Are you wanting to make a difference, travel the world, grow personally or just start a new adventure? You've probably looked around at a few study abroad programs or humanitarian programs and gotten a bit discouraged when you realized how expensive they can be ... but not ILP!
Wondering how to afford a trip abroad?
Check out this complete guide about affording a semester abroad
The best place to start when researching semester abroad programs is to compare them directly — what do you get for your money?
Some volunteer programs are a week long, and some, like ILP trips, are for an entire semester, and the costs are usually really similar. If you can opt to go a bit longer, you usually get more bang for your buck. Just a little bonus tip for you.
Most programs also have a "program fee" which is the cost to do their program. But each program you look at will include different things in that program fee. It's important to compare them directly so that you know what you're getting. For example ... most programs don't include your airfare which is a huge cost on your part. That can add $1,000+ to your costs.
ILP (International Language Programs) is an affordable volunteer abroad program for college-age adults with programs starting at $2,970. ILP volunteers can travel all over the world to places like India, Peru, and Thailand (plus many more options)—check out where you can volunteer here.
What's Covered in the ILP Program Fee?
No matter where you volunteer with ILP, you'll get all the classics covered in your program fee.
Roundtrip Airfare From The US
We're listing this first because it's a big one! Many programs don't cover international flights, which makes ILP unique. As you can imagine, international flights can get expensive, so it's nice to have this covered in your program fee.
When you volunteer with ILP, we'll book your roundtrip international flight from your ILP group's designated departure airport to your destination country. The departure airport will be a major international airport within the U.S. (often places like LAX, IAH, and MIA). On departure day, you'll just meet up with your ILP group at the departure airport for your international flight and then you'll fly overseas together!
Visa
Sometimes countries require a visa to enter and/or be a volunteer in their country for a period of time. If that's the case for your country, ILP will cover that for you, too. That's another item that other programs typically don't cover, so it's one to think about when you're comparing programs.
The entire process of applying for a visa can get a bit confusing and takes quite a bit of time, especially when visa rules are ever changing. But don't worry because that's also included. ILP will be applying for your visa for you.
In-Country Airport Pick Up + Drop Off
It can be pretty intimidating to travel across the world and arrive at the airport in a completely foreign place where you don't speak the language and aren't familiar with how to get around. We've got you covered though. After you pick up your bags from the luggage carousel, there will be a local waiting to greet you and your ILP group with an "ILP" sign. They're there to help get you from the airport to your new home so that you have one less thing to worry about.
We'll also help you (and all your luggage) get back to the airport on the last day of the trip too.
Our goal with arranging your international flight, visa, and airport pick-up is to take the stress out of traveling to and getting settled into your new home in another country. We work with a lot of volunteers who have never traveled before and want to give you the confidence to live out your dreams of seeing the world.
Housing
Your housing for the entire semester is also covered as part of the program fee. If you're currently in school or renting an apartment, you can take that rent money you would have paid towards housing anyway and put it towards your ILP program fee instead.
It looks a bit different depending on the best setup for the country you're going to — you might be in a house with 20 other volunteers a mile or so from the beach or in an on-campus style dorm room with a handful of ILP volunteers, but either way, housing for your entire semester abroad is covered in your program fee.
WiFi
WiFi is also included. Depending on where in the world you are, it may not be as fast or reliable as you're used to at home, but you'll be able to keep in contact with friends and family back home.
At Home Meals
Even your food is covered! Your program fee includes three meals a day that are provided by the host school where you're staying. Again, the logistical setup looks a bit different depending on what works best for your location. You may eat at the school for all three meals, half of your meals at the school and half at home with meals prepared by a local cook, or you may receive a spending stipend to buy groceries and cook at home. The meals are typically what the locals eat so that's another way to really dive into the culture.
At-home meals are covered for your entire semester, excluding vacation days (that way you can test out the pasta in Italy or chow down on gyros in Greece) and weekends adjacent to vacation days. Any snacks you want are also on you, which means fresh fruit on the streets in Thailand or fresh churros in Mexico. Yum.
We do have some advice for those traveling with allergies or food preferences that will be helpful to know if that's you!
Training
We hold a pre-departure training session in Utah. This training session is a one-day workshop full of training and preparation.
