It all depends if you can afford whatever expenses you will be required to pay on your own. Better to know in advance than to be hungry & homeless in Europe or elsewhere.
It usually doesn’t cost anymore than attending the college
If you are receiving financial aid — you can, in most instances, carry that over to your semester or year abroad. It is critical that you coordinate your efforts with the financial aid office and the study abroad program.
Most colleges allow you to take your financial aid package with you on your semester or year abroad. Begin at the study abroad office on campus and follow up with the financial aid office to ensure that your aid will accompany you over seas. Beware of hidden costs. Are there extra program tickets? How will you cover your room and board if there is no formal dorm program? How will your aid interface with your living expenses. Some programs may not qualify. Be sure to investigate in advance and you will have a wonderful experience. Remember to consider the exchange rate of the country that you will be visiting. How much will the average ham sandwich cost you for lunch in your chosen country?
Start at your school’s study abroad office. Many colleges and universities encourage study abroad and if you make the arrangements through your school, there is a good chance that your financial aid package will be able to be utilized. Be proactive and research the opportunities early in your Sophomore year so that you are in time for deadlines. A few schools even offer grants to help cover the travel costs but you have to be there early to apply!
In most cases, the cost of attending a college abroad for a semester is similar to your host college. The difference is the travel expense. In other words, because your college and the international college have an agreement, tuition is often the same or similar for that semester of year.
Financially speaking, the costs can vary greatly depending on your home school, where you study abroad, and the type of program in which you enroll. Just like a pricey college education, you may find that an expensive program is worth the bill.
Just as it does at home, your food budget abroad will vary depending on your eating habits. Some programs will have cheap dining hall options available and some won’t. Often, home-stay arrangements include meals, which is a cheaper than eating out. Grocery shopping will typically be the cheapest way to go. Aside from saving money, cooking your own food can enrich your cultural experiences as you learn to make local dishes with available ingredients.
Never hesitate to ask for a student rate for housing, entertainment, or transportation. Trains and buses are a pretty cheap way to get around, and a lot of places around the world have decent railroad networks. Sometimes you can purchase a pass, such as Eurorail, for a one-time fee that will afford you unlimited travel for a set amount of time within a certain region.
While it seems like the cost of studying abroad might be overwhelming, it often is no more than the cost of attending a student’s own college locally. The costs of the study abroad programs are widely publicized on the Internet, so a student can plan for those costs way ahead of time. Many colleges have affiliate programs overseas, and the student will pay tuition to his or her college rather than directly to that program. The most expensive part of studying abroad is likely to be out-of-pocket expenses and the cost of travel to and from the particular country. Students should talk to parents of the sponsoring school to understand those costs beforehand. Also, the student should be aware that the costs of attending in some countries (e.g., Western Europe) far exceeds to the costs in more remote locations.
many government sponsored programs that encourage US students to study abroad such as China. the cost is low and the expense is minimum if you have to work within your budget.
Most institutions make studying abroad possible through partial scholarships, but usually the student will need to add something to the opportunity. If you prepare early by deciding where and when you want to study abroad, you can prepare for the trip by saving the difference from the schools assistance and your personal contribution. Remember family and friends are usually more than willing to assist you with making your educational experience as fulfilling as possible. Every $5 really counts.
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