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Cost
Realistically, how much will it cost you to participate in the London program?
Every summer we determine rather accurately what the participants have spent for food, beverage (not alcoholic), and things of a hygienic nature such as laundry. Last year's group spent an average of $910.10 for these sorts of items. Remember that this figure is an average; half of the participants spent less (and, of course, half spent more). What sort of a spender are you?
So, here is our bare-bones estimate of what it will probably cost you to
go on the London Program:
Base London Program price: |
$3,825.00 |
That's the bare-bones story. We have not underestimated the amounts just to get you interested in our program (some foreign study programs do). The London Program is ironic. On the one hand it is expensive, but on the other if you consider all that you get, it is a huge bargain. Our program is much less expensive than most other university programs offering similar experiences and services. (Check out Duke's, or for that matter, the UNC-Chapel Hill Summer Honors Program in London. They are thousands of dollars more than ours.)
For out-of-state students, the tuition for summer school abroad programs may be less than for tuition on-campus.
If you want even more particulars, scroll on down.
The base London Program price of $3,825.00 includes your major expenseĐyour hotel room, and the room price includes the cost of a full (not a continental) breakfast each morning. So, that means that you have already paid for what will probably be one/third of your meals. You will have to cover the costs of most of your lunches and dinners, and this (and air fare) is the major item that is not included in the program price. On the other hand, would you really want all of your meals to be included in the program? If they were, your choice of restaurants and entrŽes at those restaurants would be limited, for we would all have to eat together and probably would have to eat the same thing. You might want to eat light and have a hamburger for dinner, and I might want to eat heavy and have a full roast beef dinner, and the restaurant is only serving fish and French fries to our group. See what we mean? Over the years it has proven advantageous to leave what you eat for lunch and for dinner up to you. There are many inexpensive restaurants and sandwich shops in our neighborhood, and we will provide you with suggestions of lots of places to eat. We are near the campus of the University of London, and we can suggest popular student spots. Be advised, however, that the price of food in London (and in Europe generally) is considerably higher than it is in the United States. (Last year, food was roughly 90% more expensive than it was in the United States.) We pay for some special meals such as lunch at the oldest pub in London and dinner on the cruise we take up and down the River Thames and at the final program party. On the weekend trip into the Midlands, we pay for lunch, and dinner on Saturday and breakfast, lunch and dinner on Sunday.
In Great Britain and most of Europe, alcoholic beverages are VERY expensive - roughly three times more expensive than in the United States. A 12 oz. glass of beer costs about $8.50 in a London pub, and a glass of ordinary wine can run you $12.60. Choosing not to drink - or drinking alcoholic beverages in strict moderation - will save you hundreds of dollars while you are on the London Program.
The cost of attending at least six London theatre performances is included in the base price. We do not scrimp on this item; the shows are the best in town, and the tickets we get are the very finest in the various theaters; we never sit in "the nose-bleed section" (like many student-oriented programs do). See PLAYS for a list of the fine shows and actors that we have seen in the past few years. Of course, the program price also covers tuition and fees and those sorts of university-related items. It does not, however, cover the cost of textbooks, and this will run you about $40.00. You can share texts with other students; books are NOT required in class in London. In fact, you are discouraged from bringing them to London.
If you want to buy souvenirs and gifts, the cost of these, of course, is not included in the program price. And their cost can really add up. "There are not many bargains in England or Europe anymore." One father of a participant once said, "The nicest gift that my kid can bring me back from Europe is an uncashed traveler's check." We'll help you shop if you ask, but be prepared for high prices (just as with the cost of food and alcoholic beverages).
The cost of your air ticket is your second largest single purchase. You should be able to get a ticket for between $750.00 and $850.00. That's for a ticket from Raleigh-Durham to London, on a Student Travel Association (STA) or similar sort of consolidator ticket. A very small part of the STA ticket price covers the cost of an international student ID which can be very useful. Student Travel Association has an office on Franklin Street in Chapel Hill, next to the Bank of America building. It also has many locations in London, one of which is two blocks from our hotel.
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