HOW DOES BILLING WORK FOR SSO PARTICIPATION?

The Scholars’ Semester in Oxford (SSO) is an extension campus of each member institution of the Council for Christian Colleges & Universities (CCCU); each school grants the academic credit for program participation.

The CCCU invoices campuses for the cost of SSO participation and in turn campuses bill their students following the campus’ established policies and procedures. (For example, some schools charge the exact fees of the off-campus program, other schools charge the campus tuition price, while others charge full on-campus fees plus an additional off-campus study fee. And there's every variation in between!)

Since each school determines their own policies regarding off-campus study costs and the applicability of institutional scholarships and other aid, you should confirm your school’s policies with the Off-Campus Study Coordinator on your campus.

HOW MUCH DO I PAY & WHAT'S INCLUDED?

Deposits:
The only expenses SSO participants pay directly to the CCCU are the application fee ($50) and the non-refundable confirmation fee ($300, deducted from the total housing fee at invoicing).

Program Fees:
About one month before the semester begins, the CCCU sends participation invoices to each school.  For the 2008-09 school year, that bill will feature these SSO semester costs:

Expenses covered by SSO fees:

• Recommended 17 hours of academic credit
• Housing
• Laundry facilities available at no cost (must provide own detergent, softener)
• Stipend for local transportation (Vines residents only)
• Course-related field trips
• Community meal and teas (weekly)

Additional anticipated expenses:
(Anticipated expenses are estimates, which will be updated should local costs shift significantly.  You may spend more/less depending on your personal spending habits.)

• Travel between home and Oxford (estimated $600-1,100 from US)
• International Student Identification Card ($22)
• Meals (approx. $80/week)
• Personal medical expenses, if incurred; including preparatory vaccinations
• Personal discretionary expenditures, including personal travel (Expect twice as much as normally spent during one semester in the US)
• Passport required for program participation
• UK Student Visa, if applicable (year-long students and an occasional one semester student)

INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL

Participants are responsible for arranging travel to and from Oxford.  Student housing check-in time is between 9am and 5pm on arrival day; departure is before 4pm on checkout day.  Student accommodations are closed outside of official program dates/times.  Travel information from London’s major airports to SSO housing is provided in a pre-departure packet.

WHAT ABOUT FINANCIAL AID?

You can expect to use all of your Federal and State financial aid to study off-campus through the BestSemester programs. Additionally, most (but not all) campuses allow students to transfer some or all of their institutional financial aid, scholarships and grants to BestSemester programs.

Contact your Off-Campus Study Coordinator, Financial Aid Office, or other applicable office on your campus for more information and to determine how much financial aid can be applied to your off-campus semester. As anticipated expenses for your off-campus semester most likely differ from an on-campus semester, be sure to bring this page so you can adjust your financial aid statement of need.

WHAT IF I'M ACCEPTED THEN LATER DECIDE TO WITHDRAW MY SSO PARTICIPATION?

We hope this doesn’t happen!  Just in case…You need to know the SSO Refund Policy.

WHAT IF I DON'T ATTEND A CCCU INSTITUTION?
(First of all, double-check. Click here to find out if you attend a CCCU school.)

Students must be enrolled full-time on a “home” campus in order to participate in SSO. If you do not attend a CCCU school, your campus may be willing to enter a one-term consortium agreement with the CCCU to allow your participation. If not, we will try to help you enroll as a guest student through a CCCU school. Please contact The Scholars’ Semester in Oxford (sso@bestsemester.com) during or prior to the application phase to discuss your participation.

^**Non-CCCU students will be charged an additional $200 for participation.