The Study-Abroad Program between Middle Tennessee State University (Murfreesboro, TN, U. S. A.) and the Université de Franche-Comté (Besançon, France)

A. General Comments: This card will provide you with (1) minimal insurance during

your stay in France (e.g., repatriation of remains and emergency evacuation), (2) give you access to student discounts throughout the world when available, and (3) permit you to take advantage of the student fare offered by STA travel (for example) for your airline ticket.

Card (valid until the end of the calendar year); “OUT Voyage” Travel Agency just next to the Faculté de Lettres (40 rue Mégevand, Besançon) to renew it (valid until the end of the calendar year during which you renew it).

C. Documents Required: The ‘prerequisite’ for obtaining the card is full-time student

status. At MTSU, this is verifiable by computer; in Besançon, you will have to provide your student card issued by l’Université de Franche-Comté.

passport. You must apply for this in person [unless you have already been issued a passport (see below)]

agencies, many travel agencies, or on the Web). This form may be completed in advance; however, it must be signed by you in person before a passport agent.

U.S. passport; certified birth certificate issued by the city, county, or state; Consular Report of Birth Abroad; Naturalization Certificate; or Certificate of Citizenship.

Naturalization Certificate; Certificate of Citizenship; current, valid driver's license; government ID (city, state, or federal); military ID (military and dependents); work ID (must be currently employed by the company); student ID (must be currently enrolled); Merchant Marines card (also known as a “Seamen's” or “Z” card); pilot or flight attendant ID. Note: Social Security cards are NOT acceptable as identification.

image size from the bottom of the chin to the top of the head should be between 1 inch and 1³/8 inches. They may be in color or black and white. They must be full face, front view with a plain white or off-white background. Photographs should be taken in normal street attire, without a hat or headgear that obscures the hair or hairline.

for a passport valid for ten years from the date of issue. Persons of all ages born outside the U.S. are required to pay an additional $100 complex case fee. The fee for passport renewals by mail is $40 (there is no execution fee added).

B. Place Obtained: French Consulate in Atlanta (“Le Consultat Général à Atlanta”)

5. “Financial Guarantee” and photocopy: A notarized statement affirming

that someone is responsible for providing you with at least $600 / month during your stay in France

matriculation to the university. Shortly after your arrival, visit Mme Hoeuillard at her office and there you will make an appointment during which you will complete an administrative dossier (aided by a French student). This dossier is then, along with the items below, rendered to the ‘secrétaire’ of the ‘Faculté de Lettres’ to obtain the student card (Carte d’Etudiant).

B. Place Obtained: The secretary’s office of the School of Arts (“Le secrétariat de la

1. “Récépissé de Demande de Carte de Séjour” (see “Residence Card”)

4. Three (3) stamped envelopes: One large with address (0,75€ stamp required), one small with address, and one small without address (both requiring a 0,50€ stamp)

A. General Comments : This is “the biggie.” This card supercedes the long-stay

VISA and permits you to stay in France for the duration of your studies (which extend beyond the 3-month window within which the long-stay VISA permits you to stay in France). After you arrive in Besançon, go to the “accueil” of the ‘Préfecture’ and make your first appointment in the process necessary to obtain your Carte de Séjour. Provided that you make this appointment quickly after your arrival (i.e., the beginning of October), then the appointment date that they issue to you should arrive within the following two weeks. At this appointment (do not miss it, for the next available will probably be in December), you will have to present the documents listed below. Upon reception of these documents, the Préfecture will issue you a “Récépisse de Demande de Carte de Sejour,” which you will use to obtain your student card (Carte d’Etudiant—see above for details). After you complete this appointment, the Prefecture will mail to you (1) the time and location of the obligatory medical visit and (2) a paper to which you must affix a stamp [Available either at the Prefecture or at a public treasury (“Trésor Public”) for 55€]. After you complete your medical exam, the doctor’s office will issue you a medical certificate (“Certificat Médicale”). When you present this certificate, the document to which you have affixed the 55€ stamp, and your passport to the Prefecture, they will retain your passport for approximately three days, after which you will exchange your temporary Carte de Séjour (“Récépissé de Demande de Carte de Séjour”) for your passport to which the Carte de Séjour will have been affixed. At this point, you will have completed, for all intents and purposes, your final confrontation with the red-tape of France.

picture and vital information—e.g., address, expiration, date, etc.) and the page that displays your VISA.

