Study Abroad vs. Gap Summer

Applying to College
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I am currently a student at university in my final year. I am in a tight-knit program of about 30 students. Short term study abroad programs have been available to our degree in the summer. In our third year a new full semester program was now offered. This program would be with our current uni professor except in Europe and in the final semester of school. So essentially it would be the same students in our class now and same prof only in a foreign country. It was continually advertised as being a extremely cheap option by the said professor and many people in our class jumped right in to do it. After the costs were published it was nearly double for the tuition alone!!! Any other study abroad program for other majors at this uni are all the same costs as being on campus with only adding in fees for applications ect… This program was only cheaper for out of state students.
I was a transfer into my program, and the way my degree works i basically had to start over so it has now been 6 years of being in undergrad. There are many students in our class that in the same position as myself. I have never received financial aid in the form of grants as many people do, nor does this classify me to qualify for my school’s scholarships either. My parents have generously provide my education for me.
I have talked about travel opportunities with my friends for years now all of which were turned down because “its too expensive to travel abroad” I am fortunate to travel abroad often with my family so I know the costs associated but also know how to do things inexpensively. When This study abroad trip was created about 2/3s of the class immediately joined despite my reluctance in pointing out the price difference.
The total cost of the trip for four months is $7000 for tuition, and then all other living expenses, visa, travel, ect. So about $10,000-$15,000 roughly.
My argument is that if you aren’t working anyways while you are there then why not just take a summer in-between college and getting a job to travel for 4 months. You save the tuition costs, you aren’t paying fees for a school you aren’t at, and have triple the amount of time to be where you want and go different places. (with it being Europe, you don’t even need to have a visa, you can just move around more often, or leave and come back) Suddenly everyone in our class is not longer worried about money or paying for it even though it is significantly more than regular travel as a student.
It only makes sense for the out of state students who actually have cheaper tuition and those that receive large grants through the government (which I personally think should not be allowed, but you know…) to attend this trip. Many of my friends are paying for it out of pocket or should I say their parents’ pockets. At this age where we are essentially on our own the following months, i find it very difficult to want to ask my parents to pay for such a large expense after they are already supporting me through everything else and take me on travel trips for holiday.
my classmates are not concerned with taking out additional loans, nor are they interested in hearing why I think that paying the extra costs for travel is not smart. They are saying things such as “I would rather be in europe for a reason (school) than to just be there not knowing what to do” and “I’m never gonna have this opportunity again”
No one is concerned about money anymore when someone else is paying for their travel which i personally think is what is messed up about our societies.
I get it, the study abroad opportunity will not come again, but travel can and especially for our major because we have to go back to school the next year for the next degree level required of the profession in engineering so there are still lots of breaks and time off. Unfortunately, when they all return from this four months, they will be broke and in debt, and it would take years of working a minimum wage job to travel again, on your own, at that point you will be settling down, and getting a real job and it will be less about money and more about time.

So at the end of the day, as much as I would like to galavant around Europe with my school group for four months. (Or be stuck at the tail-end of a tour group) I just couldn’t justify traveling with the added costs of paying for classes that mean nothing. Even more so for the fact that they aren’t even attending a new university, or getting a new professor. (Something that I would think would make it a stronger program and could be put on your resume.) It just simply doesn’t make sense.

Im sure it is fun and no body ever regrets studying abroad because you are still traveling but is it really worth having to make payments for the next 5 years?

I know very few people who have studied abroad and continued to travel years afterward because they are still in debt so i feel like there is some sort of validity to my statements.

I just don’t get how people (or parents) are so quick to jump onto study abroad as a single, cheap way of traveling under the guise that its for educational purposes related to a degree when its sometimes more expensive?

Anyways, does anyone else see this or do you all think im crazy as well?
I am currently planning a trip with friends for the same amount of time that is coming well in under that budget^ for the summer that won’t require me to use a loan. Im feeling pretty good about it but am still sad that my original group of friends won’t be able to attend.
What are some opinions that you guys have on the costs these types of opportunities?
Has anyone done both study abroad and gap year independent travel?

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Your post is so long & convoluted that your question gets lost in the muddle.

