Internationalization in one way or another has been a part of President Mary Lyon’s strategic directions for quite some time. USD has been involved in international instruction, research, and service throughout the world for many years, and we’re expanding our activities with an increased emphasis on the importance of global awareness for the entire campus community. Specifically, at the School of Business, our mission is “to develop socially responsible business leaders – socially, environmentally and professionally – with a global mindset through academically rigorous, relevant and values-based education and research”. One of the ways the Ahlers Center helps fulfill the SBA’s mission is through our short-term, faculty-led international programs. In order to “put our money where our mouth is”, we offer discounted tuition for most of our short-term, faculty-led programs. Students are often surprised to see how affordable study abroad can be when compared to taking classes on-campus.  Here we will offer money saving strategies, while showing you comparisons of several programs to help you realize that studying abroad can be financially feasible!

• Since we travel to a great variety of locations, you might imagine that expenses for things like food and local transportation once you are in a city can vary greatly. For example, our practicum in Santo Domingo is a lot less expensive than the one in Rio de Janeiro. We are always happy to meet with you to help you figure out the cheapest option and offer an estimate of expenses.
• Airfare can be tricky as prices are typically very volatile. Be sure to shop around and be willing to fly from airports other than SAN, like LAX and TIJ. Airlines launch sales on Tuesdays, so you’ll typically find lower fares then. You may want to arrive to the destination early or fly out later to save money too! Don’t have the funds to pay for your flight ticket outright? STA travel has an airfare deposit program. With $300 you can lock in the price of your ticket and then pay the remaining balance up until seven days before departure.
• As a courtesy to program participants, the Ahlers Center organizes hotel accommodations. However, it is not necessary to stay at the group hotel. When you are accepted to a program, we will give you the estimated price of the group hotel. If it is too expensive for your budget, you may choose to stay at another hotel, or rent an apartment. If you choose to stay elsewhere, it is recommended to stay near the group hotel as activities typically begin and end there.
• In addition to reduced tuition, the Ahlers Center offers scholarships for most of our programs. When you fill out an application to study abroad, you will have the option to submit a scholarship application. Many of our students apply for scholarships, so be sure to put in effort and be creative with your submission to make it stand out!
• USD’s Office of Financial Aid offers additional aid in the form of loans for summer and intersession programs. Most students, except those traveling on MSGL and MSEL programs, should submit a separate application for Intersession and Summer programs through the office of Financial Aid. Interession aid applications are available on October 1^st with a November 1^st due date, and summer aid applications are available on February 1^st with a March 14^th due date.
• We charge a fee for each of our programs, which varies from $250-$550. However, this program fee goes to offset direct benefits to students so you’ll recoup it while abroad. The program fee goes towards things like transportation to company visits, city tour(s), classroom space, group dinners, international insurance, and more!

In order to illustrate the savings that can come from reduced tuition and scholarships the Ahlers Center offers, please take a look at some examples of summer 2014 and intersession 2015 programs. Of course, the more units you take abroad, the more savings you will realize!

Here is an example of a student spending the entire intersession in Buenos Aires, taking 5 units. If we don’t include daily living expenses like meals and taxi fare, this student only needs to pay an additional $320 to study abroad when compared to taking classes on campus!

One of our most affordable programs is in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Here the student could SAVE $675 by going abroad!

Saving $90 to go to Spain and Morocco for two weeks while earning 6 units? We’ll take it!

Of course, what these charts don’t quantify is the life-transforming experiences you will have when studying abroad…which is oftentimes PRICELESS! Let us know how we can help you make your dreams of studying abroad a reality. Share your questions, feedback and budget tips below.