How Much Will it Cost?
The actual cost of studying abroad will depend on the type of program, its location, and the duration you choose to stay abroad.
Fees
While the expenses for each study abroad program vary, there are some fixed costs that you can readily compare. Among these will be the costs for tuition, room, and board. Visit the individual Study Abroad program pages for detailed information on associated costs. Millikin University does offer International Fellowships, which provides endowed funds for students with financial need to study abroad during their sophomore, junior, or senior year. Each spring and fall, students will be informed that they may submit a proposal outlining their intent to travel, the desired location, and course of study. Students may also apply for study abroad scholarships, such as the Gilman Scholarship, the Pell Grant, and for various scholarships through Diversity Abroad.
In addition to these fixed program costs, there are a number of other expenses you need to consider when planning to study abroad. These expenses will not be billed to you by the program but are rather items that you will need to cover on your own, either before you depart or as you are living abroad. Among the expenses you might expect are the following:
- Passport and visa fees
- Medical examination and immunizations
- Additional insurance
- International Student ID Card (ISIC)
- Round-trip airfare from the United States to your host country
- Ground transportation on site
- Books and other supplies
- Additional meals (if the program costs do not provide for three meals a day)
- Optional travel expenses (for personal travel or participation in an optional program excursion)
- Cell phone rental and usage fees
- International calling card
- Computer fees
- Postage
- Gifts if staying with a host family
- Personal expenses (toiletries, laundry, etc.)
Your program provider’s website should offer a list of expected costs for the location to which you will be traveling. In addition, it’s useful to talk with recently returned students or faculty to get a sense of the “real” costs. And, of course, as part of your early pre-departure research, you should look into currency exchange rates and any fees that your bank or credit card companies charge for international transactions.
MU has many Tuition-Free Exchange Programs, which means that students studying abroad pay the regular MU tuition and only pays the host institution's Room and Board fees. Millikin also offers Discount Programs to students which allow a wider range of study abroad options; as well as, Third Party Providers which give the students endless opportunities, at a higher cost. Your program provider's Web site will provide you with a current breakdown of program costs. You can also contact the CIE to learn about all of your options.
Billing and Deposits
Students are responsible for submitting any deposits specified directly to their program by the published deadline. For the MU London Programs, deposits are applied to the overall program costs.
Tuition for your study abroad program will be billed through MU using the regular billing cycle. Room and board costs, however, are not usually billed through MU (except for the London Exchange Program). Rather, those costs will be billed directly to you or your parents by your study abroad program. Therefore, you should anticipate receiving two bills for studying abroad, but they will be for different charges.
MU London Billing
A $1,000 non-refundable deposit is required to secure a student's place on the MU London program. This deposit will be credited toward the student's final bill. MU will issue a bill of tuition, room, and board, plus a program fee (approximately $7,300). The program fee covers airfare, a meal stipend, group excursions and admissions, ground transportation, and other expenses.