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Finances 

Skidmore’s Commitment to Global Education

At Skidmore College, global education is essential to a student’s academic career. We view global education holistically, providing a variety of curricular and extra-curricular opportunities for students, with off-campus study serving as the central component. Students that study off-campus benefit from access to diverse course offerings and expanded internship, research and community involvement opportunities; they also engage in substantive ways with different cultures, gain new perspectives, and acquire important life skills. On a personal level, many students that have studied off-campus report that it is a transformative experience that helps them develop greater independence, adaptability, and capacity to think more broadly and creatively. These are all characteristics that prove invaluable as our students navigate today’s complex, interconnected world.

Given the incredible benefits of off-campus study, Skidmore is committed to providing access to all students. To that end, the Office of Off-Campus Study and Exchanges (OCSE) has developed a portfolio of domestic and international off-campus programs, representing a wide variety of disciplinary and geographic options, all of which have been endorsed by Skidmore’s academic departments and have been deemed to enhance the on-campus curriculum. In this way, off-campus study represents an integrated educational experience available to all students regardless of major or academic area of interest.

Skidmore’s Comprehensive Fee Structure

Given Skidmore’s belief in the value of off-campus study, we are committed to making this opportunity available to all students regardless of economic background. To this end, in 2005 the College implemented a fee structure that allows all students to access off-campus study opportunities. Skidmore students studying on an approved international, domestic or exchange program will be charged the Skidmore comprehensive fee for their semester or academic year off campus. The comprehensive fee is equal to Skidmore tuition, room at the on-campus apartment rate, board if applicable, and mandatory college fees. Students receiving financial aid are able to carry their aid to an approved off-campus study program, removing any financial barriers that many of our students might face.

Skidmore chooses which off-campus study programs we approve based on their quality and academic fit; we do not choose programs based on their cost. As a result, Skidmore's comprehensive fee will differ from the fees of the program provider; some programs’ fees are less than the comprehensive fee and some are more. In all cases, students will be charged the Skidmore comprehensive fee. Fees collected under the comprehensive fee policy are utilized in support of global education initiatives, including the fees for students studying off campus, the structures and staff needed to support the off-campus study office and programs, global development opportunities for faculty and staff, extra-curricular programming, and, above all, financial aid to allow access to off-campus study for all students. Any surplus fees are absorbed into the College’s general fund and are used to support the college as a whole.

Students studying off campus will be billed by Skidmore’s Bursar for their semester or academic year off-campus utilizing the same process as a semester on-campus. In turn, Skidmore College will pay the off-campus study program providers directly.

Note: Students studying off campus must be approved by OCSE and, once approved, must adhere to the comprehensive fee structure outlined here. Skidmore does not allow students to take a leave for a semester or academic year to study off-campus and transfer credits back to the college.

Benefits to Comprehensive Fee Structure

Since its implementation in 2005, we have realized numerous institutional benefits from the comprehensive fee structure for off-campus study.

• Expanded access to all students regardless of academic or economic needs. Students are able to use their financial aid for off-campus study, allowing them to choose programs that fit their academic goals instead of being limited due to program cost. (Contact Skidmore's Financial Aid Office for more information on your specific aid package.)
  
  
• Increased student participation from ~30% prior to this structure to ~55% currently. The current structure has been successful in ensuring that students across the College are able to take advantage of all of the educational opportunities Skidmore offers.
  
  
• Substantially strengthened connections between on-campus and off-campus academics. Student choose from programs that connect to their on-campus majors and minors, shifting the focus to academics rather than tourism. Students are now able to fulfill major, minor and other degree requirements keeping them on their timeline for graduation. In addition, we have been able to make improvements in the internationalization of the on-campus curriculum and faculty involvement in global initiatives.
  
  
• Significantly improved quality of programs students can access. Due to increased administrative and faculty oversight, including a structured program evaluation system for all off-campus programs, OCSE is able to continually monitor the academic and student support structures of our partner programs and respond accordingly.
  
  
• Enhanced on-campus support structures for off-campus study students. The College is able to provide the staffing needed to ensure students are supported in an ever more complicated world. OCSE offers students essential guidance throughout the entire process, including program selection, application and preparation support, assistance with course selection and registration and grade collection, and health and crisis response and management while students are away.

OCSE is here to help.

Off-campus study is now viewed as an integral part of a Skidmore student’s education. Even so, studying off-campus is a significant decision that we encourage students to discuss with their families/guardians.   It is important to consider the academic and financial implications of studying off-campus for a semester or academic year before you commit to doing so.  

The OCSE staff is available to answer questions and address concerns, please feel free to call (518) 580-5355, email – ocse@skidmore.edu or schedule an appointment - /ocse/advising.php.