What classes are offered in Florence?
- ITAL-1000 Beginning Italian I – 4 credit hours, fulfills Foreign Language requirement.
- ITAL-1020 Beginning Italian II– 4 hrs, fulfills Foreign Language.
- ITAL-3000 Europe in the Middle Ages – 3 hrs, fulfills Aesthetic Experience or Historical Perspective, Western Perspective, and Global Perspective.
- GNST-3000 International Study Reflection and Practicum – 1 hour, General Education.
- In addition to the classes above, a Benedictine College faculty member travels with the students to Italy as program faculty leader and teaches a class.
- Total credit hours: 15
When should I apply?
At the beginning of the semester prior to the one you want to go. You have to pay the $750 deposit at the Business Office by the application deadline (February 28 when you apply for the fall, and September 30 when you apply for the spring).
How do I apply?
A link to the online application form is available at www.benedictine.edu/florence. Applications are accepted starting from the first day of school in the semester before the one you plan to go. In addition to completing and submitting the online form you have to pay $750 application fee.
How do I pay the $750 application fee?
You can pay the fee online from your student billing account. Click Deposits on the ribbon bar, select the term – you have to select the term you are in, not the term you are applying for. You can also pay with a check at the Business Office.
When will I know if I have been accepted into the program?
Students are notified if they are accepted within two weeks after the deadline, and anyway before registration starts.
How many people are accepted into the program every semester?
The maximum capacity is currently 50 students.
What are the selection criteria if there are more than 50 applications?
Selection criteria include seniority in college, majors that require study abroad or have restrictions on the semester when students can go abroad, GPA. As long as students apply and pay within the deadline, the order of application is not a selection factor. Students who are in the 50 students list are put in a waiting list.
Who is eligible to apply?
All students in good academic and student life standing can apply. Students on probation of any kind may not study abroad. Students who have been on probation must maintain good standing for a semester before being eligible to apply for study abroad. Freshmen and transfers are eligible to go to Florence after they spend a semester on the main campus in Atchison.
Will I get the deposit back if I am not accepted? What about if I withdraw after being accepted?
You will get the $750 back if you are not accepted. If you withdraw after you have been accepted in the program, you will get the refund only if your spot is filled by another student from the waiting list. If this doesn’t happen, the college will consider the possibility of refunding all or part of the deposit if the withdrawal is due to serious reasons that are beyond the student’s control. You can also choose to roll the payment over to the next semester in case you intend to apply again. Withdrawal after December 15 for the spring or June 15 for the fall implies a committed expense of 1,500 euros, a non-refundable fee, in addition to study abroad and travel deposits and fees.
What is the cost to attend the program?
Check the program cost list on the Florence program web page.
What is the $2,000 (fall)/$3,000 (spring) fee on?
The Administrative Study Abroad Fee covers costs that the college sustains to run the program, including higher housing cost, faculty travel, faculty and staff room and board, etc.
What is the room and board cost for the Florence program?
Check the cost section on the Florence program web page.
Is there a typical/average budget that most students can use for personal expenses and non-covered meals while on the trip?
Personal budget depends on personal spending habits and travel plans. Students in previous semesters have indicated that their budget ranged between $1,500 to $6,000.
Are there additional medical insurance and other insurances that need to be purchased? If so, what are they and the approximate cost for the premiums?
You will be enrolled in iNext Platinum Insurance, a supplemental travel medical insurance which covers all travel needs, including emergency medical expenses, evacuation and repatriation, baggage delay, document replacement; it does not cover trip cancellation and interruption, nor security evacuation. You can add optional benefits for a cost when you complete your enrollment.
Will we have information meetings before we leave?
Students accepted into the program will have to attend three orientation meetings. They will also be provided with a detailed handbook.
Do students travel together for Italy? Does Benedictine make their flight arrangements? Do they leave from Kansas City?
The College does not make flight arrangements for the students. Students fly to Italy on their own, leaving from the airport that is more convenient to them. Often students join together and travel in small groups; some of them decide to visit other countries before getting to the program location by the start of the semester. Information on how to get to destination will be given during orientation.
When should I buy the plane ticket?
After the first orientation meeting, where you will be given all the information you need to buy your plane ticket.
How do most students pay for personal expenses while on the trip? Do they use debit or credit cards or other methods?
Students can withdraw cash from ATMs with their debit card and also use their credit card for purchases. Full information will be given during orientation.
The program is shorter than a typical semester on campus. Do the students stay on campus in Atchison before and/or after the trip?
Students leave from and return to their home. No need to go to Atchison for that semester.
My parents are planning on visiting me in Italy during the program. Are there things they should consider when making their travel plans?
The best period to visit is during breaks or weekends or after the program ends. We don’t encourage visiting while students have class and school commitments. Benedictine College does not allow family members and friends of students participating in the Semester in Italy to stay at Villa Morghen during the program, except for Spring/Fall break.
How long can I stay in Europe? Can I apply for a visa to stay longer
The program is 78 days long; being less than 90 days, students do not need to apply for a visa. Students can travel in continental Europe (the so-called Schengen area) for up to 90 days but are not allowed to overstay. There is no visa that they can apply to for just staying longer, unless they are engaged in a specific activity (e.g., work, training) with a sponsoring entity based in Europe. A common way to extend the time spent in Europe is to visit countries outside the Schengen area, for example, Ireland or the UK, which do not count for the 90 days in continental Europe.