Program Costs

Read this page carefully to understand the costs are associated with your study abroad program.

Program Budgets

All programs will have term-specific unofficial budget sheets. These budgets are estimates and intended for planning purposes only. Your Education Abroad Coordinator will upload official budgets into your My Study Abroad account following your acceptance to the program and prior to the commitment deadline. We try to minimize increases from term to term but you may observe cost increases that are set by your host institution.

All program budgets will be broken down into three sections:

View sample budget (PDF)

Important note: The above image is an example. Official program budgets will vary.

1. Study Abroad Billable Fees

(billed to your student account)

Program fees billed by Study Abroad Office:

• Instructional Fees. Host Institution tuition and/or instructional costs and required fees. These items are considered qualified education expenses and will appear on your annual 1098-T.
• Housing. If the program cost includes housing, an amount will appear in this section. Any meal plans will be included in this total.
• Other local fees. This fee usually includes one or more of the following: orientation costs, excursions, field trips, on-site transportation, residency fees, visa fees and other required provider or host institution fees.
• Study Abroad Office Admin Fee. This fee is required of all students and covers the cost of study abroad operations.

2. Non-Billable Costs

(items not billed to student account)

Items in this section are estimates, they address basic necessities and assumes minimal social expenses. Costs can vary as a result of exchange rate fluctuation, visa types, airfare pricing, food, and personal expenses. This section is here to help you plan for the total cost of the program.

If there are dollar amounts in Housing, Instructional or Provider Fees, you will have to pay those amounts directly to a vendor, program provider, or host institution. We will not be able to pay this on your behalf. This is especially important to students relying on financial aid. For example, a vendor may require a housing deposit in October but you will not get your financial aid payout until January. Keep this in mind when selecting a program.

Budgetary items for consideration, but will NOT be billed to your account:

• Immigration/Residency Fees
• Housing
• Round-trip Airfare
• Meals
• Instructional Fees
• Host Country Health Insurance Fees
• Provider Fees (advances, applications, registrations)
• Additional Personal Expenses

3. University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (university) Billable Fees

(billed to your student account)

Tuition and fees billed by the university:

• Study Abroad Tuition. Also known as “place holder tuition,” the Study Abroad Tuition will be less than your regular semester tuition. By paying Study Abroad Tuition, you will remain a registered student while abroad and have access to the following:
  • Pre-approval on course equivalencies
  • Academic advising while abroad
  • Support while you are abroad, including emergency response before and during your study abroad program, and other risk management support
  • Access to your university email
  • A time ticket for advance registration
  • Access to University Library services
  • Access to Student Financial Aid and university-administered scholarships (provided you apply by scholarship deadlines);
  • Support from the Office of the Dean of Students, Counseling Center, Office of Minority Student Affairs (OMSA) , Women's Resources Center (WRC), and more. Learn more about Identity and Inclusion resources.
  Paying Study Abroad Tuition is required by the university. We use base rates for all budgets and the amount billed by the university varies depending on the cost of your first year at the university and your home college. See the Tuition & Fee Rates page of the Office of the Registrars website for to calculate the tuition amount you will pay.
• General Fee. A required university fee that supports certain fixed costs. All students pay this fee, even off-campus students.
• Student Health Insurance Fee. Student wellness insurance is required of all students, but sometimes you can opt out of the coverage in the first 3 weeks of class. Otherwise, no refunds will be given.
• International Safety and Security Fee. This fee covers the cost of international health and evacuation insurances as well as services provided by International Safety and Security. This fee is required of all students going abroad.
• Study Abroad Application Fee. This is a non-refundable fee billed to all students who submit an outgoing study abroad application. The fee will be charged to your student account within a month of submitting the application.

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