Go Global with Kate Yapp: The "Turbulence" of Going Abroad - Pt. 1: Financials
By Kate Yapp
Studying abroad was an amazing experience that I wouldn’t trade for anything. However, there were also a lot of challenges unique to studying abroad that I couldn’t have anticipated but still had to push through to enjoy my experience.
Some of these challenges were specific to the time period during which I studied abroad, such as having to delay my travel due to COVID and having to go through the application and visa process twice. Other obstacles, though, are common for anyone trying to study abroad but aren’t talked about enough upfront.
A trend I noticed throughout the entire study abroad process, from applying to returning home, was how many unexpected fees popped up.
I think all students studying abroad realize they will have to pay for airfare to reach their study abroad destination, but until I went through it myself, I did not realize how many other costs to budget for.
Visa Troubles
The first issue I encountered was with the visa application. Even with English being my first language and my parents helping out, the forms were confusing. I was worried about messing something up and jeopardizing my application.
Additionally, many countries require that you visit the consulate or embassy nearest to your permanent residence in person.When I applied for my visa for spring 2022, I was able to just mail my application to the consulate in Chicago (where many of the consulates for Minnesota residents are located). That in and of itself was expensive, as I had to pay for expedited shipping (as required by the consulate) and pay for multiple copies of my forms to be notarized. (At FedEx, it can cost up to $5 per notarized signature.)
My roommate, Charlotte Kadifa, was required by the French consulate to show up in person for an appointment, meaning she had to fly over fall break 2021 to Chicago. (I got to do the 6:30 a.m. airport drop-off.)
When I applied for my second visa, to study abroad in Prague during the fall of 2022, the Chicago Czech Republic General Consulate’s rules had changed. I was now required to pick up my visa in person.
Luckily, I had a conference last summer in a suburb of Chicago around the same time my visa was going to be ready for pick up, so I was able to swing into the city and grab it before their office closed for the day. But still, it was a very random chance of events that made it possible, which isn’t the case for everyone else needing a visa to study abroad.
Some visa application processes are much easier — India just required filling out a quick online form and paying a $25 fee. (My fees for my Czech visa were around $150 each time.)
Small Expenses Add Up
Some other expenses I encountered during my study abroad experience included:
headshot pictures for my program application (can be $15 per photo at FedEx and must be certain dimensions)
the deposit for my study abroad program as part of my initial application
getting a valid and up-to-date U.S. passport (the St. Kate’s Global Studies Office does offer financial assistance to St. Kate’s students who have never had a U.S. passport before)
travel insurance (plus add-ons for different situations)
meals if your program does not offer a dining center with a meal plan
vaccines and medical examinations required to ensure you are healthy enough to travel
luggage and travel accessories that come in handy when studying abroad (such as luggage tracking tags in case the airline loses your bags, anti-theft travel bags, portable battery packs, outlet converters)
getting a sim card to have cell service wherever you study abroad or an international phone plan
public transportation passes to commute in your new community (CIEE Prague provided me and all of my peers a transportation pass for the entire duration of our study, but it was only valid in Prague, so we had to buy public transportation passes out-of-pocket anywhere else we traveled. Kadifa had to pay about 50 euros a month for a public transportation pass in Nantes, France, during her IES program.)
any medical appointments or treatment you receive abroad that you often have to pay for upfront and out-of-pocket before being reimbursed later by your insurance company
any other bonus trips, activities, nightlife or souvenir shopping you engage in
Add all of this to not being able to work on a student visa in another country (There are some ways around it; a girl in my program worked limited hours at a local hostel), and study abroad can quickly become a very expensive experience.
Conversion Rates
Costs can also vary depending on where you decide to study abroad. The Czech Republic was a pretty economically even society with most residents identifying as middle class. The prices of meals, goods, services and events were about what you would pay in the Twin Cities, maybe even a little bit cheaper (especially the beer, as it is widely known).
I often took advantage of public transportation, as the cost had already been built into my program tuition, but I do miss the much cheaper rates offered for Czech ride sharing apps and food delivery. The current exchange rate between the U.S. and the Czech Republic is about 1 to 25, meaning that I would just divide the cost of something in Czech Koruna (or Crowns) by half and then take a tens place off to get the price in dollars. This meant that 100 CZK was worth about $5. It is also important to have a conversion app on your phone or be aware of the local conversion rates so that you do not get scammed and/or are aware of how much something costs you.
However, when I traveled to Rome and Germany, where prices were in euros, the conversion was slightly more than what it would be in U.S. dollars. The cost of living in those places was higher than Prague or the Twin Cities.
Saving, Spending and Scholarships
Another way to cut down on extra out-of-pocket costs is to take full advantage of extracurricular activities, excursions and trips offered by your program, like I mentioned in my previous article. Luckily, many programs offer scholarships, as well as several nonprofit organizations.
