Study abroad is probably the easiest way for college students to be able to travel by themselves and is often the most cost effective, especially if you receive financial aid. European tuition is often lower than U.S. tuition, so it is not uncommon to pay less for a semester abroad in school fees than you would at your home institution.
I'm going to be transparent with my finances here because I think it's important for people to get an honest sense of feasibility when traveling. I also want to encourage everyone to ask questions about travel finances since I know that money can be a taboo subject, but it's one that we should be aware of! Cost of attendance (COA) for my Geneva program was estimated to be $47,344.00 for the semester, including tuition, housing, food, books, transportation, visa requirements, fees and personal expenses. This is a very conservative estimate. In reality, this program can easily cost significantly more after travel insurance, health insurance, power adaptors, baggage costs, medical necessities, laundry, buying a phone plan and all the other hidden fees that no one thinks to budget for.
First, significant portions of my housing and tuition were covered by the financial aid that I already had in place from my previous years in university. This covered around $35,000.00 of the estimated cost. Everything else was covered by a series of scholarships, loans, grants and my personal savings. Before I even applied for the program, I scheduled a meeting with the Office of Undergraduate Financial Aid on campus and asked them for a price estimate, as well as an estimate for what they thought the school would cover for me. Once I had a number for what I would have to pay, I started working and saving for the trip.
