Program Costs

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The Comprehensive Fee

Students participating in an approved St. Lawrence University Off-Campus program remain enrolled at St. Lawrence, receive St. Lawrence credit and financial aid, and pay regular St. Lawrence University comprehensive fees. Students' comprehensive fees paid to St. Lawrence cover tuition, room and board, and program-integrated field components on any approved off-campus program. Students pay an application fee and a deposit is due after acceptance (see below).

Where an off-campus program is operated by an organization other than St. Lawrence, the student pays regular comprehensive fees to St. Lawrence, and St. Lawrence pays fees for the student’s participation in the program directly to the program provider. Fees paid by St. Lawrence to the program provider may be more or less than an individual student’s fees paid to St. Lawrence, depending on the student’s financial aid status and amount charged by the program.  St. Lawrence’s policy is meant to ensure that tuition, room, and board charges to any student are the same on any approved off-campus program as they would be on-campus, so that students can choose among a wide range of off-campus opportunities based on academic interest, knowing that their semester fees to St. Lawrence will be the same.

Financial Aid

For students receiving financial aid, normal financial aid is applied during participation in an approved off-campus program. Students may contact the Financial Aid Office for information about additional loans for extra costs associated with studying off-campus.

Additional Costs and Opportunities for Additional Aid

Student comprehensive fees paid to St. Lawrence do not cover:

  • transportation to the program;
  • passport;
  • ​visa;
  • books;
  • immunizations;
  • local transportation at the program site;
  • independent travel;
  • additional required health insurance.

CIIS provides additional information on the estimated additional costs of off-campus study for each country/program. CIIS also has advice on how to save money and suggestions about what to pack, which is contained in our program-specific orientation information.

Financial aid: Students may apply for additional financial aid from CIIS. These generous donor funds are designed to help defray the costs associated with the program that are not covered by the comprehensive fee (visa costs, required immunizations, transportation in host city), if they have a current financial aid form on file in the financial aid office. Requests for funds should be limited to costs that students would not incur if they remained on campus. For example, requests for fees for books will not be covered because students are responsible for the cost of books on campus.) Additional aid is not guaranteed and is dependent upon the individual level of need and the number of applicants seeking additional aid. Due to a high number of applications and limited funds, awards rarely exceed $700 per student/per semester.  

Application Fee: Students who submit completed applications reviewed by the selection committee will be charged an application fee of $50. One charge will be levied per applicant, per application cycle, irrespective of number of applications submitted. This fee will be applied to the student’s account.

Program Deposit: Upon acceptance to an off-campus program, a $250 deposit is due and will be credited to the student’s account.  This deposit will be reflected as credit towards the comprehensive fee for the semester that they participate in the off-campus study program. Should the student withdraw from the off-campus study program prior to participation, a refund of this deposit will be considered with oversight by the Associate Dean, minus any money that has already been paid on behalf of the student relating to their off-campus study plans.

Deposits are to be sent to Student Financial Services (SFS) Office, (room 315 in the Student Center).  Checks should be made payable to St. Lawrence University and should indicate your name, student ID number and the name of your program.  If you would like to pay your deposit online via electronic checking or savings please visit the Student Account Center. Scroll to "Make a One-Time Payment" and select 'St. Lawrence University - Tuition Payments'.  You will need your student ID along with your bank account number and routing number. Highly aided students should speak with the Financial Aid Office in Payson Hall about a possible reduction in the program deposit.

Personal Expenses and Access to Funds

You will receive information from your particular program that will contain advice relevant to the country to which you are traveling.  The cost of living expenses will vary by how much personal travel, shopping and eating out the student plans on doing. The following are some basic recommendations

  • Take a small amount of local currency if possible and some American currency in cash. Do not take more than $250.
  • Avoid exchanging American currency for local currency at the airport; there are often extremely high fees for this service.
  • Take an ATM card that will work in the host country, consult with your bank about fees for using the ATM outside the US.
  • Take a credit card, especially for emergencies, make sure to notify your company that you will be outside the US so they do block or cancel your card.
  • Most countries use "Chip and Pin" and some use contactless methods of payment. Make sure your credit card has both a chip AND a pin number.
  • Record your credit card number, expiration date, and phone number of the company so that you may contact them in case of loss or theft.