GREECE - Athletes Abroad: Webster in Athens

To be eligible to participate in this program, students must meet the following requirements:

• Participant in a dual-season or winter-season varsity sport at Lake Forest College
• Good academic and judicial standing during time of application AND time of participation in program
• Undergraduates must have completed at least two semesters of study at Lake Forest College AND have second-semester sophomore status or higher before participation. (Transfer students may participate after the first semester on campus)  Junior status or higher is strongly preferred.
• At least 18 years of age by the program’s departure date. 
• Be able to stay at the host program for the duration of the semester, including through the exam and travel periods
• Minimum GPA of 2.5.  

Everything is within walking distance and the local transportation system (metro, tram, buses, taxi, etc.) are less than a 5-minute walk away. The university housing is in a very convenient location. In the immediate vicinity of the university facilities and housing are restaurants, cafes, bakeries, post office, department stores, pharmacies, souvenir stores, archaeological sites, and museums. During the first week of orientation, students are given multiple walking tours to get to know the area, and the staff is always available to assist students in whatever they need.

Once their academic obligations are met, students are free to live their own lives and are encouraged to take full advantage of the cultural and recreational activities available to them. They can participate or attend any of the organized sporting events of the University, such as men’s basketball or soccer and women’s volleyball. Similarly, student organizations such as the International Student’s Association and community service opportunities, such as working with the endangered sea turtles through the non-profit organization, Archelon, have been popular choices for the Odyssey students. The Director can assist students in pursuing their interests.

Excursions are an integral part of Odyssey in Athens. Students have an opportunity to learn first-hand about ancient sites. Mycenae, Epidavros, Meteora, Monemvasia, Sparti-Mystras, and Delphi are a few of our destinations. Students also take organized trips to the Greek islands.

Student-athletes may be eligible to live on campus during their sports season, even if they are planning to study abroad that term. To maintain eligibility to live on campus, students must apply to Residence Life in advance, and meet these conditions:

• Students need to have a clear judicial record. 
• Students must take a minimum .5 credits on campus, as a tutorial or other partial-credit course offered in the regular course schedule.  Students would be responsible for finding a professor to sponsor a tutorial.  Partial credit options with flexible scheduling can often be found in applied music and theater.
• Students must outline how they will spend their time without a full course load while on campus, whether it is volunteering with a student organization, with a professor’s research, or part-time work.  This is to ensure they will not be a disruption to their peers.
• Students must choose only from available rooms after full-time students have selected their rooms.  They will pay for their rooms on a pro-rated basis.  If they are living in campus housing, they must also have a meal plan.

On-campus housing at Lake Forest is not guaranteed.  Contact Stacy Oliver-Sikorski during the study abroad application process to apply.

Students may also choose to live at home, if eligible, prior to departing on their study abroad program.

While in Athens, the university housing facilities are clean, comfortable, and very conveniently situated. They are all in the Plaka area, where the Athens Campus is located. The apartments are fully furnished with refrigerator, stove, washing machine, cooking utensils, pots, pans, dishes, beds, desks, AC, and ADSL wireless high-speed internet service. The apartments are walking distance to the university.

Odyssey in Athens students shares the apartment with other Odyssey students. Typically there are four in each apartment (two share a bedroom); however, there is the option of a single room for an additional charge, if there is availability.

More information on housing can be found here. 

For all approved programs for guaranteed financial aid transferability, students pay their Lake Forest College tuition plus a program fee. The program fee for a single term (1/2 semester) to Webster University-Athens includes orientation, on-site director, college fees, and double room housing.  Meals are not included.  A single room would have a surcharge of $1,140 per term.

Here is an estimated budget for the Fall 2018/Spring 2019 programs:

Tuition rates and program fees are subject to change each year, but this information was up-to-date as of February 2018. We will notify applicants, and update this page if the program fee or other estimates change.

You can discuss with Financial Aid your specific aid package and your expected family contribution.

Keep in mind that you may spend more or less in certain areas like personal expenses, travel, meals, or airfare, depending on exchange rates and your own spending habits. Classroom or lab fees are not included in this estimate and will depend on your course registration choices.  

Don’t forget to apply for scholarships! A great listing can be found here.