Start now: Study Abroad program fees for summer programs are usually charged in February and
can be extended with a payment plan until May. Start saving once you have made the
commitment to study abroad so that you can pay your program fees, buy your flight,
and pay tuition for the program courses.
Financial Aid: Talk to the Study Abroad Advisor ([email protected]) about filling out a Study Abroad Financial Aid Budget Sheet. You can take this budget
sheet to the UVU office of Financial Aid & Scholarships to see if you are able to
apply grants and/or loans to your study abroad program
Ask: Write letters, emails, and/or social media posts to friends, relatives, family friends,
acquaintances and others who might be interested in supporting you to ask for study
abroad funds. Let those who might normally be giving you gifts for birthday or holiday
know that you would like money (or donated frequent flier points) that you can use
for study abroad instead of a tangible gift. You may want to use crowdsourcing sites
for this, such as gofundme.com, fundmytravel.com, indiegogo.com, etc. Check with your
employer, place of worship, alumni association, or other organizations that you may
be affiliated with to see if they are able to assist you.
Side Gig: Get a part-time or seasonal job for some extra money to use for your study abroad.
Frugality: Sell your stuff at a yard sale or on Craigslist or KSL.com. Sell your car. It costs
about $30/week to fill up a tank of gas, $50/month to insure your car, and an oil
change/maintanence costs add up quickly. Try living without a car if you can for a
couple of years. Be frugal. Pack your own lunches, ride the bus (UVU students can
ride on UTA for free), skip the morning coffee/juice, get rid of your cable subscription,
and quit buying unneccary things online. You are more likely to remember your study
abroad experience in ten years than you are to remember the stuff you had when you
where in college.
Invest: Understand the costs of study abroad as an investment in your education and worldview
rather than as the cost of a vacation. The insights you gain from studying abroad
will impact the rest of your life.
