The program fee will be $6,765 (based on current exchange rates). This fee includes: instructional costs, room, two meals per day (breakfasts and dinners), a London Transport pass, excursions, and textbooks. No additional tuition payment is required, resident and non-resident students all pay the same fees.
Fees do not include: the $300 non-refundable Study Abroad Office fee, airfare, weekday lunches, mandatory health insurance and other health-related expenses, or personal spending money.
So how does this compare to a quarter at the UW? According to the UW Financial Aid Office, a Traditional, Resident Undergrad would budget for about $10,657 per quarter for resident tuition, books, room and board, transportation, and personal expenses.
Source: UW Financial Aid Office.
In London, because participants' instructional costs, course excursions, books, transportation, housing and two meals per day are covered by the program fee of $6,765, your other expenses will chiefly be for airfare/travel, weekday lunches, personal expenses, and health insurance.
Airfare varies, but recent participants have paid around $1,200 for a plane ticket. Personal expenses can vary greatly from person-to-person, but with basic expenses (instructional costs, room and two meals a day, London transport pass, excursion tickets) paid as part of the program fee, your principal costs will be for lunch and pocket/shopping money.
You can lunch reasonably on £ 7 ($11) or less a day if you are economical; other costs will vary immensely depending on what you like to do, and whether you like to shop. London is a fairly expensive city with lots of good things to spend money on. A ballpark figure for a moderate spender has been about $2,000 for the quarter ($200/week); if you like to shop, you can spend more, but if you are economical, you can get by with a little less.
Payment Schedule
Program fees will be posted to participants' MyUW student accounts and can be paid the same way that you pay tuition and other fees. A $350 non-refundable program deposit and $300 non-refundable Study Abroad Office Fee will be charged to your MyUW Account once your signed contract has been received by the Study Abroad Office.
- $350.00 non-refundable program deposit charged after payment contract is received and processed by the Study Abroad Office.
- $300.00 non-refundable Study Abroad Office fee due April 18, 2014.
- $6,415 remaining program balance due April 18, 2014.
Total fees: $7,065.
Note: Program fees are paid in dollars; most program expenses are paid in pounds. The English Department program in London reserves the right to modify the program fee based upon dollar devaluation or severe inflation. In this unlikely event, students will be notified of the increase and an adjustment will be made to the final program payment.
Health Insurance
The University of Washington has a mandatory comprehensive health insurance plan that is specifically for students studying abroad on UW programs like the Department of English Spring in London Program. It has a very low premium: approximately $42 per month for the duration of the program.
Please visit their webpage or contact the Study Abroad Office for more information.
Mandatory UW Study Abroad Health Insurance Plan
Withdrawal Policy
The $350 program deposit and $300 Study Abroad Office Fee are non-refundable. Students withdrawing from a program will be responsible for paying a percentage of the program fee depending on the date of withdrawal. More details about the withdrawal policy will be included in participants' payment contracts. No part of the program fee is refundable once the program has begun. The date of withdrawal is considered the date (business day) a withdrawal form is received by the Study Abroad Office.
Notice of withdrawal from the program must be made in writing, completing the following steps:
1. Provide notice in writing to the program director that you will no longer be participating in the program for which you have signed a contract and accepted a slot.
2. Submit a signed withdrawal form to the Study Abroad Office, 459 Schmitz Hall.
Financial Aid
Students can apply any federal, state, or institutional aid awarded to support their study abroad costs but cannot use tuition waivers or work-study awards. Private scholarships are generally applicable to study abroad but you must verify the conditions of your award with the scholarship administrator or donor directly.
Revision Request:
You can request an increase in your financial aid award (typically in loan funds) from the Financial Aid Office if the cost of the program exceeds the regular budgeted amount for a student living in the Seattle area. To do this, you will need to submit the following paperwork to the Financial Aid Office:
1. Revision Request Form
2. Budget of student expenses for your program: available under the "documents" tab on participants' study abroad accounts once a payment contract has been submitted to the Study Abroad Office.
Disbursement:
Please remember that financial aid and most scholarships will be disbursed according to the UW academic calendar (beginning of the quarter). If your program starts before the start of the UW quarter, your financial aid award will not be disbursed until after the start of the program. If your program begins after the start of the UW quarter, your financial aid award will be delayed until the start of the program. In either of these cases, you will have to finance any upfront costs such as airfare and health insurance and the start of your time abroad on your own. Please take this into consideration when you plan your foreign study.
Short-term Loans:
The Financial Aid Office does have a Short-Term Loan Program to assist students with temporary cash flow problems. To be eligible, students must be currently enrolled in regular classes in the UW Student Database. Students studying abroad during Spring quarter will need to apply for a short term loan before the end of Winter Quarter.
Scholarships:
Fritz Undergraduate Scholarships provide competitive funding to undergraduate students in the Humanities and Social Sciences at the University of Washington through the Chester Fritz Endowment.
GO! Scholarships are funded by the Washington State Legislature and provide students with significant financial need access to international learning opportunities. The scholarship is limited to UW students who are Washington State residents.
The UW Office of Merit Scholarships, Fellowships and Awards is an excellent resource for additional undergraduate scholarship advice and options.
English Majors (officially declared as of Winter Quarter 2014 or earlier) are also eligible to apply for the June Yeakel Barnes and the Robert Hardy Barnes Wings to London Scholarship.