The short answer is that education abroad program costs vary widely: some programs will be less expensive than what you pay at CU (view estimates of comprehensive costs to study/live at CU), some may be about the same cost, and some may be more expensive. This can be true for both resident (RES) students and non-resident (NRES) students. For students concerned about the costs of studying abroad, there are many resources and recommendations, including selecting an affordable program, using financial aid towards the program, and applying for additional scholarships.

You do not pay Boulder campus tuition and fees when you are on a CU education abroad program. Budgets for all of our programs can be found on our Program Costs page.

Below are some sample program costs, with comparisons to the total estimated costs to attend CU*. These are not the only program cost options: CU Boulder offers over 400 programs, and you can find programs that offer lower (and higher) costs in the same region compared to those listed below. Note that all costs listed below are estimates of the total estimated costs that you pay per semester, including costs such as tuition, housing, food, books, spending money, health insurance, etc.

*CU semester costs are based on the estimates provided by the Office of Financial Aid, but note that we are also providing estimates for Personal and Living expenses which the Office of Financial Aid does not put into their budgets.

When you go abroad, you will mostly pay for the same types of costs that you encounter during a term at CU (instructional costs, "tuition" for your program), housing, meals, health insurance, transportation, personal expenses, etc.). However, there are a few additional costs that you may have. The following are examples of some of these costs. Most of these costs are included in the estimated costs in each program budget on the Program Costs page:

• Airfare to and from your destination
• Passport application fee (if applicable)
• Visa application fee (if applicable)
• CU Boulder Education Abroad Administrative fee 
• Immunizations (only needed for certain locations)
• Personal spending money for extra travel - varies greatly from student to student (not included in program cost budgets)

Program costs vary greatly from program to program, largely because of two factors: location and program infrastructure. Programs located in countries with a comparably low cost of living are generally more affordable. Programs located in countries with a high cost of living (such as Australia, New Zealand, or countries in Western/Central Europe) are generally more expensive. These costs are also affected by exchange rates.

Programs with more infrastructure and numerous built-in services also contribute to a higher program cost. A program like Semester at Sea, for example, has high infrastructure costs due to the cost of the ship, the services on board and the large, necessary staff. However, programs with a low infrastructure costs still offer good support for students and sometimes offer opportunities such as field trips and volunteer opportunities. There is not a direct correlation between program cost and level of quality.

Since you are billed for your education abroad program fee through the CU Bursar's Office, payments are due at the same time as regular CU Boulder tuition. For exact dates and additional information, please see the Billing page.

Please note that some costs such as program deposits, plane tickets, visa fees, immunizations, and possibly housing costs will need to be paid sooner than these dates. For more information about possible additional costs, please see the FAQ above called "What am I paying for when on an Ed Abroad program?"

Education Abroad students are eligible to enroll in the same payment plan options as they would during a typical semester. The payment plans are available through the Bursar's Office, and will allow you to breakdown your EA program fee into monthly installments. The due date of the first payment will vary depending on which option you select. Reach out to the Bursar's Office if you have any specific questions about the payment plans options or how to sign up.

Yes! You can use your federal, state and institutional financial aid on approved education abroad programs. Additional information is available on our Financial Aid page.

Note: The G.I. Bill is not applicable to most education abroad programs. Additional information is available on our page for G.I. Bill recipients.

There are lots of scholarships specific to education abroad that you can apply for. Most students will be eligible to apply for at least 1-2 scholarships, if not more! See more information and start a scholarship application on our Scholarships page.

If you receive scholarships to attend CU Boulder, most of them also apply to education abroad programs and will appear on your bill as they normally would. We recommend that you check with the Office of Scholarship Services to confirm whether your awards can be applied towards your program. If you receive private scholarships from another organization, please check with that organization directly about applicability of those funds.

CU Boulder education abroad programs are not COF eligible, nor will the credit earned be deducted from the 145 lifetime credit hour limit.

• COF funding cannot be used to pay education abroad costs because the COF is used to offset Boulder campus tuition. Students on CU Boulder education abroad programs do not pay tuition to Boulder while abroad.
• Because you cannot use COF funding for CU Boulder education abroad programs, the credit hours earned while abroad will be exempt from the 145-hour lifetime credit limit.
• Even though credit earned on CU Boulder education abroad programs doesn't count toward the COF limit, it is posted on the CU degree audit and may be used to satisfy core, major, or elective requirements.

Questions? Please read more about COF at the CU College Opportunity Fund (COF) Project website.

It depends on the program you choose, among other factors. Additional information is available on our page for G.I. Bill recipients.

Any outstanding/overdue balance on your CU Bursar's account must be paid well before your departure. We will check student balances as part of the registration process for the Education Abroad placeholder course. If a balance exists, we will contact you to discuss your options and whether or not you need to withdraw from your program.

• Students applying to the same provider/program for multiple summer locations/sessions (i.e. two CIEE sessions, two DIS sessions) will not be charged more than one application fee. Students will also not be charged relevant CU Boulder Education Abroad administrative fees nor the CU Boulder Education Abroad international health insurance for their second (or third) program. Students will be charged all other posted program costs, which may include an additional provider discount (see last bullet below).

• Students applying to different providers/programs for 2-3 summer sessions (i.e. a Global Seminar and a CIEE program):

  • Will be charged any relevant application fees for each program.

  • Will also be charged relevant CU Boulder Education Abroad administrative fees for the first and second program, but not for the third program (if participating on three summer programs)

  • Will then be charged all other posted program costs, which may include a percentage discount from the program itself (see below).

• Non-resident students participating in any combination of summer programs will only be charged one non-resident fee for the summer term.
• Some programs/partners provide a modest discount if students participate on multiple programs in the same summer session. This varies by program, so please inquire with us for more details.