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Study Abroad

Costs

All Haverford students who study abroad for academic credit on approved programs of study are charged Haverford tuition while studying abroad. Students pay Haverford tuition for Haverford credit.

This cost structure enables study abroad to be integrated into students' four-year academic plans of study and ensures equal access to all students regardless of socioeconomic background. The fee structure reflects the belief that all students, including those receiving financial aid, should have the opportunity to study abroad. Haverford meets the needs of students eligible for financial aid, whether they are studying at Haverford or on approved programs abroad. Students can apply their financial aid awards, including full grant aid, toward their program abroad.

Revenues from programs that cost less than Haverford will be used to award financial aid to students who qualify for aid and to cover programs that cost more than Haverford.

This system encourages students to choose programs based on their academic needs rather than their financial needs.

Benefits of this plan:

  • Students studying on approved programs abroad have access to all the resources of the college while they are abroad. They continue to use their Haverford email accounts so they can connect with their faculty advisers and deans for advising purposes, the library staff, the Office of Academic Resources, Center for Career and Professional Advising, etc.
  • They are classified with their Class year and are thereby able to preregister for classes (so they have equal access to the lottery courses) and arrange for on-campus housing at the same time as their peers.
  • Courses taken while abroad on approved programs count toward major, minor, and/or concentration requirements whether they are majoring at Haverford or Bryn Mawr College. Students can also fulfill all distribution requirements and the language requirement abroad. Provided students receive a grade of C or above all credits are recorded on the Haverford transcript.
  • The Director of Study Abroad approves all elective credits for the students so they know in advance whether the courses are acceptable for transfer credit.
  • The Director of Study Abroad can directly admit students to many of Haverford's affiliated programs so students need only apply to one program.
  • All programs on the list are approved by the Educational Policy Committee of the College and monitored by the Office of International Academic Programs.
  • The approved programs are reviewed on site by members of the faculty.The visits are funded by Office of International Academic Programs and the faculty reports are kept on file in the office. Programs are added and deleted based on these faculty recommendations as well as the student program evaluations.
  • Students will only be approved for one semester of study unless there is an academic imperative to go for the full year such as language study for a major or the full year programs at Oxford, Cambridge and the LSE. 
  • Haverford Costs

    Students pay Haverford tuition, and in many cases room and board fees, directly to Haverford College, which is then responsible for submitting payments to programs. In most cases, students must make their own travel arrangements. A program may include the cost of airfare in its comprehensive tuition fee, and may require students to travel with the group. As they would be at Haverford, students will be responsible for other costs such as local transportation, books, entertainment, vacations, and expenses due to personal travel or changes in plans.

    The Program Descriptions provide information on the fee structure of the approved programs and whether students pay tuition only, tuition and room, or tuition, room and board to Haverford. Students will receive a detailed "Estimate of Cost" document for their program at the Mandatory Pre-Departure Orientation Session. More specific program cost estimates are also available in the Program Black Binders in the Resource Library in Chase 213.

    Billing/Payment due dates: Bills for the following semester’s tuition, room, board, Student Association fee, and Deposit are rendered in July and December. Tuition and Fees must be paid in full before the beginning of the semester and, to avoid last minute congestion, preferably by wire or mail in advance. Students whose fees are not paid are subject to dismissal from the College. Unpaid accounts are also subject to a 1% per month late fee, cancellation of OneCard privileges and participation in the meal plan, exclusion from Room Draw and the withholding of transcripts. If there are any outstanding charges at the end of the term, no diploma or official transcript will be issued. Transcripts may be withheld at any time for non-payment.

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  • Included in Tuition Fees

    All advising, pre-departure and re-entry orientation, and administrative support while students are abroad is included. Students studying on approved programs will also receive support in the credit transfer process for academic coursework.

    Also included:

    • Academic advising and course pre-approval process
    • Nominations to programs
    • Updated information on website and in Black Binders
    • Pre-departure programming and materials
    • Letter to consulate for immigration
    • Visa advising (when needed)
    • Processing of federal financial aid and grant funds
    • Financial aid workshops
    • Travel counseling by Health Services (vaccines, completion of health forms, etc.)
    • Pre-departure services through Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS), and the availability of CAPS to consult with the study abroad program if needed
    • Emergency insurance
    • ADA advising if accommodations are needed abroad
    • Access to Haverford e-mail, Moodle, and all electronic resources and tools
    • Access to Haverford library’s holdings, its staff, and its research capabilities, communication with the host program regarding logistical issues and student life matters
    • Access to Haverford online course registration for the semester following the student’s time off-campus
    • Access to housing placement for the semester following the student’s time off-campus
    • Re-entry programming and materials
    • Career counseling workshop for resume building and international job search
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  • Program-Specific Fees

    Room: In the majority of programs, housing is guaranteed and pre-arranged provided the students complete the required forms by the deadline date. Housing options can include traditional dorms or residence halls, international student halls, off-campus apartments with a mix of other study abroad students and local students, or home stays with a family from the host culture. Check your Program's website for detailed housing information. Haverford students may not opt for independent off-campus housing - that is, housing not arranged by the program. Students many not live in apartments with only other American students.

