Costs for Study Abroad Program | Financial Aide | Loans | Alternative Education

Program Tuition & Financial Aid

"I tried something else. I discovered early on that I was tired of being in a classroom, but I still wanted to learn. I needed to stretch my wings out and explore what lies beyond that horizon we all look to at sunrise and sunset. Beyond those distant hills, those plains and grasses, those lapping waters of the great oceans. What is out there?"
- LEAPYEAR Graduate

2012 Costs for Study Abroad Program with Financial Aid for Alternative Education

When considering the cost of LEAPYEAR, please remember that the program is a fully-integrated year of college, which includes the equivalent of $18,000 in tuition from a mid-range private college. Please also note that LEAPYEAR students have full access to Federal Financial Aid, as well as need-based scholarships through LEAPNOW.

LEAPYEAR tuition and fees for students for Fall 2012 is $33,900 and includes:

all scheduled program activities,
food and accommodation during the program,
one full year of college credit - 36 quarter hours,
a full year of additional internship placements after LEAPYEAR, and
ongoing annual reunions.

Not included is the cost of round-trip transportation to northern California during the program, international airfare, personal medical insurance (usually covered under parents' policy), and personal spending money. The average cost of airfares for LEAPYEAR is $3,200.

Financial Aid:

LEAPYEAR is a first year of college and is cheaper than a year at most private colleges, despite the fact that the program includes all food and accommodations. Since all LEAPYEAR students are enrolled as full-time college students, they are thus eligible for Federal Financial Aid, which is accessed through the FAFSA process (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) at www.fafsa.ed.gov. Every American citizen is entitled to low-interest student loans. Grants and scholarships are also available through your state, high school, and through private organizations - a list of websites, books and other resources are available by clicking the "How do I pay for LEAPYEAR" link below. Private scholarship monies are also available for 2012 through LEAPNOW.

Past LEAPYEAR students have substantially reduced the cost of their program by gathering frequent flyer miles for their international and domestic airfares, by doing a paying internship in the United States or less commonly abroad (potential savings up to $4500), and by fund-raising through friends and family (past students have been able to raise up to $7,500 on their own.)

LEAPNOW is committed to making our unique program available to you if the program is appropriate for you - please don't assume you can't afford it without speaking with our staff!

Additional articles:

How do I pay for LEAPYEAR?
A further break-down of the Financial Aid process, along with lists of scholarships, websites, and other resources.

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