b. Birth certificate (l’extrait de naissance) and photocopy : Be careful

here, for they only acknowledge birth certificates that display the names of your parents (this is noteworthy because Tennessee issues a ‘raised-seal’, ‘official’ birth certificate that does not contain the parents’ names)

photocopy: This document must demonstrate that you have at least 450€ / month available to you during your stay in France. Be careful here, for neither the “Acte de Caution Solidaire” nor the notarized “Financial Guarantee” form necessary for the long-stay VISA suffice for this purpose. Instead, you must have a document from your bank that displays the funds available to you (a monthly account statement satisfies this criterion).

criterion is to obtain an “Attestation de Résidence” from the housing secretary in Gigoux

this document, the Prefecture will surrender your passport with the “Titre de Sejour” affixed to your passport

A. General Comments: The result of years of collaboration with various businesses

and organizations in Besançon, the card is widely recognized and offers its holder a variety of discounts (often substantial) throughout the city. It is available to all youth under 26 years of age and to students up to age 30.

of activities to students—activities ranging from karate to basketball to contemporary dance. All of these activities are open to students possessing this card and the majority are held conveniently on campus.

1. Prior to your departure from the United States, you should have arranged via email with Mme Hoeuillard the time of your arrival in Besançon at Gare de Viotte (Besançon). Having already contacted her with your arrival time, she should have someone from the university—probably a student—waiting for you at the train station. He or she will then take you to your place of residence (Résidence Fourier, Bâtiment Gigoux, 19 chemin de l’Epitaphe, BP 61263, 25005 Besançon Cedex 3). If you arrive and no one greets you (given that the train station is small, do not take seriously the possibility that he or she simply ‘missed you’), do not panic; simply take a taxi (which are available directly outside of the train station) to the previously mentioned address (for two passengers with baggage, this should cost ~8€) OR catch the bus—the 8 (the placard on the front of the bus will be pink and it will read CAMPUS)—at the “Foch Gare” stop (just in front of the FOCH Hotel, which is immediately to your left when looking toward the road in front of the train station). Get off at the “Campus ENSMM” stop, which, if you are not alerted to it by the LED announcement panel present in the majority of buses, is directly in front of the residence buildings of campus (to your left); the ride should take approximately 15 minutes.

In organizing your itinerary to Besançon, keep in mind that the residence complex where you will be staying is open 24 hours per day, so you can check into your rooms at any time. So, after arriving in Paris, it is not necessary that you arrive in Besançon by a particular time so that you can check into your rooms.

2. Visit Mme Hoeuillard and Mme Vaugien as soon as possible after your arrival. At Mme Hoeuillard’s office, you will receive an appointment during which to complete an administrative dossier (see “Administrative Hoops”) and to receive information regarding dates of registration and placement tests at the CLA. Mme Vaugien will simply welcome you and address any concerns that you have. During your stay in France, she will be your ‘go-to’ person in case of any difficulty whatsoever—personal, administrative, or otherwise. In addition, at your first meeting, she will invite your to a dinner during which you will meet other exchange students and some French students affiliated with the university whom you can later contact in case of need.

**The following is a list of expenses that you will necessarily incur during your study abroad in Besançon. Keep in mind that this is the minimum that you can expect to spend: This list does not account for other expenses such as groceries (to which you will have to avail yourself on weekends for the university restaurants will be closed), laundry [which is notably more expensive in France: ~11€ for two loads at a local laundry (Bus 7 to “Trépillot”); ~6€ at the campus laundry (of lesser quality)], travel [count on an airline ticket of ~$600 (round trip), a 57€ train ticket (each way) and ~30€ for a taxi to Gare de Lyon from Charles de Gaulle Airport; (~9 if you take the Metro to Gare de Lyon from the airport) (you can bypass this expense by taking the train directly to Besançon from the airport, although this train runs much less frequently—check the TGV website prior to making your flight itinerary; you might be able to arrange your flight so that you can take this train without a long wait at the airport)], or other miscellaneous expenses (shopping, etc.).

International Student Identity Card	Carte ISIC	$22 + 12€
U. S. Passport	Passeport Américain	$65
Long-Stay VISA	VISA de Long Séjour	99€
Student Card	Carte d’Etudiant	4.57€
Residence Card	Titre de Séjour	55€
Rent (9 months @ 133.90€ per month)	Loyer (9 mois @ 133,90€ par mois)	1205.10€
Deposit + Activity Fee	Forfaiture et Frais d’Activité	141.67€
Full Tuition at MTSU (2 semesters)	Frais Scolaires (MTSU)—2 semestres	$3910
Tuition at CLA (1 semester)	Frais Scolaires—Cours Semestriel au CLA	549€
Meal Tickets	Repas Etudiant	936€
Monthly Bus Pass	Campus Abonnement Mensuel	189€
Total	Adjusted to USD (1.25 USD/EUR)	$7986.17

**The following is a list of documents that you must obtain in your trek toward Besancon. This list only approximates the chronological order in which you will encounter / obtain them; for more specific information regarding the progression, refer to the "Administrative Hoops" page. It is recommended that you make at least 2 copies of each of these document and that you keep copies in separate locations.