There is nothing magic about “study abroad” or gap summer / year. For students whose families have not (or, more likely, could not) take them abroad for holidays, study abroad is often the best, even only, way to spend time internationally. For students whose next step (grad school, job) doesn’t start until the autumn, the summer after college graduation is a very normal time to take a break and travel.

I do think that anybody signing up for a program without knowing the costs is making a mistake, and equally if the school gave the impression that the costs would be the same as being on campus that is seriously wrong,

As somebody who has grown up traveling internationally you may not realize just how intimidating the idea can be to people who have never done it. IMO, one of the best things about study abroad & other international programs is that it breaks the ice for people for whom this is genuinely a foreign(!) concept. To put it another way, check your privilege.

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Im well aware that i have been super fortunate to get to travel before college and thats not my point, I added all the information not really as a question but more as a discussion piece. My classmates and I have discussed travel on our own for a very a long time. Its quite feasible for a group of college age students to travel together abroad alone. I have done this before for an extended period of time and it works out well and you are only paying for what you are doing. You can even do organized trips that pay for everything for you. My point im trying to make is that you spend nearly triple the costs just by doing it under the guise that its for education through an abroad program. If you can’t afford to travel (or take your kid to travel) then why pay so much extra for something like that. I think it just goes back to people thinking loans are okay. Parents give this idea to their kids and its how so many people are stuck in debt…

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You don’t have to sell me on how feasible it is for “college age students to travel together abroad alone”- my HS age students did that and my collegekids have done / are doing that.

My point was that you may not realize just how intimidating the idea can be to people who have never done it. I will add that many parents will work hard to get something for their kid’s education (vs a holiday). Their background / understanding of what is involved in international travel / what is worthwhile may be very, very different than yours.

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You are exactly resting my case on the point of my discussion. 99% of study abroad trips are worthless in terms of the educational aspects for a diploma. So if you remove that from the equation, it IS basically an extended holiday only you pay more than if you did that on your own, or even through just a travel group with students. Travel is educational regardless of who you are with. If parents are working hard to pay for it, then why pay $5000+ in extra fees? That’s an entirely separate trip if you ask me.
While I have been fortunate to travel, my family makes a lot financial sacrifices and planning to do so. And when I travel alone with friends its even more of a budgeted trip that I work a lot to pay for on my own.
I get that travel can be intimidating for people that haven’t done it before but if something is intimidating enough that requires $5000 for someone to hold my hand through the process maybe i’m just not ready for that anyways. I might not know much on finances or life in general than a lot of people, but I do know the value of money, even more so when someone is gifting it to me. I value and appreciate my parents working enough to pay my tuition in school so I couldn’t imagine turning around and asking them to double that plus higher living costs to be able to “study” abroad. People that do that are equally as privileged as myself.

What is involved in international travel, and worthwhile requires a couple hours of google research that a college student should be more than capable of doing, especially if they are truly interested in going.

I just don’t understand why parents (in this case) are so quick to jump in and pay for such a trip. (plus going to visit their kid abroad) rather than simply saving the money and doing their own trip. If you can’t afford to go regardless, then what makes this any more feasible? The fact that many people just tack it on to the student loans?

I don’t think study abroad is bad at all, there are tons of programs that are great and you’re right, it is a way for students to travel that wouldn’t otherwise take that step on their own. In this case though,
I just think it is bad financial advice to encourage such vulnerable people to pay extra money when they are just handing off the ticket to their parents under the guise that it’s this once-in-a-lifetime, educational experience, that’s never gonna be cheaper when in reality it’s much more expensive than travel alone.

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I totally understand what you are questioning and think you are making the right, financially prudent decision!

That said, I would very much be willing to spend extra money for my one child to experience something like this and would never agree to spend it on my other child. One child is bold, very social and confident. He travelled internationally independently since he was 15. He would do it again in a heartbeat and like you, would find this program ridiculously expensive and foolish to attend.

My other child is more unsure, anxious and introverted. He would never travel solo with just friends, but he would go with a known group, a scheduled itinerary and a trusted professor. I want him to experience more travel and would happily pay extra for him to go if this was the only option that was comfortable for him.

So I understand both sides of this. We definitely are not a family of financial privilege, either, but willing to make financial sacrifices for our kids’ life experiences.