Budget Workshop

What are your top three universities or programs?  

Is a location or region a priority for you and worth spending more money?  

• If you do not yet have a top choice program, you may want to consider creating multiple budgets for different options to compare the cost.  
• Would you be open to cheaper locations? Your SFSU abroad advisor can recommend most cost-efficient locations based upon your academic goals.   
• Chung-Ang University offers a scholarship that covers the cost of the guaranteed dorms. 
• City University of Hong Kong Business offers a housing subsidy to some SF State students that is significantly cheaper! 

Watch our YouTube video on Creating a Budget.

Websites referenced in the video above: 

• Study Abroad Database 
• SF Exchange Program Budgets 
• Foreign Currency Exchange Rates 
• Expatistan Cost of Living 
• SFSU's Risk Management Insurance Cost Information 

Watched the video, but now want to jump back to a specific section? We have marked below where you can find the following information.  

• Tuition: 1:04 to 1:25 
• Insurance: 1:26 to 1:44 * 
• Budget Worksheet 2:01 
• Housing: 2:10 to 4:33 
• Meals: 4:36 to 6:20 
• Airfare and Transportation: 6:22 to 8:40 
• Visa: 8:40 to 9:51 
• Other Expenses: 9:52 to 10:43 
• Totaling the Cost (without travel): 10:43 to 11:07 
• Comparing the Cost to SFSU: 11:08 to 11:30 

*It is mandatory that all students have CSU Travel Insurance while abroad regardless of any personal insurance and any in-country requirements. Please note that some countries (Australia, Japan, South Korea and the United Kingdom) also require in-country insurance as well. 

For CSU IP programs, find your program on the CSU IP website. After you click on your program, select the "program cost" tab to see IP's estimated cost for your program. There you will find an estimate program budget. The video below goes over the budget. 

Additionally, it is helpful to look at outside sites for cost comparisons. CSU IP recommends Numbeo. SFSU Abroad recommends Expatistan.  

Watch our YouTube video on IP Program Budgets.

Some IP programs have "temporary housing and meals" included in their budget. This is a required cost and means that CSU IP will arrange temporary housing and food for when you first arrive to give you time to find a place to live.  

Additionally, some programs also have "group activities" fees, which are also required. You do not have to participate, but you must pay for them. Students in the past have always greatly enjoyed these trips and dinners. If IP does not use all this money on all the participants, the remaining money is given back to all participants.  

If you have any questions about the IP program costs, feel free to reach out by email to studyabroad@sfsu.edu or csuip@calstate.edu.  

Watch our YouTube video on Creating a Travel Budget.

Create two potential travel budgets: 

1. Your bucket list of places and things you know now that you want to do. Make a list and begin budgeting for them.  
2. Also, there are places and things you do not yet know and want to have the funding to do when invited.  

Then, talk with study abroad alumni and international students about where they have traveled and how.  

• Did they fly or take the train? What airline or trains did they use? 
• Where did they stay? Hostels, hotels, Airbnb, couch-surfing, other? 
• Do you plan on attending local festivals and concerts? 

If there is a one percent chance you might want to be abroad for the year, apply for the year! It is better to apply for the year and then shorten your program to a semester than to go the other way. In fact, it is never possible to extend from a semester to a year in the UK. If a program is competitive (like Australia), then it is highly unlikely an extension will be approved.  

To learn about the cost of a semester versus a year, what our YouTube video on Budgeting for a Semester vs a Year.