D wants to study abroad: please tell me of your family's experience!

Parents Forum
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<p>D is a second year student and really wants to study abroad Spring semester 2009 and is starting the application process. Since she's our oldest and neither H nor myself participated in such a program, I am clueless!! She is an economics/journalism major, but doesn't plan on taking many classes in those areas. She would like to take more humanities/fine arts type classes.</p>

<p>She is most interested in studying in England (London), Italy (Rome or Florence), or Australia (Sydney). </p>

<p>In looking at the university's website regarding various affiliated study abroad programs, the estimated prices, including costs not included in the program fees, range from $16,000 (Sydney) to $28,000 (London) for the semester!!! Whoah, talk about sticker shock. We can swing the $16,000 figure, but I don't want to go above $20,000 at all. After all, we do have to pay for her final year of school when she returns. D is also willing to work to help defray some of the costs, which will help.</p>

<p>Are these prices pretty typical, or are there reputable study abroad programs out there that provide a similar (or even better) experience? Do you think your child's experience was worth it? What things should I be investigating, or have my D check in to? Did you find that the expenses were more or less than what was estimated? Did you use Skype or some other method to talk with each other?</p>

<p>Thank you for any guidance. I'm so out of my comfort zone that I don't even know where to start. H would love it if she went to Sydney; we were there 3 years ago and have friends in Cairns that want to take us camping in the Outback!</p>

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<p>If the abroad programs are a lot more expensive than the expenses at her college here, one alternative I have seen proposed is that a less expensive travel trip be done over the summer. Travel is also an education (in itself).</p>

<p>I have investigated the costs to get to and travel around in several different areas and your daughter could do a lot on $5000, if she is willing to go lower end.</p>

<p>Heck, if the cost of the semester in a foreign school is say $10,000 more than a US semester, she could do $5000 trips for 2 summers. </p>

<p>Just a thought. However, my S mentioned a similar program in the Netherlands the other day. I told him to get me the hard economic facts and we'd discuss it. I am probably going to suggest US for college and elsewhere for travel, but I'm going to wait and see what he can come up with first.</p>

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<p>Does your daughter's school sponsor any of these study abroad options? That is the first place to check. Most schools have a study abroad office or someone to deal with. DS studied in London for a semester but it was through a program operated by his university in London. The cost was no different than his costs here would have been and they applied his scholarships and loans as they would have had he attended on campus. The only added cost was that they lived in an apartment and had to buy food...and the exchange rate with the pound is unfavorable. BUT having said all of that...we would have gone into hock for him to participate in this program. It was a terrific experience. We just used regular email and IM to communicate. DS had an Orange Mobile phone there, and called here once or twice with it.</p>

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<p>Thanks for the input thus far. The costs for the programs would be about $10,000-$20,000 more for the semester than her school (University of Colorado-Boulder). It just seems to be too much for my comfort level, and I was wondering if there was a cheaper alternative.</p>

<p>07DAD, you make a good point about traveling in a region (even twice!) instead of attending school there. I would be a lot less expensive, and I think I will offer that to D as an alternative. I think she really wants to go to school somewhere else for a semester, but the finances have to all work out.</p>

<p>thumper1, if I understood what was on the CU website, the programs are loosely affiliated, but they aren't a branch of the University of Colorado. You do pay your tuition and fees through the university billing system, though. Am glad to hear that your S's experience went so well.</p>

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<p>Does her school have a reciprocal study abroad program? AY my Ds school if she chooses a reciprocal program she pays her tuition and fees to her home school and her scholarships/financial aid can be used towards the cost of the study abroad semester/year as long as the classes will go toward her major. It makes it considerably cheaper than the affiliated schools.</p>

<p>My D is just s freshman now so we don't have any actual experience - just what we have looked into so far. She is thinking England or Ireland (the reciprocal programs are mostly at local universities where the classes will be taught in the local language so that limits her somewhat) or Australia. Her complication is that she is pre-med (curently anyway) so figuring out the timeline for doing study abroad and getting her prereqs and MCATS done is difficult.</p>

