Two weeks ago, 1,033 students from Boston College were informed about their study abroad placements for the academic year 2024–25.
When students contemplate the prospect of studying overseas, one of the primary concerns for many individuals and their families is the financial aspect. Typically, students are responsible for arranging their accommodation in the city where their program is located, managing food expenses, covering travel costs, and more.
However, the most significant upfront expense associated with any study abroad program is the tuition fee.
Regardless of the specific program chosen, Boston College mandates that students pay the same tuition fee they would if attending classes on the Chestnut Hill campus. Those students who receive financial aid from the University continue to receive this support while studying abroad.
Some study abroad locations are categorized as “BC programs,” indicating a direct partnership between Boston College and the host university. In contrast, the remaining locations fall under “approved external programs,” which lack a direct affiliation with BC.
Similarly, Duke University offers its students the opportunity to study abroad through either an external program or a “Duke-In” program. Similar to BC, students participating in “Duke-In” programs are required to pay their home-university tuition fees. However, the cost structure for external programs, which constitute the majority of study abroad options at both institutions, differs.
One such external program available to both BC and Duke students is the [ppp1] program. While BC necessitates students attending this program to pay the full BC tuition of $33,205, Duke only requires students to pay the host school’s tuition fee.
Consequently, BC students end up paying $11,155 more for the same study abroad experience.
Like the DIS Stockholm program, most external programs approved for BC students offer lower tuition fees compared to BC.
Larry Pickener, the director of BC’s Office of Global Education (OGE), highlighted that BC’s policy of charging home school tuition fees promotes equity by enabling financially aided students to continue receiving support while studying abroad.
Despite the noble intention behind this policy, the question arises: why should a reasonably priced tuition fee be incompatible with students’ eligibility for financial aid during their study abroad experience? Duke, for instance, extends financial aid to students participating in external programs, irrespective of whether they pay Duke’s tuition or the host university’s tuition.
BC also underscores its commitment to providing extensive services to students during their time abroad, which are factored into the tuition fees. These services range from academic support to safety monitoring to ensure the well-being of students.
The justification for the additional cost incurred by charging full BC tuition remains a subject of debate. For instance, in the case of DIS Stockholm, where does the extra $11,155 per student go? It is imperative for the breakdown of surplus funds generated from the tuition fees of students studying abroad to be transparently disclosed.
One could speculate that this surplus aids in subsidizing the attendance of international exchange students at BC. When international exchange students enroll at BC, they pay the tuition fees of their home university, which are often lower than BC’s tuition fees. This practice ensures that international students are not deterred by an increase in tuition costs.
However, with approximately 1,200 students from BC studying abroad annually while hosting only [ppp2] international exchange students, the rationale behind charging 1,200 students their home-tuition to cover the expenses for 200 international exchange students raises questions.
Furthermore, parents—who often bear a significant portion of the financial burden associated with study abroad programs—are left uninformed about the allocation of these surplus tuition fees.
One parent of a current BC student expressed concerns about the lack of transparency regarding the utilization of excess tuition fees, stating that it would be challenging for the university to provide a detailed analysis of the sources and uses of these funds.
If BC continues to require students participating in external programs with lower tuition rates to pay the full home-tuition, it is incumbent upon the University to justify this policy. BC should enhance transparency by releasing a comprehensive breakdown or informational document that directly addresses its policies regarding study abroad tuition. Students and families have the right to understand the breakdown of costs and the value they receive for their financial investment.