Budgeting for a Summer Program
Summer study abroad is directly enrolling in summer courses at any of Case Western Reserve University's partner institutions.
- Register for at least one course at an overseas institution and transfer it back to Case Western Reserve.
- Students pay tuition, room and board, and fees to the overseas institution.
- It is very important to budget appropriately for study abroad. While there are many free budget spreadsheets available online, the Office of Education Abroad (OEA) prefers this Google sheet.
- Be sure to look at the Costs/Scholarships section of your program on Terra Dotta. The section provides a sample budget for your summer program, including costs for tuition, housing, meals, books, passport, visa, airfare, local transportation and miscellaneous spending. The sample budget will give you a good idea of how much to budget for, but everyone's needs are different.
Money Matters
The Office of Education Abroad has a few quick tips we have for financial security.
- Call bank(s) and credit card companies before departing.
- Find out what their international transaction fees are and if they have student accounts for international travel
- Have phone numbers and account numbers for banks/credit cards somewhere safe (i.e. not with the cards!)
- Carry some U.S. currency in case of emergency
- Obtain some foreign currency before departing, if possible
- Traveler’s checks are NOT recommended. Many retailers overseas no longer accept them.
How to Find Funding
- Additional need may be met with Parent PLUS or private loans for undergraduate students and Graduate PLUS loans for graduate/professional students.
- For questions on federal financial aid, contact Nancy Issa.
- Programs less than 28 days:
- Most study abroad scholarships are not available to students participating on short-term programs, however, students can still get creative in funding study abroad experiences.
- The Benjamin A. Gilman Scholarship is available to U.S. citizens receiving a Federal Pell Grant who will be participating on a study abroad program for any length of time
- Consider crowdfunding platforms to raise funds
- Case Western Reserve departments may have grants or other sources of funding available for students participating in a short-term program
- Connect with a study abroad advisor to learn more about other resources
- Most study abroad scholarships are not available to students participating on short-term programs, however, students can still get creative in funding study abroad experiences.
- Programs 28 days or longer:
- There are many scholarships available! Talk to your study abroad advisor about them - they can help you choose specific scholarships tailored to your region, program, and identity.
- Fully-funded programs:
- Critical Language Scholarship: funded study abroad opportunity available to U.S. citizens or nationals to study languages essential to America's engagement with the world
- RISE Germany: funded research internships in Germany for undergraduate students