1. Birth Certificate (proof of U. S. citizenship; necessary for both the U. S. Passport and the Titre de Séjour)

3. "Attestation" (from the Université de Franche-Comté, this document is vital for obtaining a number of necessary documents: The "Long-Stay VISA", the "Titre de Séjour", and the "Carte d'Etudiant", for example)

4. Letter of acceptance to the Besançon exchange program (issued to you from the Foreign Languages Department of MTSU; necessary for "Long-Stay VISA")

5. Tuition Receipt (not necessarily required, but it is a bonafide attestation to your studies in the U. S., which might be requested in your application for the "Long-Stay VISA" in addition to your letter of acceptance to the Besançon program

6. High School Transcript (although I never had to present this at any point, I have heard students attest that the Consulat Général requested it for the issue of the "Long-Stay VISA")

7. Notarized "Financial Guarantee" (attesting that someone is responsible for providing you with at least $600 per month during your stay in France; necessary for "Long-Stay VISA")

8. U. S. Passport (nessessary for entering and leaving the U. S.; that to which your "Long-Stay VISA" and your "Titre de Sejour" will be affixed)

9. "Demande de Logement" (submitted to CROUS, this secures your lodging on campus)

10. "Caution Solidaire" (CROUS will send this document to you and request that you return it with your lodging application. However, they only recognize it as valid if completed by someone within the European Union. So, disregard it! Mme Malinas-Vaugien ensures that rooms are reserved for MTSU students.

13. Recent Bank Statement(s) (demonstrating that you have at least $4500 available to you, the Prefecture requires this before the deliverance of the "Titre de Sejour")

14.       "Attestation de Residence" (available upon request at the Secretariat de Logement; required for issuance of the "Titre de Séjour")

15.      "Récépissé de Demande de Carte de Séjour" (the 'temporary' "Titre de Séjour"; issued at your first appointment at the Prefecture

16.       "Attestation d'Inscription" (proof of your studies at the 'Cours Semestriel' at the CLA)

17. 'Green' Administrative Dossier (necessary for matriculation at the Faculté de Lettres)

18. "Carte d'Etudiant" (proof of your student-status; tantamount to university regsitration)

19. Convocation (a summons to your mandatory medical visit toward the end of obtaining the Titre de Séjour)

(document to which you must affix the 55€ stamp; rendered to the Prefecture in the process for your "Titre de Séjour")

21. "Certificate Medicale" (issued to you on site of the cursory medical exam; necessary for the "Titre de Séjour")

22. "Titre de Séjour" (legal entitlement to reside in France for the duration of your studies)

**It is encouraged that you make at least 2 copies of your flight ticket, flight itinerary, contacts, credit and identity cards, and insurance benefits and keep the copies in distinct locations.

**You will be asked to provide passport-sized photographs of yourself at numerous administrative junctions. I suggest that you carry 4 with you, after which you can make more (more cheaply than in the U. S.) as needed. In Besancon, photo-booths are available for this purpose at many locations.

**A healthy amount of literature will have been mailed to you by the time of your departure, among which numerous phone numbers and addresses of the various organizations and departments with which you will have contact during your stay will appear. The following contacts are your ‘vital contacts’—that is, via either Mme Hoeuillard or Mme Vaugien, you will be able to address any concern that you might have . . .

Direction des Relations Internationales de l’Université de Franche-Comté
1 rue Goudimel
25000 BESANCON
Phone: 03 81 66 50 63
Fax: 03 81 66 50 36
Email: rejane.hoeuillard@univ-fcomte.fr

38 avenue de l'Observatoire
BP 31021
25001 Besançon CEDEX 3
Phone: 03 81 48 46 00

. a. Calling from the U. S. to France: Dial 011(to exit the U. S.) 33 (to connect to

France) and then the 10-digit number in France [note: if this number begins with a

‘0’ (which is often the case), omit the ‘0’ when dialing]—e.g., 011-33-611236324

This is an economical, ‘no gimmicks’ method for calling to France from the U. S. To take advantage of it, simply dial 10-10-987 and then as indicated above—regardless of the company hosting your telephone service. With this method, your friends and family can call you at any telephone (cell or public) at a cost of 40¢ to connect and 3¢ per minute. If using a public telephone—that is, at a telephone booth--the phone disconnects after one hour of use, at which point it is necessary to reconnect if desired. (note: see “A French ‘télécarte’” below)

