Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Stop Charging Extra for Experience Abroad

The Office of International Programs must start playing fair.

For students who have not yet undergone the harrowing logistical process that is study abroad, all study-abroad students pay exactly the same tuition – for the 2008-2009 academic year, that would be $18,768 per semester. While this price makes sense if the student is studying at a place like King’s College London, where the tuition for a semester is about the same – $18,834, to be exact – the numbers don’t add up at many other universities, particularly those located in developing countries.

A semester at Peking University in Beijing, for example, costs a mere $4,395. Subtract this figure from the standard-fare tuition that Georgetown students must pay, and OIP has netted a hefty $14,373 per student in that program. The Universidad San Francisco in Ecuador and the University of Auckland in New Zealand similarly charge less for tuition than Georgetown requires from its study abroad students. (It is important to note, however, that universities in some more affluent countries could charge more in tuition than the Georgetown fixed rate in tuition.)

The cost disparity means that OIP and Georgetown make a considerable amount of money on study abroad programs through those students who study in developing parts of the world, where education tends to be much less expensive than in the West.

Furthermore, OIP offers less support to programs off the beaten path. Many programs, such as those run by the Council on International Education Exchange or those with a point person from Georgetown available on the ground require OIP to pay for support services. Meanwhile, the student who studies abroad in Ecuador can often pay thousands of dollars more than the host university’s price for that same education, and lack real support from Georgetown while abroad.

The price disparity is significant for students who already depend heavily on student loans to pay Georgetown’s tuition – which, even considering exchange rates, still ranks among the most expensive in the world. It is ironic, to say the least, that students must pay the study abroad tuition only to have a chunk of that money help to fund main campus in D.C. Paying tuition is a heavy enough burden as it is.

Executive Director of International Programs Katherine Bellows has expressed interest in listening to student concerns and a willingness to increase support for students who would not ordinarily receive it. Students who are considering participating in a low-support program are strongly encouraged to consult with OIP about funding and logistics while studying abroad.

Regardless, OIP should revert to its former pricing system, which was phased out in the fall of 2005. Under the former system, students were billed for the price of the program abroad, plus a student fee. This alternative is not only a fairer way of distributing the costs of studying abroad: It is far more transparent. Students abroad should not be forced to pay extra thousands of dollars for tuition, to be used at the university’s discretion. Particularly for students in areas lacking direct support from Georgetown, study abroad programs should not be saddled with excessive charges. Those who seek educational opportunities beyond our borders should be rewarded, not penalized.

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