While your program fee does include quite a lot, you’ll want to budget for additional travel expenses. We’ll go over these in more detail while you’re getting ready for your adventure, but here’s a quick look now for your reference. Each volunteer may have unique needs, but these are the items that are not included and come up for most volunteers:
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Domestic travel to and from the U.S. group departure airport + airline baggage fees (if any)
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Passport + ID photos
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Travel emergency medical insurance (learn more – we recommend GeoBlue)
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Travel to Utah for Pre-Departure training (or online training registration)
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Vaccines (if required for entry, varies by country)
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Teaching supplies (most volunteers get these donated)
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Shopping (eating out, snacks, etc)
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Vacations + excursions (transportation, meals away from home, accommodation, etc)
We recommend that volunteers budget around $1,500-$3,500+ to cover these costs. The bulk will go towards fun in-country things like vacations, weekend excursions, eating out, souvenir shopping, tickets to local museums, etc.
How much you spend during your semester is really up to you. Your personal spending habits (plus where you are volunteering) may mean planning trips and activities with a different budget than others in your group. You can certainly get by on less, but you may miss some unique opportunities to travel outside of your assigned city or country, and will need to watch your spending when it comes to snacks and souvenirs.
If you’re looking for a more affordable semester, your ILP representative can help you choose a country that has a lower cost of living, where things like traveling, vacation costs, and activities tend to be less expensive than another country or region.