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Study Abroad

Other Costs

For basic information on paying other program expenses, see the At a Glance table below. For more detailed information, scroll past the table and click on the appropriate section.

At a Glance

Expense Type Payer Payment Method Documents/Information Needed
Course Materials Program Director
or Study Abroad F&A		 Out of pocket
or
Field advance funds (while in field)
or
Study Abroad F&A credit card		 Reimbursement Form and itemized receipt(s) to Study Abroad F&A for reimbursement
or
Original itemized receipt(s) with field advance documentation
or
Detailed information for direct payment by Study Abroad F&A
Supplies and Equipment Program Director
or Study Abroad F&A		 Out of pocket
or
Field advance funds (while in field)
or
Study Abroad F&A credit card		 Reimbursement Form and itemized receipt(s) to Study Abroad F&A for reimbursement
or
Original itemized receipt(s) with field advance documentation
or
Detailed information for direct payment by Study Abroad F&A
Communications Program Director Out of pocket (personal phone)
or Field advance funds (while in field)		 Reimbursement Form and itemized receipt(s) to Study Abroad F&A for reimbursement
or
Original itemized receipt(s) with field advance documentation
Banking Fees Study Abroad F&A Directly charged to field advance card
or wire payment fees		 N/A
Student Visas Students or Program Director Out of pocket/Reimbursement Reimbursement Form and itemized receipt(s) to Study Abroad F&A for reimbursement
Faculty/Staff Vaccinations Program Director Out of pocket/Reimbursement Reimbursement Form and itemized receipt(s) to Study Abroad F&A for reimbursement

Course Materials

Payer/Payment Method Other Information
Students or advance payment by SAFA
  • Program Directors may choose to have students buy their own books and course packets at the University Book Store or a copy center as they normally would for a course on campus.
  • You may elect to order all student materials to distribute to students so they can be charged to the program budget. If you choose this option, make sure to add this item to your budget and send an invoice or purchase request to uwsafa@uw.edu

Advance payment by SAFA or UW cost transfer or Program Director via field advance

  • If you have copies made or print course materials while in Seattle, SAFA can pay in advance with a credit card or with your program budget number if they are ordered from a UW copy center.
  • Pay for copies and printing in the field with your field advance and retain receipts to submit with field advance documentation.
  • If the Rome Center does any copying or printing for your program, they will bill our office directly
Payer/Payment Method Other Information

Supplies and Equipment

Payer/Payment Method Other Information
Program Director via field advance funds or Out of Pocket/Reimbursement For office supplies and any other small items to be used during your program, use your field advance funds. We generally load your card a week before you leave so you can buy supplies in Seattle if you would like.
We are also happy to reimburse you for any supplies you buy with personal funds. Submit your receipt(s) with a completed Reimbursement Form

Payer/Payment Method Other Information
Advance payment by SAFA If the purchase of equipment is integral to your program, SAFA is happy to purchase it on your behalf. Please send us a url or instructions for buying the item(s) you need.

Please be aware that any equipment you buy with program funds belongs to the program and must be stored in the Study Abroad office when your program is not running. Contact SAFA for more information

Communications

Payer/Payment Method Other Information
Program Staff Member out of pocket/reimbursement Many Program Directors and staff elect to use their personal cell phones while abroad by adding an international plan temporarily.
Following your program, submit the cell phone bill(s) from your program and a bill showing the amount due for your usual use, plus a completed Reimbursement Form, and SAFA will reimburse you the difference.

Payer/Payment Method Other Information
Program Director via field advance funds Another alternative is to purchase a “disposable” phone in your program location or to purchase international minutes for your personal phone. These would generally be paid for with your field advance.

Banking Fees

Payer/Payment Method Other Information
Field Advance Cardholder Allow for 2-3% of your total field advance to pay as banking fees. All fees are automatically charged to your card
Tips for keeping fees lower:

  • Withdraw the maximum amount of cash possible from your field advance card to avoid extraneous fees for unnecessary withdrawals
  • Use your field advance card as a debit/credit card whenever possible to avoid ATM fees
  • Use ATMs at banks and minimize use of ATMs at tourist attractions to avoid higher ATM and exchange fees
  • If asked by an ATM to choose between instant currency conversion by the ATM and conversion by your bank, choose your bank’s conversion rate. So-called “dynamic currency conversion” usually costs more money

Payer/Payment Method Other Information
SAFA Each payment made to a foreign vendor by wire transfer incurs a $15 fee

Student Visas

A visa is official permission granted by the authorities of the countries where you will study or travel, which allow you to enter and remain in that country. The visa is your entry or residency permit which usually appears as a stamp in your passport. Most students going on programs for 90 days or longer need a visa; some programs of shorter duration also need visas.

Please note that International Students must arrange for any visas they require as a citizen of their home country.

If your program location requires your students to apply for visas in order to visit, you have two options for purchasing them:

Students Pay You may choose to have your students apply for and purchase their own visas
You Pay Or you may choose to include the visa fee in your program budget and purchase visas for all of your students.

  • Student visa requirements for the same country can vary significantly from one consulate to another. Be sure to use only the visa requirements for the consulate under whose jurisdiction you fall
  • You will probably have to purchase or pick up your student visas in person at the appropriate embassy, so in most cases Program Directors pay for these with personal funds and then submit a receipt and a completed Reimbursement Form to SAFA for reimbursement with program funds
  • In some cases you may be able to have a service arrange for your visas. SAFA is happy to pay them directly with a credit card or reimburse you for payment with personal funds. The UW Travel office recommends A Briggs Passport & Visa

Faculty/Staff Vaccinations

Program budget funds can be used to pay for any vaccinations required by the CDC for travelers to certain locations. Send your receipt along with a completed Reimbursement Form to SAFA for reimbursement. Please note that program funds cannot be used to pay for doctor’s appointments, only vaccinations.

UW Hall Health has a Travel Clinic that provides many services to UW students, faculty, and staff. See their website for more information.