There have been several threads about Colgate’s study abroad options. Be forewarned: Colgate has a “home tuition” policy. What that means is that you pay full tuition to Colgate while you are abroad, and they will pay your foreign school tuition. However, you are responsible for any differential in other costs. For example, if you want to study in Germany, which has tuition of $25,000 less than Colgate and housing costs of $15,000 more than Colgate, Colgate expects you to pay the full tuition to Colgate, and they keep the $25,000 tuition differential for the privilege of not having to teach you that year. Then they will bill you $15,000 for the additional housing costs. Of course, you have to pay for airfare and visas. But this makes studying abroad cost prohibitive unless you have a trust fund, or a reallyy good scholarship. So, it feels like unless you are very, very wealthy, or low income enough to qualify for a full subsidy, Colgate may not be the best choice for anyone wanting an internship or foreign opportunity.
This is helpful information. Thank you for sharing !
I did not study abroad while at Colgate and I was not/am not aware of what you’re saying. I assume that it’s accurate and agree it’s a concern. But in defense of Colgate and low/no paid internships/experiences, the school does offer a significant amount of stipend money to students who wish to pursue a summer experience they could not otherwise afford to pursue through the COVE. I know kids who have taken advantage of this program themselves. There is certainly an awareness of the need to do extra to try to help some students take advantage of those opportunities.
What’s missing here is the context. The bottom line question is how much would a student pay to participate in a study group if he or she shows financial need.
By all measures Colgate is generous with financial aid and deals efficiently and sympathetically with financial aid requests. Why not discuss this question with the Admissions Office.
Go 'gate!
I’ve actually gone in and looked at several of the study groups abroad. Almost all of them have no additional costs except travel. I have no looked at just a flat study abroad, but it would seem strange that this would be much different. When we researched Colgate, we spoke to students and they bragged about study abroad programs and did not indicate paying more, but instead spoke about assistance with stipends for research and internships. I’m not saying this post is incorrect for this particular school, but it also may be a one off. There seem to be plenty of options keeping your costs the same.
I’m in the same boat. For my program, Colgate claimed the extra cost was “only” $3,000, but the housing alone cost more, and the foreign school served only one meal a day, so there were 2 meals a day we needed to pay on top of the $3,000. It was insulting for Colgate to keep the extra tuition over what the foreign school costs, and then require me to pay housing and meals myself. College costs are the whole enchilada – housing, meals and books. I even called the dean and said I didn’t mind paying the full Colgate price if he would pay the full foreign price, but he refused. He explained the policy several times, because I had a hard time believing it: you pay full Colgate tuition to Colgate, and then you cover your own housing and meals, airfare, books, visas, etc. I think kids with full financial aid may have a better deal, with aid covering housing and meals. And the kids with wealthy parents are fine, of course, so plenty of Colgate kids can and do study abroad. But for the kids in the middle, looking to experience a program abroad, Colgate is a total disappointment. The summer research stipends are terrific, but I need that money to cover tuition, not to pay for meals while Colgate keeps thousands of dollars in tuition. Here are the facts: for my program, the foreign university’s tuition was $10,000 less per semester, but the housing and meals were about $6,000 per semester more. I don’t mind if Colgate pockets the $4,000 difference, but they wanted to keep the $10,000 tuition differential (for the privilege of not having me on campus) and expected me to pay the $6,000 more for room and board (plus airfare, etc.), which I couldn’t afford. I asked about a scholarship or stipend, but they told me none were available. I wish I had known before I completed the essays, got the recommendations and otherwise went though the hassle of applying to an amazing and competitive program, approved by Colgate, which accepted me. I am declining due to Colgate’s policy. So if you’re looking into Colgate with the expectation of studying abroad, make sure you understand the costs and requirements of the program you want. Some may cost the same, but for me, it’s been a huge disappointment.