My journey prior to going on Semester at Sea was just as crazy emotionally as to the actual 102 days at sea and in port due to insufficient funds and difficulty with obtaining visas while studying abroad in Turkey. In the end, everything worked out and I am going to share with you how I was able to afford Semester at Sea, and some tricks to lowering the cost.

1. Apply Early

Applying early allows you a higher chance for the room of your choice, and the difference between an outside triple and an outside double is about $6000- a lot of money. When I first applied for Fall 15, I was too late and even though I picked the triple I was placed in a double, however, after switching to Spring 16, I was able to get the triple allowing me to lower the cost of the board. Also, something else I learned after I got on the ship is that there are actually rooms called “economy triple”, they are located on deck three and are not as fancy as the rooms located on deck four and above, but if you’re still missing $3000, it’s something to consider. (I think you’ll need to call the office for inquiry on these rooms)

2. Apply For Financial Aid

Semester at Sea gives out need base grants and other grants. I was a student who’s normally on full financial aid for school, and Semester at Sea ended up giving me close to $10k in aid. It is a lot of money, however, still not enough to cover the rest of tuition and board, but don’t forget, if you normally get financial aid for school, it should transfer over to Semester at Sea as well., including Pell Grant and Cal Grant.  The only one that didn’t transfer over was the UCSB Grant because, well, I’m not technically enrolled in UCSB and had to be on a leave for SAS. There will be more on number 4.

3. Apply for Scholarships and Work-Study

Semester at Sea offers a variety of scholarship opportunities and work-study programs and they are all linked on the website. The work-study program gives about $4000 in aid and you get to make more friends and have a closer relationship with some staffs.  Most people I met on the ship came with scholarships of some sort. However, you’ll be competing with other amazing talented people and as I mentioned in earlier posts, I’m terrible with these applications so I didn’t get any of these and almost lost all hope, BUT I still went, because of number 4!

4. If You Are On Quarter System, READ THIS:

So this is the most important one for me, because it paid for the rest of my tuition and board. If you are on quarter system and you leave for Fall semester, you only get to transfer your financial aid for Fall quarter because you’ll make it back for Winter and Spring quarter. However, if you leave for Spring semester, Semester at Sea will overlap both Winter and Spring quarter and you will receive financial aid for both quarters. That’s double the financial aid for Spring Semester in comparison to Fall! This is why I switched from the Fall 15 voyage to Spring 16. What you need to watch out for is your unit requirements, because you will be missing two quarters at home, which is usually more units than one semester on Semester at Sea. Make sure you have enough units and check if they offer the classes you need!

5. Limit SAS Programs

Yes, SAS Programs are convenient and parent friendly because they take care of you and if there are any changes to the itinerary, you don’t have to pay extra. However, they are expensive. I personally just looked at the programs and see what I’m interested in and plan a trip on my own with a few friends for what is usually half the price or even less! There are times when programs are worth it though- in countries that planning is a lot more difficult and you are concerned for your safety or if you find IMPACT programs that you are interested in (they’re great).

6. Keep Track of Your Spending

I find it encouraging when I keep track of my spending in every country in my journal. I keep a summary of cost for the living, transportation, and others (food, souvenirs, etc.). By comparing how much I spent to how much the programs costs, I am more motivated to keep on planning for future trips.

7. Spend Less in Ports

You are on this program to learn and to travel, not to be on vacation and stay in five star hotels everywhere and cabbing to every destination, so save some money on the living and transportation! You could either stay on the ship, in hostels or Airbnbs. The ship will start to feel like home after the first big port and you’ll start to realize it’s basically an already paid for five star hotel so we go back to it whenever we are close.  The sheets and towels are always clean and the showers are better than any hostels you’ll stay at.  One of my favorite feelings on the ship was finally washing my hair in my ship bathroom after a few days in port LOL. (Don’t tell me I’m disgusting because everyone else does it too) With transportations, look into busses, even overnight buses (saves you a night of living too), and trains, but they’ll discuss some of this with you at pre-port.

 

There are also other ways to fundraise, such as GoFundMe, but personally, it wasn’t for me. If you have nice family and friends who are willing to support you to go on this journey and won’t make you feel guilty then go for it! I also know people who took out personal loans as an investment in themselves. There are a lot of ways, but most importantly, don’t let financial reasons stop you from this once in a lifetime opportunity.  Try all the options first!