locations of a program, but does not include interacting with the student participants, then they are not considered accompanying, and are not required to seek approval for an official status on the program as outlined on pages 9-10 in the GT Faculty-led Study Abroad Program Manual. 

Non-employees, such as family members of faculty and staff, may accompany an employee who works on a faculty-led study abroad program if the following conditions are met: 

• The Program Director approves of the family member/visitors' presence.
• The family member/visitor is documented and approved through OIE using this form.
• The family member/visitor, if over 18 years of age, must provide written documentation of a clear background check. Background checks are requested and paid for by the visitor or the employee associated with the program. 

Approved visitors must adhere to the following:

• Family members/visitors are responsible for their own costs and reservations for travel, meals, insurance, etc. All costs for accompanying family/visitors and for any additional facilities needed to accommodate them (i.e. housing space larger than standard employee housing for the specific program) must be paid by the faculty/staff member because this cost must not be passed along to student participants.
• Accompanying family members/visitors will not impede the employee's ability to fulfill their role and obligations to the program.
• Family members/visitors will not use GT resources and will not be reimbursed by GT for any part of their visit.
• Family members/visitors will not have an official GT role or function while visiting and will not interfere with the operation of the program.
• USG policy does not permit family members/visitors to serve as volunteers on faculty-led study abroad programs.
• It is strongly recommended that family members/visitors directly enroll in and pay for international travel insurance (including international medical, medical evacuation, security evacuation, and repatriation of remains) for the dates of their personal travel. The GT employee can directly enroll and purchase the same insurance that is provided to employees for the accompanying family member/visitors. 

Guidance for 2025 Summer and Fall Programs as of April 1, 2025:

A recent USG system-wide audit identified the need for Georgia Tech to better track and remain compliant with USG policies concerning non-employees that accompany employees working on study abroad programs. USG policy indicates that "All costs for accompanying family and for any additional facilities needed to accommodate them (i.e. housing space larger than standard faculty housing) must be paid by the faculty/staff member and this cost may not be passed along to student participants" (page 42). So that Georgia Tech remains in compliance with this policy, specifically for our upcoming summer and fall 2025 programs, each program should do the following by April 30, 2025:

• Each employee working on a study abroad program should complete this online form for each non-employee family member/visitor/guest that will accompany them: Click here to access form
• Program Directors should submit the following information for their program via this online form: Click here to access form
  • What is the standard housing space for employees on your specific program (hotel, short-term apartment rental, etc.)?
  • What is your budgeted allowance for each employee's standard housing?
  • Have any employees exceeded this allowance cost and requested non-standard housing in order to accommodate non-employee accompanying guests?
    • If so, what is the cost to cancel this reservation? Any employees residing in non-standard housing would be asked to reimburse the Institute using this formula:
      • Total cost of current housing - cost to cancel the current reservation - cost of standard employee housing = amount reimbursed to the Institute