    In keeping with the study abroad learning goals of global engagement, academic and intellectual enrichment, and personal growth and development, the International Academic Programs Faculty Advisory Board strongly encourages students to live with a host family whenever possible. The Student Study Abroad Advisory Board concurs that living with a family provides the best opportunity to experience full cultural immersion. Therefore, all cost estimates for room and board are based on the cost of a home stay, if that option is available. Students who are on financial aid will only be covered for home stays.

    Please note that for some programs students will be responsible for payment of the room and board fees directly to the partner institution. Unlike Haverford, room and board costs will vary by dorm. Please choose carefully as Haverford financial aid will only cover a standard room and cannot cover the cost of the expensive dorm options. Students not on financial aid should also consult with their parents to discuss a budget for room and board. In many locations, especially where the rate of exchange is not favorable to the dollar, the housing cost may be higher than Haverford's fees.

    Board: As with housing, the programs available to Haverford students vary in offerings. Some programs welcome/require students to be on a full or partial meal plan, while others do not offer a meal plan option, and students are expected to provide their own food. All program-specific information about board is available on the Programs page.

    Program Deposit: Some programs require that students pay a deposit to hold their place. The deposit will later be deducted from the Haverford tuition costs. Students who decide not to study abroad will lose their deposit.

    Housing/Security Deposit: Some programs may require a security deposit for housing. Students are responsible for the payment of this deposit. This deposit will not be deducted from tuition or housing fees; it is returned directly to students, minus damages to the room.

    Application Fee: If there is a fee for the program application, students are responsible for this fee.

    Additional Pre-Departure Costs: The Business Office provides a Q&A document (pdf) regarding tuition and financial aid.

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  • Student Costs

    As they would be at Haverford, students are responsible for costs such as local travel, entertainment, vacations, and personal expenses. Students should read the program evaluations and talk to former participants to determine how much they may need for their particular destination. There are also many websites which provide cost of living comparisons and currency exchange rates. Although much depends on personal spending habits, cities such as London, Paris, Tokyo, Stockholm, and Milan are among the most expensive cities in the world.

    Airfare: With few exceptions, students will be responsible for making their own travel arrangements and for payment of all travel costs. For the limited programs in which the cost of airfare is included in the program fees, students will be expected to travel with the group (see Programs for more information).

    • Students on Financial Aid: An allowance for the cost of round-trip airfare (departure from East Coast city) will be deducted from the Haverford tuition bill of students receiving Haverford College grant funds based on need.

    It is the students' responsibility to know the exact start and end date of their programs. Students should contact the program directly to confirm these dates before booking their flights. Haverford College will not be responsible for costs incurred for any changes in travel plans for any reason.

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  • Payment with Sallie Mae Financial Plan

    Students who currently pay their Haverford bill through Sallie Mae can continue to do so; however, in some programs, they will not be paying for room and board. Also, students will not be billed for the Incidental Deposit or activities fee. Therefore, students should plan to see Barbara Wilson in the Business Office to see if they should amend their payment plan amount to avoid overpayment.

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  • Scholarships

    There are some program-specific and independent scholarships. Students are responsible for applying to any scholarships available.

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  • Refund Policy

    Haverford College will adhere to the refund policies of the approved programs. For housing or fees paid directly to the host institution, the refund policy of that institution will also be in effect. Students are responsible for reviewing the refund policies of their program of study. Such policies are available on the program websites.

    Students who withdraw from their programs risk loosing all academic credit. Students who do not complete the full year on programs such as the LSE, Oxford and Cambridge will not receive any credit. Owing to the structure of these universities, partial credit is not an option.

    Students who withdraw from programs after the deadline dates (December 1 and May 1) for any reason will be assessed a five hundred dollar fee payable to Haverford College. Students who are undecided by these dates should request an extension (in writing) from the Director of Study Abroad. Students attending Oxford and Cambridge are under different rules and those rules will be given to students upon acceptance.

    Haverford College will not be responsible for indirect costs paid by the student to the program or incurred by the student such as visas, vaccinations, local transportation costs, etc. Students on financial aid who withdraw from their programs will be required to repay the cost of airfare to the college.

    A student who is suspended, dismissed or withdraws while under investigation for misconduct, will not have tuition (and in some cases room and board) payments refunded and will be responsible for all unrecoverable fees.

    Haverford College will not award diplomas or process transcripts until study abroad fees are paid in full.

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