Study abroad can cost anywhere from $3000 to $20,000... everything depends upon where you go, for how long, and what is included. The good news is on many programs, K-State students can receive financial aid, if they qualify. There are also some scholarships K-State students can apply for.
Faculty-led short-term programs start around $2000 and cover the actual costs of the trip. Location, duration and number of credits all affect the price.
When you go out on an exchange program, KSU accepts a student from our exchange partner or from the exchange consortium in your place. You are, in effect, paying for that student, while a student at our partner university is paying for you. Thus, you are charged the amount that it costs the Office of International Programs to pay for the student taking your place at KSU.
Exchange students may be undergraduates, who may take up to fifteen credit hours, or graduate students, who may take up to twelve credit hours. These students may be taking classes in business, architecture or engineering, which all have fees attached to them. OIP calculates study abroad tuition and fees by averaging undergraduate and graduate tuition costs and fees, including campus privilege fees. In addition, OIP must cover other fees for the incoming students, such as fees for student IDs and the international student fee. On an exchange that includes room and board, KSU must cover meals and housing for students over breaks, so the dorm and meal plan charges for these periods are included in your cost.
This is the standard way that international student exchanges work. They are based upon formally signed legal agreements which have been approved by the Kansas Board of Regents.
Overall, your costs for tuition, fees, room and board may be a little bit higher than you usually pay at Kansas State for these reasons. But please remember, your fees and expenses are covered for you by your host university. An exchange remains a good value, similar in cost to a semester at Kansas State.
K-State students choose a program where they enroll directly at the institution or study abroad provider.