ISLE Program

Any student in good standing at his or her home institution is eligible to apply for the program. Preference is given to students who apply by the early decision deadline; to ensure a place in the program, applicants are strongly encouraged to apply by that deadline. The ISLE Program is best suited to students interested in learning from intensive exposure to a significantly different social, cultural, and material environment.

The comprehensive fee for the ISLE Program is $19,890. This fee covers the Sri Lanka visa fee, tuition, room, board, and study and research costs for the entire duration of the program. Program travel in Sri Lanka, textbooks, and expenses involving seasonal illnesses, are also covered. Students who receive financial aid in the United States can apply this aid to study on ISLE.

The ISLE Program fees may be broken down as follows:

Tuition and fees: $15,000 (includes tuition for the semester-long, 19 semester-hour credit ISLE Program, plus costs of pre-departure support and advice, on-site orientation, study materials, and independent study expenses.

Room and Board: $2,000

Other Program-related expenses: $2,890: Includes in-country transportation, visa fees, supplemental travel and medical insurance, study tours and field trips. Please note that the travel insurance provided by the Program is not a substitute for adequate primary medical insurance with international coverage, which students are required to carry as a prerequisite to participation in the Program. Most college student health plans offer such coverage, but it is the responsibility of students and their families to check carefully with their health insurance providers to determine whether their own health insurance coverage meets this prerequisite.

Student Responsibility: International airfare and baggage fees, primary medical insurance with international coverage (see above), International Student Identity Card (ISIC) fee, and personal incidental expenses not listed above. To give you an idea of in-country costs, see the list below of a few typical incidental expenses.

Coffee/Tea $0.50
Rice & Curry (vegetarian) $1.25 
Rice & Curry (with meat) $2.00 
Movie Ticket $2.50 - $3.50 
Fruit $1.00 
Haircut $1.00 - $3.00 
Three wheeler (4KM) $3.00 
Local Bus (4KM) $0.25
Rubber flip flops $2.50

Scholarship Opportunities:

Listed below are a few scholarship options to help fund your study abroad expereince.  The list is by no means exhaustive.  Included at the bottom of the list are a few search engines and websites with compiled resources to look for opportunities for additional funding.  

Gilman Scholarship

Boren Scholarship

Fund for Education Abroad

Phi Kappa Phi Scholarship for Study Abroad

The Global Studies Grant for Travel & Study Abroad

Corrinne Jeannine Schillings Foundation Travel Abroad Scholarships

Go Overseas Study Abroad Scholarship

Refer to this listing of Study Abroad scholarships and grants or this list of other funding options if you would like to look for more ways to help fund your experience with ISLE.  

Please E-mail the Program isle@bowdoin.edu if you have any further questions about program costs.