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Understanding UCEAP Program Estimates

The UCEAP program estimates are just that—a careful estimation of the true cost of a program, inclusive of all the costs a student can expect to pay on study abroad.  

Like an estimate for a quarter or semester to attend a UC, UCEAP program estimates are not the same as a bill, or the exact amount an individual student will pay to study abroad. That’s because every student pays for their UC education using a variety of gift awards, grants, loans, savings, and scholarships based on their personal financial situation. UC students can use the same funds to pay for their UCEAP study abroad experience.

What’s included in a UCEAP program estimate

The UCEAP program estimates include:  

  1. Fees paid to UCEAP: This is any expense UCEAP handles on behalf of a student. It typically covers UC tuition, excursions, activities, and sometimes housing and meals. It doesn't include fees for graduate students, which would be add-on costs to the program estimate.  
  2. Personal expenses: This is an estimate of expenses a student manages on their own. Depending on the program, that may include visa fees, airfare, books, housing, meals, and other living expenses like laundry or metro tickets. UCEAP anticipates these carefully, but they can fluctuate depending on how a student spends money abroad. 

Where to find the program estimate

Program estimates can be found in the Cost subpage for each program and in a student application in the UCEAP Portal.  

Students can get a program-specific, custom estimate based on their campus, residency, class level (undergraduate or graduate), and program term by interacting with the drop-downs on any program’s Cost subpage. 

What's not included in the program estimate

UCEAP program estimates don't include health insurance. This fee, if applicable, will be assessed on your home campus portal and it will be paid with your financial aid.  

Some study abroad offices at UC campuses charge an application fee: 

  • Campus application fees are paid directly to the student’s home UC campus, not to UCEAP.  
  • UC campus application fees are not included in the UCEAP program estimates. 
  • UC campus application fees are not the same as the UCEAP program deposit, which is included in the program estimate. 

UCEAP Program Cost FAQs

UCEAP updates the estimate for each program every year to account for changes in cost of living, currency fluctuations, and other changes.  

The program estimates are updated on the following schedule: 

  • Summer, fall, and year-long program terms are updated by April each year. 
  • Spring and year-long programs are updated by October each year. 

Each program includes a subpage titled Cost—and students can obtain a customized estimate, based on their campus and class status, by interacting with the drop-downs on the Cost subpage. 

As a UCEAP participant, you only pay UCEAP tuition—no additional tuition is assessed for your home UC campus or host institution abroad.

No. Host institutions charge UCEAP for tuition, not students. UCEAP participants pay only UCEAP tuition.

UC campus fees are determined by the student’s home campus, and UCEAP, as a University of California entity, is required to collect the UC campus fees. Those fees, while paid to UCEAP, are remitted back to the student’s home campus. 

UC non-resident students earn University of California academic credit while on study abroad with UCEAP. If a student is a non-resident at UC, they pay non-residential tuition rates on UCEAP just as they do at their home UC campus.  

No. UCEAP participants are assessed UC tuition as determined by the Regents of the University of California. UCEAP participants in summer term study abroad programs are assessed tuition based on the number of units earned while on study abroad.