It is recommended that campuses set one standard budget template for all of your study abroad programs, but may develop a few templates if the campus supports programs that require different budget models.

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The budget template should include:

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• Transportation

  • Airfare – Note: Some offices may decide to include airfare costs during the trip (e.g. in-country flights), but not international airfare to/from the start and end of the program. This is up to each individual institution to decide, and we recommend that you review the aforementioned ‘Group Travel’ section for further discussion.

  • Transportation to/from airport in country

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• Housing/lodging facilities

• Meals (the number of meals included may vary, depending on the program’s accommodation plan)

• Insurance (accident, sickness, trip cancellation); see information later in this handbook about the CISI Insurance Plan for study abroad groups

• Instructional expenditures (e.g. rooms/equipment for instruction/administration

• Admission per person for museums, cultural events and other program activities

• Cost for purchase of local phone or phone service to assist with emergencies on-site

• Excursions (and associated travel expenses)

• Fees for guest lectures, guides, etc.

• Travel expenses & meal allowances for faculty/staff

• Overhead costs

• Funds to build the ‘Emergency Fund Reserve’ until the chosen percentage is reached

• Advertising to recruit students

2. Program Charge

First, determine a target enrollment number for which you will budget based on an estimate of student interest and the program’s capacity. Best practice in the field points to student faculty ratios between 15:1 and 10:1.

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Then, to determine the students Program Charge, you would add up all of the program’s expenses and divide the sum by the number of paying participants required to break even. This basic calculation indicates that if you recruit more students and the program has a surplus, then the excess money is refunded back to the students. And, if you recruit less than your ‘break even target’ then the program may need to be canceled, or the sponsoring department/institution may need to cover the amount of shortfall. Setting the Program Charge amount needs to follow institutional, USG and state-legislated policies. Also, we encourage programs to prioritize student affordability.

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There may be additional costs, outside of the Program Charge. Each institution should determine which expenses are included, and which are not included in the Program Charge.

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Examples of costs beyond those usually included in the Program Charge (though this may vary by institution) are:

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• International airfare (see note above)

• Passport/visa fees

• Meals not included in the program

• Ground/local transportation

• Optional excursions

• Costs associated with communication (personal phone use, internet access)

• Library/student facility fees (if offered by the host institution)

• Insurance beyond the standard program insurance

• Books/supplies

• Medical exams, vaccinations

Students should not be asked to pay extra for required program activities once on-site. They should be made aware of estimated costs for optional excursions or activities and those that can be paid out-of-pocket on top of the program fee.

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Study abroad offices should work with their campus financial offices to determine the best method (e.g. check, money order, debit card or credit card) of collecting the Program Charge for their institution’s programs from students. Study abroad payments can be divided into installments to allow for as much flexibility for the student as possible, as long as students understand that each payment needs to come in by a certain deadline.

3. Accounting

Study abroad programs should work with your business office(s) to establish:

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• Which types of accounts should be used for which types of funds

• How to appropriately report travel expenditures

• Considerations regarding payroll, benefits, related taxes for faculty/staff employed by the study abroad program. Compensation should be legal and fair and meet the academic unit’s approval. There is no set process for paying a faculty member - some programs pay a flat fee, while others pay faculty a percentage of their salary.