Come hang out, learn a ton, get tips from someone who's already volunteered in your location, and meet some of your group members before you head abroad. It's meant to be just an overview and help get you ready to live abroad (get ready for lots of insider tips and insights about what to pack and how to live in a different country). Oh and hey, there's free lunch and snacks, too.
Once you arrive in country, you'll want to access the training documents available to help you plan your lessons and work with your ILP group to help figure out teaching, living abroad, and handling all the next experiences that are coming your way.
What Isn't Covered?
We try to be as transparent as possible when it comes to our program and associated costs. This list isn't all-inclusive of things you might need for your trip, but these are the bigger items that we see most volunteers need to take care of.
Domestic Travel
Getting to and from your U.S. departure airport is not arranged or covered by ILP. We'll get your official international flight itinerary to you about 2-3 months before departure which will include your departure airport and departure time. As soon as you get this information, you'll want to start arranging your plan for getting to that airport to meet up with your group.
Passport
If you don't already have a passport, you'll need to order one. It's not required to have one by the time you're signing up though, so we recommend applying for your trip first and then we can help answer any questions you have about getting a passport.
International Health + Travel Insurance
It's also required that all volunteers have a specific type of international health and emergency evacuation insurance while they are abroad. We also recommend travel insurance as well, which would cover you for unexpected situations like the airline losing your bags or having to stay overnight at a hotel when your flight is delayed.
There are some specific requirements, so we'll email you more information after you're accepted as a volunteer and ready to get your plan. We just wanted to include this info now so that you can budget for it. Most volunteers budget somewhere in the range of $100-$250+ for a policy that will cover the entire ILP semester.
Baggage Fees
Your Program does include your international flight, but volunteers are required to pay baggage fees, if any.
In Country Spending
You are also responsible for the fun money you spend in-country. That includes costs for all vacations (flights, buses, hostels, shopping, souvenirs, and food — your program fee includes meals, but when you're on vacation or want to grab snacks after a day of teaching, that's on you).
How much you end up spending on vacations really varies and you have quite a bit of choice in the matter, too. It depends on which part of the world you're traveling to (things in Europe are going to cost more than things in Mexico), and how much you want to do! You're in control of how much you spend and you can customize the budget to what's realistic for you. Doing budget vacations (things like taking the bus instead of a taxi or staying at a hostel instead of a hotel) really helps to minimize the costs, but you and your ILP group get to make all of those vacation-related choices.
Vaccinations
Some countries require vaccinations for you to enter the country, so there may be associated costs (depending on your health insurance) if you choose to volunteer in one of those countries.
Teaching Supplies
Volunteers will bring supplies to use in their English classes. These are things like crafts, balls, games, etc. These items don't need to be new and we recommend that you aim to get these items donated so that it won't cost you a thing. Here's a blog post for more information on getting your supplies donated.
Getting to Pre-Departure Training in Utah
Like we mentioned, there will be a one day, required Pre-Departure training held in Provo, Utah. Volunteers are responsible for arranging their transportation to attend. It's a pretty big day that is jam-packed with information to help you get ready to go and it's an opportunity to meet your ILP group before you meet up with them at the airport on departure day.
We do have volunteers who are flying in for training from all across the U.S. and Canada, but if you can't make it, we do have an online option.
How Much Should I Budget For What Isn't Covered?
Volunteers typically recommend budgeting around $1,500-$3,500+ for the entire semester. Again, that's to cover things like vacations, shopping, insurance, etc.
And like we mentioned, it does also depend on which part of the world you're going to. In general, we've found that Europe is the most expensive as far as shopping, eating out, and traveling. If you're wondering which countries would be the easiest on your in-country spending budget, we'd recommend places like Mexico, Nicaragua, the Dominican Republic, and Thailand. You can check out all of our countries here though!
Learn More
Have more questions about what's covered, what isn't, how much to budget, or anything else ILP related? We'd love to chat with you! ILP representatives work at our office in Orem, Utah and they have volunteered before, so they have personal experience and tips they can share with you. We're here to help you figure out if this experience is right for you and how to make it happen, no matter what your budget is.
Just drop your number here and we'll text you as soon as we can, or call (801) 374-8854 to get a hold of us right away.
Have more questions about the financial side of things?
Click that button below to get in touch with an ILP representative. They can give you great ideas about fundraising for a semester abroad, let you know about discounts and more.
