Drake programs, which are typically faculty-led programs, are held during J-term and summer, and tend to be the lowest cost options in the study abroad portfolio. While they are the lowest cost options, they may also be considered an additional expense to the cost of attendance for the academic year. Drake J-term and summer international programs bill students directly for the cost of travel, but not for tuition, since the cost of tuition is included as part of Drake’s spring semester tuition (for students enrolled full-time for the spring term). Students pay the program deposits and program fees through their Drake Student Accounts (online or in-person at the Student Accounts office). Instructions are emailed to students when they are accepted into the program regarding payment amounts, methods, and deadlines.
Students who participate in J-term or summer Drake-led programs are sent billing costs, schedules, and procedures in their acceptance message. Drake Program bills can be paid using your usual payment method to Drake University, through Drake’s Student Accounts office. Here is an explanation of payment methods for J-term or summer Drake-led programs:
To make a payment online, log into my.by-fm.com Student Account portal, and follow these instructions:
- Go to the “Student Account & Financial Aid” dropdown menu
- Click “Make a Payment”
- Click the “Deposits” tab near the top of the screen
- On the “Select a term” dropdown, choose Spring 2025
- On the “Select a deposit” dropdown, choose the J-term 2025 Trip Deposit option
- Enter the amount you plan to pay (e.g., the $500 deposit or a partial/full program balance payment)
- Select your payment method:
- Electronic check
- Debit card (2.85% fee)
- Credit card (2.85% fee)
- Saved payment methods
You can also mail a check to Drake University. If you mail a check, please include the student's ID number in the memo line, and include some language like, "J-term Travel" so we can credit the correct student account, and apply it to the correct term. Checks should be mailed to:
Drake University
Cashier Office, 104 Carnegie Hall
2507 University Ave
Des Moines, IA 50311
Students who apply to J-term or summer Affiliate or Exchange programs are billed by the Affiliate or Exchange partner. Students will pay the partner directly, and will need to follow their payment deadlines and methods. The exception is that students who participate in an Affiliate program will also be assessed a short-term affiliate international programs fee of $300.
Tuition
For semester programs, students are billed Drake University tuition, so the cost of tuition is the same whether the student is in Des Moines or abroad. Students are able to apply their financial aid packages to approved study abroad programs.
Non-Tuition Fees
While a student's tuition is the same when abroad, the non-tuition fees, like housing and international health insurance coverage, are billed at the rate of the university or program abroad. This means that depending on the city abroad, the housing can be more or less expensive than Des Moines. The university abroad will let us know the cost of the non-tuition fees (like housing, international health insurance, and on-site programming fees). We will add this invoiced amount to the student’s Drake Account.
Study Abroad Fee
Students who participate in an Affiliate program (such as AIFS, API, ASE, CIEE, IES, IFSA, ISA, SFS, SIT, and TEAN) are required to pay an education abroad fee when they "Commit" to the program in the application portal (this occurs after applying, and after being "Accepted" to the education abroad program). For semester programs, the fee is $500.
Payments
The student will pay their Drake tuition, host institution's non-tuition fees, and the semester affiliate international programs fee of $500 through Drake’s Student Accounts office with your usual payment method(s).
Timeline
Students who participate in semester programs abroad are billed according to Drake’s typical billing cycle. The student's billable expenses are due the first day of Drake’s semester.