| COSTS BILLED BY HOME SCHOOL |
Tuition: BCGS Consortium students pay their home school’s tuition rate directly to their home institutions. The tuition does not cover housing, meals, airfare, medical insurance, some course materials, personal travel, and personal expenses.
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 = 1.2 USD.
| OUT-OF-POCKET EXPENSES NOT BILLED TO STUDENTS (ESTIMATED) | |
Meals | $2,000 |
Local Transportation | $100 |
| Visa/Resident Permit | $75 |
| Books and Course Materials | $200 |
| Cell phone | $250 |
| Airfare | $1,100 |
| Personal Expenses | $2,750 |
| Total Estimated Out-of-Pocket Expenses |
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.
Housing: All students will live in pre-arranged housing. The figures above reflect an estimated average for the housing options..
Student Village, single-occupancy (self-catering): Student Village offers private rooms with a shared bathroom/kitchen/communal area.
The Student Hotel, single-occupancy (self-catering): The spacious hotel room with a private en-suite bathroom and a shared kitchen offers you access to fast internet, a free gym, study rooms, a library as well as chill-out areas and access to bicycles.
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/Residence Permit: US citizens do not need to apply for visas but must apply for a Residence Permit in Germany. However, students from certain countries may need to apply and pay for visa fees. Please check your BCGS Handbook for details.
Books and course supplies: Students are responsible for purchasing any course materials at the local university.
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.
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.