Understanding Study Abroad Program Budgets
The Study Abroad Team aims to include every foreseeable expense in the estimated program budget. The 'Total Estimated Cost of Program' is a minimum estimate of what a student will spend during their time abroad, not necessarily what will be reflected on their Illinois State University (ISU) bill/student account. This includes costs that you may incur independent of ISU such as passport, visa, airfare, food, transportation, and other personal expenses.
While we do our best to determine a precise cost for each program, the program budget is only an estimate. Some items may result in a slightly higher or lower cost at the time of your program due to variables out of our control, such as housing availability, host country immigration changes, or currency exchange rates. Personal spending habits can also impact your budget while abroad.
Budget Breakdown
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Section #1: Costs and fees billed by Illinois State University
- Costs in this section are billed by ISU through the Student Accounts Office and are due in full prior to program departure.*
- Students are billed the Non-Refundable Study Abroad Application Fee upon official approval to study abroad by the Study Abroad Team.
- The application fee covers orientation, application processing, and other miscellaneous costs associated with the application process.
- The mandatory International Student Health Insurance is automatically assessed to all ISU students studying abroad and cannot be waived.
- ISU will bill all students for two hours of in-state tuition, regardless of the number of credit hours they will take while abroad.
- Tuition rates will vary by student and are based on the in-state tuition rate for the academic year they first entered ISU.
- When viewing Estimated Program Budgets, please note that the Study Abroad Team denotes tuition for the current academic year.
- Additional charges may be billed through ISU depending on your selected program and other variables.
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Section #2: Independent costs and fees NOT billed by Illinois State University
- Costs in this section are NOT billed by ISU and they may vary by student.*
- Students are responsible for all costs within this section and must pay for them independently. Some items may require payment prior to departure, whereas others should be anticipated expenses while abroad.
- Students should determine how they will pay for these items before applying to study abroad.
- Personal Expenses are listed as light-to-moderate and vary based on personal lifestyles and spending habits. Personal expenses do not include additional travel and/or souvenirs.
- If you wish to travel while abroad, you should research your intended destinations and plan for this financially.
- Costs in this section are NOT billed by ISU and they may vary by student.*
*If you are planning to study abroad through an approved affiliate provider (AIFS, CEA, ISA, USAC), the Study Abroad Team will create an estimated budget for you. Costs and fees associated with these programs may vary. The amount billed through ISU versus Independent Costs may not be known until close to program departure when your affiliate company releases their charges to both ISU and student participants. However, the Total Estimated Program Cost should be relatively accurate.
For additional information regarding the billing process/timeline, scholarships, and using Financial Aid and/or College Illinois!, please visit our Cost Information page.