Costs at Home 

Before you begin looking at education abroad programs it is important to know how much a semester at MSU costs you. This will give you an idea of your personal budget and what type of program might be the best fit for you financially.  

Use the Cost Worksheet to calculate how much you are currently spending. This can be used when comparing costs between program budgets.  

Other Considerations

Do you receive financial aid or scholarships?

Financial aid and most scholarships are applicable to education abroad programs. Keep in mind how much you might typically receive from the university for a given semester. Deduct this amount from your total on your Cost Worksheet. This number is your out of pocket expenses.  

Do you currently work?  

If you work during the semester to help pay for school and living expenses, consider how much you earn during a semester. Most programs do not allow visiting students to work due to visa and immigration restrictions.

Costs Abroad 

Costs will vary between education abroad programs. In general, all budgets will comprise of three components:  

• Program Fee: Billed to your student account; typically includes lodging, varying numbers of meals, field trips/social activities, orientation, and accident and sickness insurance 
• Tuition: Billed to your student account (in addition to the Program Fee) based on the number of credits you enroll for in your education abroad program 
• Out-of-pocket expenses: Costs not included in your program fee but might be needed to pay out-of-pocket both prior to departure (passport, flight, etc.) and once on-site (meals, books, transportation, travel, etc.); These numbers are intended to give you a rough idea of costs and are not billed to your student account.