<p>I have no experience with SKYPE but my friends husband and son were contractors in Iraq and Afghanistan and used it. The other thing to look into is what sort of international plan your phone company might have. I am from England originally and we pay something like $5 a month for an international plan which causes our calls to England to be $0.08 a minute.</p>

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<p>Swimcatsmom, everything thus far looks to be affiliated and not a reciprocal program. However, I will look into things further to see if I've missed anything! Again, thank you.</p>

<p>The good thing for D is that she doesn't need the credits from a study abroad program; she is (and will be able to) complete her majors at CU on time even if the credits from a study abroad program don't transfer back to her school. Gotta love AP credits!</p>

<p>Another question - could D apply for a study abroad program through another university that's not her own? I guess it would depend on the school.</p>

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<p>I didn't study abroad, instead I wrote my senior thesis on public housing in London, Paris and Berlin and got a grant that paid me to spend the summer between junior and senior year in Europe. Best deal of all! (But of course no guarantees that even if your d's school has similar programs whether she'd be a lucky recipient.)</p>

<p>There's a current thread on Skype with very postive reviews.</p>

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<p>Yes, mathmom, you DID get the best deal of all. Actually, I think this whole process of investigating study abroad programs will be good for D. She's been pretty privileged thus far, and I think taking some cold hard looks at the $$$ will be pretty enlightening. She should be paying for some of this, no matter where she ends up going.</p>

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<p>
[quote]
If the abroad programs are a lot more expensive than the expenses at her college here, one alternative I have seen proposed is that a less expensive travel trip be done over the summer.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Here's a variation on that (which I did as an undergrad) - do a field-relevant summer internship abroad. That's even cheaper, because you're getting paid. I was a computational neuroscience research intern at EPFL in Switzerland, writing software for neural signal processing. I lived in a downtown boarding house and walked to work each day. It was a great experience.</p>

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<p>Jessiehl, that's a good idea. D's journalism major is with an emphasis in advertising, and there are loads of advertising agencies in London, so she could approach it that way and save money. Thanks!!</p>

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<p>
[quote]
I think this whole process of investigating study abroad programs will be good for D. She's been pretty privileged thus far, and I think taking some cold hard looks at the $$$ will be pretty enlightening. She should be paying for some of this, no matter where she ends up going

[/quote]
</p>

<p>AMEN. Grants, internships and I am aware that there are programs where Americans can get the airfare and room and board provided for a stay at English language immersion schools in Spain. </p>

<p>Yep, they fly you there and back and put you up and feed you to talk English to their students. My understanding is that you get to travel locally while you are there on their nickel. And, your return flight can be at a time after you have fullfilled your "duty," so you can leave Spain and travel about, then use the "free" return from Spain back to the US. </p>

<p>I have a S at Colorado College. I have checked and the affiliated programs have the same tuition as at CC, with a room and board charge that is determined (in advance) by the foreign school. However, for affiliated programs any fianacial aid and scholarships the student has at CC can be used to defray the abroad program. </p>

<p>You might want to check that aspect out, if your D is getting aid or scholrship $$.</p>

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<p>One caveat---London is now one of the most expensive cities on the planet.
(Florence and Rome are costly as well). If she is into Italian culture and language, I would recommend one of the smaller domestic(Italian) language
programs in Urbania or Perugia. Live with a family over the summer, have the
low cost of living in a smaller Italian town(at least 1/2 the cost of Florence)
and ACTUALLY learn Italian art and language. A lot of the study abroad programs throw you together with other Americans and your language study is at a minimum. These language programs run about 8 weeks and cost 25%
of what you would spend on an American university program. Just one of many programs-
centrostuditaliani.org</p>

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<p>D will be applying for merit scholarships; unfortunately we don't qualify for financial aid. The English language immersion schools sound fascinating!</p>

<p>Musicamusica, I agree. London is horribly expensive. The study abroad program fees are much lower in Brighton or Lancaster, and they're not all that far from London so D could still find the time to travel there.</p>

