Budgeting for Exchange, Research, and Study Abroad
Paying your tuition and fees
Students participating in an exchange pay tuition directly to UBC and not the partner institution in most cases. Students are required to take and pay for 15 UBC credits for each semester on exchange.
Student loans
You may have a different timeline for paying your loans and different eligibility requirements when you go on exchange. Find more information on applying and receiving your loans.
Awards and scholarships
Go Global offers many International Learning Awards to help make your experience more affordable.
Go Global students remain registered at UBC – you can still qualify for scholarships and awards. This includes affiliation scholarships, and faculty- or department-specific awards.
Determining the cost of your exchange
Your financial requirements will vary depending on your individual goals, the cost of living in your host country, and your personal preferences.
Go Global is not able to provide you with a precise dollar amount. Only you can determine how much money you will need for exchange.
Tips for planning your budget
- See student reports to learn about other students' experience on their exchange
- Search travel guides and the web for travel tips
- Research the cost of living in your potential host country
- Consider your spending habits, your lifestyle preferences, your current expenses and how you like to travel for your lifestyle abroad
- Consider contacting a travel agent to help you determine some of your travel costs in advance
Go Global budget worksheet
Use this sample budget worksheet to estimate your expenses for exchange and compare them to your income. You might find it easier to estimate the monthly expenses for some categories and multiply it by the number of months you'll be away.
Go Global Fee Adjustment Policy
The Go Global Fee ($415.00) is an administrative fee required for all applicants to Go Global programs. The fee is non-refundable. However, it may be adjusted under some circumstances.
To withdraw from your Go Global exchange, research or summer abroad program, you must contact Go Global by email to request withdrawal by the following deadlines:
- March 30: For summer and research programs
- June 30: For UBC Winter Term 1 and Full-Year exchange
- September 30: For UBC Winter Term 2 and Split-Year exchange
| Reason for withdrawal | Amount of Go Global fee to be refunded |
| You have applied to Go Global but do not meet our minimum eligibility requirements. | $321.75 (Go Global fee will be adjusted from $415 to $93.25) |
| Go Global cannot match you to a partner university. | $321.75 (Go Global fee will be adjusted from $415 to $93.25) |
| The partner university does not accept your application and Go Global cannot find another academically suitable partner. | $321.75 (Go Global fee will be adjusted from $415 to $93.25) |
| You withdraw from Go Global for reasons other than those stated above. | $93.25 (Go Global fee will be adjusted from $415 to $321.75) |
*This fee adjustment does not apply to Global Seminars
If you have questions, please connect with your Go Global advisor or email Go Global at go.global@ubc.ca.