<p>My D was also taking a very tough schedule/load so she did a study-abroad in the summer. She went to Scotland through a UC program although a UC other than the one she attends. The credit transferred (but it was still in the UC system). The cost was quite a bit less than what you quoted but it was also shorter. Neverthelss, she really enjoyed it. One of the things she liked was that they moved around quite a bit and she was therefore able to see quite a bit. It wasn’t all done in one location like many of the programs. The study abroad program had many other destinations besides the Scotland one.</p>
<p>These study-abroad programs, including the UC ones, are open to students from other colleges. Although most were from UCs, some were from CalState and at least one was from a college in Italy. When I looked around I found similar programs through many other colleges that were open to students from different colleges.</p>
<p>For credit transfer, make sure she checks with the academic advisors at her school first. She may have to petition for the credit. She should do this before she goes. Worst case, she won’t get the credit but will still have the experience which is the main point of studying abroad.</p>