Off-Campus Program Financials

Academics / Global Engagement Office / Study Abroad and Domestic Study Away / Financials

It is extremely important to understand the financial impact of your study abroad/off-campus program.

Please note: All summer programs are an out-of-pocket expense and students will pay the program provider directly. Financial aid cannot be used for summer programs, but many programs do offer their own scholarships that can be applied for their summer programs.

The information below is for semester programs. Financial aid may apply for semester programs.

Exchange Programs

Quick Note: Only our partner, ISEP (International Student Exchange Program), offers Exchange programs. All programs outside of ISEP are Direct/Direct-Enroll programs. Furthermore, ISEP offers BOTH types of programs.

Students who participate in an Exchange program will be billed the following to their Lake Forest College Student Account:

Lake Forest Tuition
ISEP Program Fee (includes the cost of Lake Forest College standard room space and meal plan)
ISEP Exchange Fee (includes the $100 administrative fee, as well as the student's ISEP deposit and ISEP health insurance)

Please Note:
(from ISEP's Exchange information webpage)

As a participant on an exchange program, you pay a fee to your home institution based on the cost of regular tuition, fees, housing and meals, thus creating a “space” and set of benefits for an incoming student. Each incoming student makes a similar arrangement at his or her home institution, creating a “space” and a set of benefits for you at your host institution. Abroad, you receive the same set of ISEP benefits covered by the fees that the outgoing student paid to their home (your host) university, when he or she swapped spots.

Due to differences in cost of living across the global exchange membership with ISEP programs, housing and meal benefits are always equivalent, but rarely, if ever equal. Students on exchange always receive housing for the full dates of the program, including 19-21 meals per week. Housing types and benefits at home versus host university are not equal in terms of the monetary amount due to variability in scales of economy, government subsidies, location, cost of living, etc.

Direct-Enroll Programs

Students who participate in a Direct-Enroll program will be billed the following to their Lake Forest College Student Account:

Lake Forest College Tuition
Fees that are billed to the College by the student's program. This fee will be called the GEO Program Fee on the student's Lake Forest bill. This could include, but is not limited to:
- Housing
- Meals
- Excursions
- International Health Insurance
Study Abroad Administrative fee of $1,500
- This fee is lowered to $1,000 for programs that do not include a meal plan/full meal stipend

Direct programs have their own tuition fee; however, Lake Forest College covers the program's tuition on behalf of the student. Students are charged Lake Forest College tuition which is subject to the College's financial aid.

Due to the variety of Direct programs, the GEO Program Fee (mentioned above) for Direct programs can vary from $1,000 to $9,500. Please reach out to the Director for GEO Program Fee estimates for programs of interest. Some Direct programs are more affordable than staying on campus, and some Direct programs are more expensive. Contact the Global Engagement Office will any questions.

Out-of-Pocket Costs

Not all costs of an off-campus program are billable by Lake Forest College and students will have to pay directly out of pocket.

Out-of-pocket expenses can include, but are not limited to:

Program application fee & deposit
- Lake Forest College does not charge an application fee or a deposit fee for our internal off-campus application (called the GEO application); however, almost every program itself charges for both an application and a deposit fee.
- Many programs' deposit fee is billed to the College and billed directly to the student's Lake Forest College Student Account.
Airfare
- A limited amount of airfare reimbursement awards (up to $750) will be available to students who participate on an exchange program (not available for Direct programs). Eligible students for the award will be determined by the level of financial need (such as Pell Grant recipients), as determined by the Office of Financial Aid.
- If a student is participating in a program from our program partner, Webster University, they may also be eligible for a travel award of $1000 from Webster University to cover the cost of a flight.
Meals (if not included as part of the program and/or billable to Lake Forest College)
Housing (if not included as part of the program and/or billable to Lake Forest College)
- Some programs require a refundable housing deposit; this deposit is not billed through the College.
Insurance (if required by the program and not billable to Lake Forest College)
Visa/Residence permit fees (if applicable)
Books/Course materials
Daily expenses

Working Abroad

Due to the host country's visa or residence permit regulations, students are usually not able to work while they are abroad. Students need to take into consideration when planning for a study abroad program that they most likely will not be able to work/earn an income while on a study abroad program.

Financial Aid

Financial aid can apply for approved semester programs. See our Off-Campus Study and Financial Aid page for more guidance.

Scholarships

Lake Forest College is able to offer a variety of scholarships for approved study abroad programs. Please contact the Global Engagement Office for more information.

There are also a variety of external study abroad scholarships. Students should apply for any scholarships through their specific program if they are eligible.

Here is a sampling of some external scholarships:

External Study Abroad Scholarships

Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship

The Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program offers grants for U.S. citizen undergraduate students with limited resources. All students who receive a Federal Pell Grant or provide proof that they will be receiving a Pell Grant at the time of application or during the term of their study abroad program are strongly encouraged to apply. Award amounts will vary based on student's ranking during the selection process, their financial need, and length of the program; however, the average award is $4,000.

Bridging Scholarships for Study Abroad in Japan

The Association of Teachers of Japanese Bridging Project offers 100 scholarships annually to American undergraduate students participating in study abroad programs in Japan.

Boren Awards for International Study

Boren Scholarships and Fellowships provide funding for U.S. citizen undergraduate students to study in world regions critical to the future security of our nation and underrepresented in study abroad.

BUTEX Scholarships

Students attending a program in the United Kingdom are eligible for this award.

Diverse International Women of Color (DIWC) Scholarship

The Diverse International Women of Color Study Abroad Scholarship is a nonprofit organization intended to assist women of color who are exceptional in their studies and in need of financial assistance to study abroad.

Education New Zealand Scholarships

Education New Zealand manages several outbound scholarships for students who wish to study abroad in New Zealand.

Freeman-Asia Awards for Study in Asia

Freeman-ASIA accepts applications from U.S. citizens or permanent residents studying at the undergraduate level at a two-year or four-year college or university who demonstrate financial need to study abroad in East or Southeast Asia.

Fund for Education Abroad (FEA)

Students with financial need who are participating on USAC or AIFS programs may apply for FEA-USAC Access or FEA-AIFS Access Scholarships of up to $5,000 and will also be considered for FEA’s general scholarships. Students not participating in an AIFS or USAC program may still apply for the FEA scholarships.

German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) Undergraduate Scholarship

The goal of this program is to support study abroad in Germany and at German universities.

Gilman-McCain Scholarship

The Gilman-McCain Scholarship provides awards of $5,000 for undergraduate children of active-duty service members to study or intern abroad on credit-bearing programs. The scholarship honors the late Senator John McCain's legacy of public service by enabling undergraduate students to develop the leadership, career readiness, skills, and global perspective to pursue careers of service and contribute to preserving the principles and alliances that are critical to an international order based on the rule of law, human rights, and democracy.

Golden Key Study Abroad Scholarship

This scholarship assists Golden Key Members who participate in a study abroad program.

Go Overseas Study & Intern Abroad Scholarship

Students applying to any study abroad program are eligible to apply for the Go Overseas Study & Intern Abroad Scholarship.

IIE Generation Study Abroad Travel Grants

This scholarship program is intended to diversify study abroad and to encourage students to go abroad who would otherwise not participate in an international experience as part of their college education, especially in support of high-achieving, low-income students.