Inquire about international calling plans with your local telephone service. Special rates might be available.

b. Calling from France to the U. S.: Dial 00 (to exit France) 1 (to enter the U. S.) and

These cards are sold at any ‘Tabac’ or press shop and are available in various units (‘unités’) and are used to operate public telephones; they contain a certain amount of credit that decreases with the length of the call. Although you can call to the U. S. using this card, the credit rapidly decreases, so it is not a viable means of making calls of substantial length to the U. S. They are, however, ideal for very short communication—particularly to call home, notify the caller of the number at which you can be reached, and then having the individual call back to you using 10-10-987 or some other means.

A word of caution: Not all cell phones work in France—that is, in Europe digital bandwidths are sometimes unrecognizable by mobile phones purchased in the United States; investigate this matter prior to departure. If you wish to purchase a cellular phone in France, mobile telephone service is widely available in France, but be aware that most calling plans are more expensive than their U. S. counterparts. Apart from this concern, you can both call and receive calls internationally, although note that rates and availability vary. International plans might be available.

Although a laundry is available on campus, it is substandard: The washers work well, but the dryers are hardly effective. The machines are cheaper than elsewhere, though, so some students opt to wash their clothes there and hang them to dry in their rooms. Other laundries are available, though. Close to campus, you can take the 7 (orange) bus (toward Orchamps) and descend at ‘Trépillot’ (about 10 minutes from the ‘CROUS Université’ stop located on campus)—or the Campus B line if after 8:00PM—to use the ‘Lavarie’ just next to ‘Arenes Vidéo. It is more expensive (~11€ to wash and dry two loads), but the machinery is well-maintained and works well.

The most economical means of eating is to frequent the university restaurants using meal tickets (‘carnets’ of 10 available at the windows available at either the Canot residence hall/restaurant or the university restaurant on the Bouloie campus for 26€). Apart from this option, one can always eat at the numerous fast-food outfits available in ‘centre ville’ or buy groceries. A major grocery, ‘Intermarché,’ is within walking distance of the campus residences. ‘Lidl,’ offering a cheaper but less varied selection, is a European chain-grocer available just to the side of the ‘Lavarie’ mentioned above. For a much wider selection offered by either of these two establishments, one can venture to the other side of the city to visit ‘Géant’ or ‘Carrefour’ (see “Shopping”).

Of course, one can meet all of his or her shopping needs in ‘centre ville.’ If, however, you are seeking a larger outfits—something akin to our ‘Wal-Mart,’ or ‘Staples,’ for example—you will have to take a lengthy bus ride to reach the ‘factor-outlet zone’ where these types of mass-inventory businesses reside. ‘Géant’ (like Wal-Mart) and ‘Darty’ (a major electronics chain) are at Chateaufarine (catch the 1 (yellow) bus in ‘centre ville’ toward Chateaufarine and descend at the very last stop). ‘Carrefour’ is another ‘catch-all’ business, but it is located in Valentin (catch the 2 (dark green) bus at the ‘Campus ENSMM’ stop on campus toward Orchamps and descend at the ‘Ctb stop; at the ‘Ctb’ stop, catch the 34 (light blue) bus toward Valentin and descend at the very last stop). When travelling to the outskirts of the city, keep in mind that the bus lines on which you came become unavailable after 8:00PM, after which the only means back to campus is a lengthy, costly taxi ride.

You will have to use the public bus system, which is convenient and easy to navigate. Shortly after your arrival, visit the ‘Ginko Boutique’ in ‘centre ville’ located in the plaza of ‘huit septembre’ (the heart of ‘centre ville’). Here, you will create your monthly bus pass. Initially, you must present to the clerk a passport-sized photograph, your ‘attestation’ from the university, and your address. You will be issued an identity card (3€ + 21€ for the monthly subscription) which will serve as the bus pass—that is, that which you will present to the chauffeur upon bording the bus—and each subsequent month you will purchase a monthly bus card (‘campus abonnement mensuel’—21€ each month), which will entitle you to unlimited access to the bus system—that is, you can travel aboard any bus at any time.

NOTE: Please use all of the preceding information as a guide rather than as an absolute to-do list: As this information is subject to change, verify it as much as possible prior to use.

MTSU Faculty contact: Dr. Monica Wright Phone: (615) 898-5902 [We are grateful to Brian Alright Roberts for gathering the information about Besancon during his year abroad. If you would like further information from the student perspective, you may contact him at: broberts@mtsu.edu]