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Spring 2012 Student Information
 
 

Tuition and Expenses

By subsidizing some of the expenses for the semester, the program tries to make the costs of a semester in Paris equivalent to those of a semester on campus. Students should remember, however, that the cost of living abroad is affected by fluctuations in the value of the American dollar.

All participants are sent a bill for the program fee, which covers tuition, round-trip transportation on the group flight (students who choose to make their own travel arrangements are not charged for the group flight), housing and a meal allowance in Bordeaux for the fall semester, room and partial board in Paris, and numerous social and cultural activities. The fee for 2009–2010 is $23,800 per semester. The fee for 2010–2011 will be set in April 2010.

Students from institutions other than Vassar or Wesleyan submit a nonrefundable application fee of $25 with their application. They also pay a $500 nonrefundable registration fee to confirm their place on the program.

Once they have moved into their long-term housing, students are responsible for paying for their own meals not included in the partial board plan, travel within the city, course books and materials, vacation trips, and daily expenditures. As mentioned on the "Details" page of this website, the program does provide a stipends to students to help defray the costs of participating in extracurricular activities like athletic teams, clubs, or extra-curricular classes. Each semester, the program surveys students to determine their average expenses beyond the program fee. This summary is included in the orientation materials and also will be sent to financial aid offices upon request. In the 2007-08 academic year, the estimated budget for housing, food, and other necessary expenses (phone, books, transportation, sundries) was approximately $655 per month.

Students receiving financial aid from Vassar or Wesleyan will continue to do so. They must sign all appropriate documents and arrange for all other loans and grants for the semester or year before leaving for Paris. Work-study students may have the opportunity to earn part of their work-study allocation while in Paris. Outside students should consult their office of financial aid before applying to the program. Scholarships are not always transferable and the VWPP cannot offer financial aid to students from institutions other than Vassar and Wesleyan. Student loans must be processed at the home institution.

Refund Policy

Tuition refunds are calculated based on the date of the student’s withdrawal from the program.