This is the estimated budget for this study abroad program. It serves as an estimated cost of attendance for your
semester or year. Students often pay for study abroad through a combination of financial aid, personal funds,
scholarships, grants, and alternative loans. The total amount listed as the Total Program Cost is the maximum amount of
financial aid that can be awarded to you by GVSU. This total program cost does not reflect the amount of aid you will
qualify for, rather, it serves as the cap on what can be awarded.
Cost Breakdown for Macquarie University
Costs Billed by GVSU*
Item
Cost
Cost Description
$1,500-$4,000**
Paid to Grand Valley State University
Student Accounts by the regular tuition
payment deadline.
Program fee:
*Fee subject to adjustments based on actual
exchange rates and the MU tuition rate and
currency exchange rates at the time of billing.
GVSU Tuition:
• 12-15 credits
$5,824
IS 380 Course Fee
$300
*Tuition
Paid to Grand Valley State University
based on 2015-2016 upper-level in-state tuition Student Accounts by the regular tuition
rates (12-15 credits).
payment deadline.
Out-of-state students will pay the out-of-state
tuition rate.
Paid to GVSU. The IS 380 course fee is
$25 per credit hour. Participants of
this program will register for 12
credits of IS 380.
Total estimated fees paid to GVSU: $7,624 - 10,124
ADDITIONAL COSTS:
Item
Cost
Cost Description
Passport/Visa
$555
Passport fees: $135. Visa fee is currently
around $420 USD (535 AUD).
Flight
$2,200
Paid to Airline Provider
$200 paid to Macquarie University
Health insurance/ISIC
*Required OSHC
ISIC card is $28
The OSHC insurance coverage is required by
MU and must be paid prior to departure
($259 AUD or $200 USD). The OSHC insurance
will only cover students while they are in
Australia. PIC recommends students have an
additional insurance policy that provides
coverage while traveling to and from
Australia. The Basic ISIC card is $28 and meets
the PIC health insurance requirement.
Housing
Paid to housing provider once you arrive.
Average budget for housing may include:
$285 AUD per week, $180 AUD
registration fee, $1100 AUD security
$4,050-$5,000 USD per semester (or
deposit, departure cleaning fee $110
$5,500 - $6,800 AUD)
*Includes: utilities, fees, and deposits. Cost will AUD. The fee above may includes all
vary based on housing selection.
utilities. Depending on the housing
selected, students may have to budget
separately for utilities. Based on 19
weeks.
Books and Supplies
$600
Student pays out-of-pocket
$1,710
On-site personal expenses - Based on
$90 USD per week. Food costs will vary
based on a student's personal spending
habits and preferences.
Personal Expenses
$1,710
On-site personal expenses including:
local transportation, cell phone
purchase, and basic necessities. Approx.
$90 USD per week.
Total Additional Costs:
$11,052 - $12,003
Food
TOTAL PROGRAM COST: Costs billed by GVSU + Additional Costs
$18,676 - $22,127***
$24,285 (Estimated
cost for out-of-state students who do not receive the tuition differential scholarship.)
*Based on 2015-2016 in-state, upper-division tuition rate for 12-15 credits. If you complete more than
15 GVSU credits during your semester abroad, tuition charges for the additional credits above 15
will be billed to your GVSU student account after you return and PIC completes the transfer of credit.
**Program fee is based on the Macquarie University’s study abroad tuition fee for 2015. This fee is
subject to change due to the fluctuation in the exchange rate and changes in MU tuition rates. The current
rate of exchange is 1 AUD = .73 USD. Participants selected as an EXCHANGE student will not pay this fee.
Each year, (4) GVSU students are selected to attend Macquarie University under the terms of our exchange. Students
will be selected based on need. If more than (4) GVSU students apply any given year, some students will be required to
pay the full program costs listed above. Those students who are selected to participate in the exchange will not be billed
the program fee listed above equal to $1,500-$4,000). Participants will be nominated for the exchange after the Priority
Deadline each semester.
***The cost of any study abroad program depends to a large extent on the participant’s personal
spending habits and lifestyle. Personal travel, entertainment, gifts, souvenirs, and other types of personal
spending are costs not reflected in the above estimates.
This budget is based on the currency exchange rate for July 1, 2015. The exchange rate does fluctuate which may result
in changes to the estimates listed above. 1 AUD = .769 USD
Semester Cost Comparison (Based on in-state tuition rates)
While many study abroad programs are similar in cost to a semester here at GVSU, other are considerably
more expensive. The following will provide a comparison between average semester costs at Macquarie
University and Grand Valley State University:
Macquarie GVSU
Regular $22,127
$10,294
Exchange $18,127
$10,294
Estimated Cost Difference per semester
$11,833
$7,998