Costs

It is important that students budget accurately and have sufficient funds to support themselves and fully participate on an exchange program. The following information is meant to provide you with a better understanding of what costs you will likely incur so that you may better prepare for a term abroad.

There are also several potential scholarships, awards and bursaries open to students participating on various exchange programs, which may help you in financing your term abroad. For more information, please view the Funding page.

TUITION AND FEES:

Participation in an official exchange program allows you to pay home institution tuition and fees instead of paying at the host institution. You remain registered at the UofA for the duration of your exchange and pay fees at the University of Alberta, and are therefore waived all tuition and instructional fees at the exchange destination. Although tuition fees are based on the rate you would normally pay for courses taken at the UofA, there are some exceptions which make standard tuition on an exchange program less for some participants.

With the Guaranteed International Tuition Framework, international students continue to pay the same rate for their entire degree program, so participation on an exchange program will result in no changes to overall totals.

For domestic students, Student Academic Support, Student Union/GSA fees, Health & Wellness and other non-instructional fees will be assessed as per usual in addition to regular tuition charges. However, domestic BCom students are not charged the Business Market Modifier and domestic MBA students are not charged MBA Differential Fees, which significantly reduces the overall costs of tuition. Participating on an off-campus exchange program also makes you exempt from fees such as U-Pass, Athletics & Recreation and the PAW Centre Fee, as well as allows you to pay less for certain other non-instructional fees. Please see the links below for a comparison of tuition & fee estimates on exchange vs. staying at the UofA.

BCom Exchange Tuition Comparison

MBA Exchange Tuition Comparison

Tuition & fees will be due according to the regular University of Alberta payment deadlines and you may pay in the same way as you normally do for tuition and fees while at the UofA.

Please note: Tuition and fees for a Fall/Winter semester exchange will be based on a standard 15-credit term for undergraduate students. This will not change regardless of the number of courses you take at your host institution or the number of credits you transfer back to your UofA degree after the exchange. Summer and graduate programs will vary.

These are all the responsibility of each individual participant and will vary greatly according to your exchange destination and personal habits. It is important to research your destination thoroughly and plan accurately in order to get a sense of how much your exchange might cost. More information on accommodations and estimated living expenses can be found on the host institution websites, in past student reports and from the exchange coordinator and former participants.

Please be aware that you will also be responsible for any visa/immigration expenses as well as insurance, vaccinations and any other preparatory measures that might be required.

EXCHANGE FEES:
Total fees for participating on an Alberta School of Business exchange program are $250. This includes a $75 non-refundable application fee for all students who submit an application and a $175 administration/coordination fee for successful applicants who go abroad. Please review the application procedures for more information.

For reference, you may also view a few comparisons of the basic overall costs of studying at the UofA and living in Edmonton versus what it might look like at one of our exchange destinations.