Spring 2025 for KCJS: Consortium Students from BU, Brown, Chicago, Cornell, Emory, UPenn, Stanford, and Washington University in St. Louis

COSTS BILLED BY HOME SCHOOL

Tuition: KCJS Consortium students from BU, Brown, Chicago, Cornell, Emory, UPenn, Stanford, Washington University in St. Louis will be billed by your home school at your school’s regular tuition rate. It covers tuition, course excursions, most course materials, some local transportation and cultural activities. It does not cover housing, meals, airfare, medical insurance, some course materials, personal travel, and personal expenses.

COSTS BILLED BY UNDERGRADUATE GLOBAL ENGAGEMENT
Deposit$500
Program Fee$5,750
The total billed by Undergraduate Global Engagement$6,250

Deposit: The non-refundable deposit of $500 is submitted along with your Confirmation of Participation form to reserve your place in the program and is payable in the UGE Application Portal. All students, except for those from Cornell and Washington University, must pay the $500 deposit. The deposit is payable online through the UGE Application Portal.

Program Fee: The Program Fee covers housing, lunch stipend, transportation pass, and some activities during the semester. All students, except for those from Cornell and Washington University, must pay the $5,750 the program fee each semester. The program fee is payable online through the UGE Application Portal.

Estimated Out-of-Pocket Expenses are not billed by Columbia. The estimated amounts in this section provide a basis for students to determine their individual budgets for expenses related to their time overseas for the duration of the program. The below estimate is an average of what students say they actually spend. These expenses are NOT paid to the program.
OUT-OF-POCKET EXPENSES NOT BILLED TO STUDENTS (ESTIMATED)
Meals (depends on housing option)$400 - $2,000
Housing$0
Local Transportation$300
Visa$0
Books and Course Materials$100
Cell Phone$200
Airfare$1,700
Personal Expenses$1,000
Total Estimated Out-of-Pocket Expenses$3,700-$5,300

Meals: The cost for meals and food will vary depending on housing options and individual spending habits. All KCJS students receive a ¥1,000 daily lunch allowance.

1) Students living in apartments are responsible for breakfast and dinner, should budget approximately $500/month for meals not included in the program fee.

2) Students living with host families are provided with breakfast and dinner are provided daily, but are responsible for lunch.

3) Students living in dorm are provided breakfast and dinner Monday – Saturday but are responsible for daily lunch and Sunday meals.

Housing: KCJS places students in dormitories or apartments and the cost is included in the Program Fee.

Local Transportation: Students will be given a monthly transportation subsidy during the semester to cover transportation costs between their housing and KCJS. Students should budget approximately ¥20,000 per month for additional transportation

Visa: There are no Visa fees for US Citizens, and fees are waived for some nationalities. The list of visa exemption countries and regions can be found here.

Books and course supplies: Textbooks and other course materials will be distributed after the language placement exam in Kyoto.

Cellphone: All students are required to have a working cell phone capable of making and receiving both local and international calls throughout the duration of the program.

Airfare: Students are responsible for booking their own flights to any of the following airports: Kansai International Airport, Haneda or Narita.

Personal Expenses: Personal expenses are highly variable based on each person's spending habits. They may include entertainment and personal travel.

As part of the program, you will be covered for urgent and emergent care while you are abroad. Routine and preventive care is not included so you should maintain a health insurance policy that will provide coverage outside the U.S. or your home country. This cost is not included in the chart above.