Peter Greenberg: Study Abroad Ideas

By: Peter Greenberg | Source: AARP.org | 2008-10-28

My daughter wants to study abroad over the summer or at some point during her senior year. Study abroad programs are already really expensive, and the economy, gas prices, etc. aren’t helping anything. Western Europe is really expensive, and she is looking to go somewhere “outside the norm.” Do you have any suggestions?
-Mark, Cleveland, Ohio

Studying abroad doesn’t have to mean spending a semester in Italy or France. There are several locations where the dollar remains strong.

The Council on International Educational Exchange has a program in Lima, Peru, that’s about $5,000 cheaper than a year in Paris. And best of all, the exchange rate in Peru is more than three-to-one in favor of the greenback. With Global Semesters, you can spend $7,500 for a summer in Spain, or $2,500 to head down to Mexico for language-immersion courses. With College Consortium International Studies, a semester in Ghana will cost you about $3,500, roughly half the price of a semester in London, where the pound still crushes the dollar. Hope this is beneficial to you and your daughter!