Fall 2020 Costs for Columbia in Paris: Penn Students

University of Pennsylvania students pay Penn tuition and fees through Penn's billing system. In addition, the Center for Undergraduate Global Engagement at Columbia bills Penn for the Program Fee of $800. Should a student withdraw after confirmation, they are billed the $500 deposit by Penn.

Tuition and fees are subject to approval by The Trustees of Columbia University and may change.

COSTS BILLED FOR HOUSING (IF APPLICABLE)
Housing costs$3,360-$5,030
Total billed by Host Families in ParisVariable
Students doing program housing: The cost of housing depends on which option you choose and how many meals you elect with a host family or the costs of the residence. The range in cost is approximately 700€ - 1048€/month, ranging from a room in a residence to 5 meals with a homestay family. You are billed separately by Host Families in Paris and your bill will include a deposit (refundable if no damage at the end of your stay) and handling fee of about $60, in addition to any fees your bank charges to transfer money. The costs above have been calculated for a 5-month period at an exchange rate of 1 euro = 1.11 USD.

Students not doing program housing: Please add your estimated housing expenses to the out-of-pocket expenses below. Note that if you are opting out of program housing, you will need to pay an administrative fee of approximately 40€ once you arrive in Paris. This is to cover the administrative processing for your required housing insurance.

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. Note that all on-site expenses have been estimated for a 5-month period at an exchange rate of 1 euro = 1.11 USD.

OUT-OF-POCKET EXPENSES NOT BILLED TO STUDENTS (ESTIMATED)

Meals

$2,000-2,800

Local Transportation

$335
Visa$260
Books and Course Materials$200
Cell phone$240
Airfare$1,200
Personal Expenses$2,300
Total Estimated Out-of-Pocket Expenses$6,535-$7,335

Meals: The cost for meals and food will vary widely depending on individual spending habits and the number of meals taken with a homestay family. Costs can be kept down by preparing your own meals, taking advantage of student cafeterias, and only eating out occasionally.

Local Transportation: You will be responsible for paying for transportation to and from the airport in Paris at the start and end of the program. A monthly Navigo pass is currently 75€/month.

Visa: You are responsible for visa fees.The fee above includes the following: Campus France fee, VFS fees, French consulate fee.

Books and course supplies: You are responsible for purchasing any course materials at the local university.

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: Estimated cost of a round trip airfare from NYC to Paris. You are responsible for making your own travel arrangements from your preferred departure city to the program.

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


It is required that you maintain a health insurance policy that will also provide coverage outside the U.S. for routine, urgent and emergent care. This cost is not included in our estimates.