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<p>Coloradomomof2 - I can't praise a study abroad enough. My D did one in London a year ago and I will say it's probably the highlight of her college experience. She is also a communications major and took a combination of communications and liberal arts classes.</p>

<p>Thankfully, she attends a school that has one of the largest study abroad programs available - she had many, many choices of locations, and chose London. Whether it's Europe, Asia or Australia, a semester LIVING abroad is an education that just traveling for a few weeks can't provide (although they certainly are fun). Most study abroad students do lots of traveling, based from where they are attending school, but they have a 'home' location. My daughter's semester abroad was her only true 'off-campus' living experience as she has always either lived in a dorm or her sorority house. </p>

<p>Regarding costs, because she was actually attending a satellite campus of her own school, tuition was the same; the extra costs were for supplemental travel. Since she shared a three-bedroom flat with five other girls, even her rent was less than at her state-side campus, and they were in a nice area.</p>

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<p>Thanks, teriwtt, for the info. I'm glad that your D had such a great experience. I have no doubt about how satisfying studying abroad can be; it's just trying to figure out the finances for all of this. H and I are trying to maximize her college fund (and college experience!) without going into debt to do so. I wish we had the same satellite campus situation like you did.</p>

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<p>Pay attention to the housing arrangements. There are some programs where the students are on their own to find housing. The student truly shows up, say, in Barcelona with her stuff, and stays in a hotel until she can find an apartment or other arrangement.</p>

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<p>Yikes! Thanks, missypie; I hadn't realized that.</p>

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<p>The costs written in the original post are typical, maybe even a bit low for a semester abroad. Not sure what expenses are included in your figures. Look at some of the Scottish schools for a year abroad. Consider the Univ. of Edinburgh or Aberdeen, for example. Traveling or working abroad is a very different experience than is studying abroad, especially if the travel is in the summer. Most likely, one's college years are the only chance for an American to study abroad.</p>

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<p>icy9ff8, here is what the CU-Boulder website lists as the estimated costs of attending City University in London for Spring 2008:</p>

<p>Study Abroad Program Fee</p>

<p>Instructional Costs-Resident (Non-resident add $1000) $13,425
Insurance $200 </p>

<h2>Room & Board in fee $5,100 </h2>

<p>Program Fee Resident (Non-resident add $1000) $18,725 </p>

<p>Estimated Costs Not Included in Program Fee
Books & Supplies 400<br>
Additional Board Costs 2,275<br>
Personal Expenses 2,500 </p>

<h2>Additional Airfare 908 </h2>

<p>Costs not included in program fee 6,083 </p>

<p>Total Estimated Cost-Resident (Non-resident add $1000) 24,808 </p>

<p>Included in the Program Fee
Instructional costs (not including course fees), on-site orientation, room, health insurance, ISIC card, and administrative fees to CU-Boulder Study Abroad Programs office and Arcadia University</p>

<p>Excluded from the Program Fee
Any course fees assessed by Arcadia, round-trip travel to England, meals, books or personal expenses. NOTE: The above program fee and cost estimates do not include vacation travel even though it is an important element of the educational experience.</p>

<p>Do these fees seem typical?</p>

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<p>Yes these costs, especially when noting the caveats regarding extra expenses for travel and course (e.g. lab fees?) fees are typical. London is very expensive so encourage window shopping and neccessities rather than souvenir purchases. The $16,000 cost for a semester in Australia seems to be a bargain if it includes room, board, tuition & fees. Be sure to update this cost info. as the US dollar has fallen in value recently. Canadian Universities, such as McGill in Montreal, may be lower in cost. Quebec City is one of the most exciting cities in North America for a student. Ask about exchange programs between your university and any others both in Canada and Europe. The University of British Columbia in Vancouver, B.C. Canada may be a more affordable option (and, due to the natural beauty, sophisticated amenities and mild climate, may prompt interest in a lengthier stay). McGill, however, is cold but most often hailed as a bargain for Americans. But the classes are much larger than those in the US. Difficult timing, however, as the US dollar has hit all time lows against the Canadian dollar.</p>