The following benefits are provided for all ISEP-Exchange and ISEP-Direct programs (unless otherwise noted).
- Enrollment on a full-time basis, as defined by the host institution, for the period of the program. Access to some departments or courses may be limited or closed.
- Housing or a stipend covering the cost of housing for the entire period of the exchange including exam and vacation periods. Each ISEP university has varying options. You may have a room in a residence hall or with a family or an apartment shared with other students. Some ISEP-Direct programs do not include housing; please see the specific description for details.
- Meals. A minimum of 19 meals per week during each semester of your placement, in the form of a meal plan, a cash stipend, or payment to a host family. Some ISEP-Direct programs do not include meals, or only cover a portion of meals; please see the specific description for details.
- Orientation and General Services. Your home institution will provide a pre-departure orientation to help you prepare for studying abroad. Upon arrival, the host institution will give you an orientation, and the local ISEP Coordinator will serve as a resource throughout your stay.
- Academic, social, and athletic fees that are required of all students.
Note: Benefits for ISEP-Exchanges are equivalent, not identical. They are based on the norm at your host institution and may be different from housing and meal costs at your home institution. For example, you might receive a meal stipend amount that is different monetarily from what you paid at home; it is based on the local cost of living and is the amount that the outgoing international student has paid for you to take his/her place. Keep in mind that the program fee that you pay at your home university is not only allowing you to go abroad, but permitting another ISEP student to study in your place at your home university.
Some students remark that it is unfair that students in some countries do not pay for tuition and have “free” higher education. ISEP encourages students to consider the political and social differences between nations as they think about this issue. Education is not free in any country; students, their parents, and other citizens abroad are paying for higher education through national incoming tax rates that are high compared to those in the USA.