“Most universities will not give a blanket “we take all overseas credit” unless it is one of their OWN study abroad programs… which typically fall at the high end of the price range.”
I’ve done some work in this field, and blossom is correct. Study abroad is a cash cow for universities, and they’re not into reliquishing their piece of the pie for a student who is looking to save money.
Some independent companies that offer study abroad for less will work with the home college with credit transfer. But there are no guarantees, and if you really want a cheaper study abroad, it may end up being something the student does “for fun” rather than “for credits needed to graduate.”