Wanting to travel + volunteer abroad and have authentic cultural experiences ... but not sure how to make it happen? That's where we come in!
International Language Programs (ILP) sets up trips for college-age volunteers to go live abroad together for a few months in countries all over the world. The heart of our program is the volunteering that you'll get to do — working with young local kids. You'll get to make a difference while you spend time with them, either teaching English or serving in an orphanage program.
You’ll also get vacation time to travel all over and have those big bucketlist experiences like wandering Paris or feeding elephants in Thailand. Sounds like a dream come true, right?
We have a whole guide to help you out
Affording a Semester Abroad
We work with college-age young adults, so we know that finances can be a factor. It's important to us to keep this experience as affordable as we can so that those dreams of yours can actually become a reality! We're really proud of how much is packed into this experience at a low price, but on top of that, we have tips to help you make it even more affordable.
ILP has helped thousands of college-aged volunteers over the last 30+ years (who are low on funds...sound familiar?) be able to make this semester abroad work. Let's do this.
Payment Plans
One of the key things that makes an experience like this possible for so many of our volunteers is being able to make it happen with a payment plan. We have several payment plans so that we can customize one that works best for your situation, whether that means you're signing up a year in advance and have time to save up, or whether you're signing up for the trip right before it departs and need to finish paying it off after you come home.
Plans are as low as $100/month. During the application process, we'll have a chance to talk to you in more detail about payment plans and get you set up on the best one for you.
Trips At Various Price Points
The program fee for all of our trips includes the same features, including things like your international flight from the US departure airport, housing, and meals (just to name a few).
Most of our trips have a program fee of about $4,000, with some being a bit lower or higher. Several factors come into play when determining the price point, but one big one is the type of volunteer program it is. We have humanitarian programs where you'll be working with underprivileged children, and therefore, the time you spend with them is a gift to the community. In Exchange Programs, you'll be teaching English to children who are not underprivileged. They come from middle to upper-class families who pay a fee to attend the classes you teach, and that allows us to subsidize your program fee (making it more affordable, essentially). Other factors come into play with things like the cost of living and flight prices for that particular country, which means each program has its own unique program fee price point
That's great news for you because it means you have options! If your priority is keeping costs low and you're flexible about which country you go to, you can select a country with a lower price point. For example, joining one of our trips to Mexico will save you thousands of dollars right off the bat versus going on another trip, like Uganda.
Compare trip program fees here, or chat with us about different options that would be best if you're on a budget.
Discounts
We often have discounts that can save you anywhere from $50 to a few hundred dollars! When you apply, we'll go through more details so you can see current opportunities for discounts. You can usually get a discount for things like being flexible with which country you go to, paying in full within 3 weeks of your application being accepted, and even referring friends to come volunteer with you.
We'll chat more about current discount opportunities when you apply!
Fundraising
Our volunteers have had tons of success fundraising half (or even all) of their program fee. Seriously! I know, I know…It might sound intimidating or embarrassing to do fundraising, but there are lots of different ways to be successful with it.
We've seen volunteers earn cash for their trip by making and selling cookie dough, holding yard sales, and more! Friends and family are excited to support your efforts!
Because we know this method works, we are here to share tips from past volunteers on what worked for them. It's a lot of work, but really worth the effort. Here's all of our fundraising tips in one spot.
Ready to get started with volunteering?
Our application process starts online. Just fill out a quick form and then we'll be in touch to help you through the rest of the process. Get started by clicking that button!
