COSTS BILLED BY HOME SCHOOL |
Tuition: BCGS Consortium students pay their home school’s tuition rate directly to their home institutions. 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.
Document (transcript) Fee: This one-time fee of $105 is charged to Princeton students and is not included in the tuition and program fee above. This fee will be included on your e-bill.
Tuition and fees are subject to approval by The Trustees of Columbia University and may change.
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 are estimated in dollars based on an exchange rate of 1 euro = 1.11 USD.
| OUT-OF-POCKET EXPENSES NOT BILLED TO STUDENTS (ESTIMATED) | |
Meals | $2,000 |
| Housing | $3,000 - $5,400 |
Local Transportation | $100 |
| Visa | $75 |
| Books and Course Materials | $200 |
| Cell phone | $250 |
| Airfare | $1,100 |
| Personal Expenses | $2,750 |
| Total Estimated Out-of-Pocket Expenses | $9,475 - $11,875 |
Meals: The cost for meals and food will vary widely depending on individual spending habits. Costs can be kept down by preparing their own meals and only eating out occasionally. This is based on 5 months.
Housing: All students will live in pre-arranged housing. The figures above reflect an estimated average for the various housing options noted on the program webpage. The figures above reflects an estimated average for housing. This is based on 6 months, which is a required amount of time that is needed to book housing.
Local Transportation: Students will be responsible for paying for transportation to and from the airport in Berlin at the start and end of the program. Students pay for their first month of local transportation and then it is covered by the program for the rest of the semester.
Visa: Students are responsible for visa fees.
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 one round-trip airfare from NYC to Berlin. Students are responsible for making their own travel arrangements from their 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. This is based on 5 months.
As part of the program, you will be covered for urgent and emergent care while you are abroad. This cost is not included in the chart above. 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.
As you prepare for your time abroad, you might prepare for COVID-related expenses such as optional trip-cancellation insurance, pre-arrival testing and onsite testing not reimbursed by insurance, additional quarantine/isolation room and board expenses if applicable, etc. Requirements will continue to evolve and will vary based on local conditions.