| 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.
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 = 1.2 USD.
| Fall Term Program Students: OUT-OF-POCKET EXPENSES NOT BILLED TO STUDENTS (ESTIMATED) | |
Meals | $2,000 |
| Housing | Option 1 + 2: $5365 Option 3: $5,365 (additional week is same price as Options 1 + 2) |
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 | $11,840 |
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 housing options. The figures above reflects an estimated average for housing for 4 months.
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. FU-BEST will provide a free public transportation pass for all local travel.
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.
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.