Departure date: Friday February 21, 2014
Return date: Friday April 25 2014
AIFS will serve as the provider for services related to this program
Classes will start approximately six weeks prior to departure at Southwestern College. Attendance for class meets is mandatory. (Information is subject to change and will be updated as it becomes available)
The cost for this semester abroad program is approximately $6,980 (based on an enrollment of 25 students), and includes the following:
- Roundtrip airfare to Florence, Italy.
- Shared room in a self-catering student apartment in the Historical Center of Florence. Typically there are four students to each apartment with regular cleaning service and a change of linen provided. Apartments are a maximum of 20 minutes walk from the study center.
- Native Italian faculty and an on-site coordinator in Florence.
- Transportation from airports in Italy.
- A nine week museum pass providing unlimited free entry to the following museums: Uffizi, Bargello, Accademia, Palazzo Pitti, San Marco Museum, Boboli Gardens, Medici Chapel, Cenacolo di Sant¹Andrea del Sarto, Giardino della Villa, Medicea di Castello, Villa Medicea di Poggio a Caiano and Villa Medicea della Patraia.
- A full-day excursion to Siena and San Gimignano including round-trip transportation by private bus, the services of a professional English-speaking guide, lunch and entrances.
- A full-day excursion to Perugia and Assisi including round-trip transportation by private bus, the services of a professional English-speaking guide, lunch and entrances.
- The educational center has two computers (PCs), which are free of charge as well as free wireless connection throughout the center for students to use with their laptops.
- Membership with borrowing rights to the British Institute Library in Florence.
- Student medical and program fee refund insurance policies, as outlined in the program brochure. Coverage includes $10,000 accidental medical expense and $10,000 accidental death payment plus 24-hour emergency care assistance during the program and repatriation in cases of verified emergency beyond the students¹ control.
Note: There is also an additional nonrefundable fee of approximately$550 for airline taxes/fees, and an apartment security deposit, which is refundable at the end of program.
Items not included in the program:
- Course Registration fees ($46.00 per unit)
- Books
- Any personal expenses
- Airport departure taxes
- Visa fees
- Passport fees
- Food
- And other related items not included in the program cost.
There is a $450.00 application fee due at the time of registration with the balance of the program costs due in three payments.
To be eligible for the program you must have completed at least 12 college units and have a 2.0 grade point average by the end of the fall semester 2013. Priority for this program is given to students attending SDICCCA community colleges.
Mandatory orientation meetings to prepare for the program will be scheduled in December 2013 prior to departure date. Actual classes begin meeting six weeks (January 14, 2014) prior to the departure date. As SWC is hosting this program you will have to register (if you are not currently a Southwestern College student) at Southwestern College for spring semester 2014, and pay student registration fees to Southwestern College for the Spring 2014 semester of classes.