CIEE, the provider I went through, offered students the chance to apply for both merit- and need-based financial aid as part of the regular application process and even appeal. I also applied for and was fortunate enough to receive the Corinne Jeannine Schillings scholarship for Girl Scouts who had earned their Gold Awards and were studying abroad.
I would encourage students to have about $4,000 saved in spending money (especially if this will have to cover meals, any activities, extra travel, getting necessities you cannot bring with you in your luggage and any medical treatment).
When going abroad, it is important to realize that most international flights will be in the $1,000 to $1,800 range. Many programs do not recommend buying your flight until just a month before your program starts, but we all know flights tend to be more expensive the longer you wait. Instead, track flights over time, look at skymiles or discounts through a parent’s employer or union and buy flight insurance in case you have to cancel.
A valuable lesson I learned at a St. Kate’s Global Studies Office prep session before going abroad was that everyone will come from different financial backgrounds and bring different amounts of pocket money with. My roommate for the semester in Prague was a millionaire and able to try out a $400 meal and wine tasting at a Michelin star restaurant in Prague.
Choosing Getaway Destinations
Some people decided not to go on every trip if they wanted to have enough money to cover their necessities for the rest of our time in Prague. I was able to travel a lot more than I anticipated, but I had a rule of not spending more than about $270 on any roundtrip ticket. I also love live music but don’t pay more than $30 to see a concert in the Twin Cities. When about 20 of my friends went to see Kendrick Lamar at the local arena for $100 a person, I bowed out and chose to see Cavetown, a smaller indie artist I still knew about and listened to back home, at a historic venue in the city center for just $24.
With friends on a Flix bus for a weekend trip.
I also got creative and spent our longest school break in Romania, where a one-way plane ticket to the capital city from Prague was just $90. Then, we used trains for the rest of our travel between towns. For the three of us, we only paid about $30 a night with breakfast included at each hotel. The conversion rate was somehow even better than in Prague, so our money went a lot further when we did some leisurely shopping for clothing or souvenirs.
The incredible (and free!) view from Letna Park in Prague
I would suggest being open to a variety of places to check out if you are studying abroad and want to do additional travel. Romania was not even on my radar until my friend, who has Romanian parents, said she wanted to go and see where her family was from.
In front of Romanian parliament on inexpensive fall break trip.
You can also choose destinations according to where the cheapest travel tickets are and let that dictate your planning – which also should be done for any trip at least three weeks in advance if they require airfare. Or, you can check out places within your country of study for shorter weekend trips.
Some friends and I took a bus out a few different weekends to towns about an hour away from Prague to spend the day or a night. (Because these places were more rural than the capital, they also tended to be cheaper once we arrived and had to pay for food and services.)
Tips, Tricks and Final Thoughts
Lastly, for application fees and such, I would recommend having about $600 available. Like I mentioned, St. Kate’s Global Studies Office offers financial assistance for students getting their first passport. Application deposits can be expensive, but luckily they go toward your program.
One fun fact about studying abroad is that some programs, like CIEE, might combine the cost of your tuition and housing into one. For me this was the case, and it ended up being cheaper than just tuition at St. Kate’s. In addition, your St. Kate’s scholarships and merit aid should apply toward your tuition for your study abroad program. It’s important to work with the Office of Global Studies to make sure this happens as smoothly as possible.
Look for scholarships unique to your characteristics and organizations you are part of and through your study abroad organization. It also never hurts to ask for aid. The worst they can say is no.
You will make silly mistakes sometimes that will cost you. My program charged students a fee to replace lost keys (which was fair). I once bought a bus ticket for the wrong day and had to pay for a new one on the correct day. Luckily, the bus is much less expensive than a plane ticket, so I was only out about $20, but that is why it is so important to check your dates!
Tipping culture can also vary from country to country, but you do not want to be caught empty-handed. Some ATMs and money conversion places are also more sketchy than others. I would suggest finding reputable banks, like Raffeisenbank, which I found all over Europe, to do your ATM cash withdrawals at.
It is also important to have a credit or debit card without international fees and make sure your bank knows you are traveling so your cards do not get frozen while trying to pay for gelato on a weekend trip to Spain (not that I am speaking from personal experience at all).
When it comes to those last few things, it is important to have grace with yourself. You are a young adult on survival mode and adrenaline in a place you do not completely understand. Something I often told myself when it came to buying the wrong bus ticket or overtipping was “there are more expensive mistakes to make.” This is true. Don’t miss your flights.
All in all, studying abroad can be much less expensive than going to school on campus, but it can also be more expensive in other, unexpected ways. I wish I had known just how many things to save up for so I could have planned a bit more ahead of time in the years before I went abroad. Europe also provides way more student discounts, so make sure to take advantage when abroad!
