MAYMESTER MONEY MATTERS

Program Cost: 
The basic price of the Science Maymester in Cortona is $4,600. Students who are not residents of Georgia or do not attend a University System of Georgia University or College pay an additional $250 unless they attend an SEC school. Several $2,000 scholarships, based on need and merit, are available with minimal duties associated.  Georgia residents who are eligible for HOPE have access to HOPE Scholarship funds towards the cost of 7 credit hours. Should you require additional material, please contact us by e-mail at cortona@uga.edu or by phone at 706-542-7120. The cost of the program paid by the student before departure includes most basic needs from the time the program begins in Italy until the official end.  Included in that cost are:

• Charter bus transportation on all planned field trips
• Charter bus transportation from Rome to Cortona at the beginning of the program, and from Cortona to Rome at the end
• All entry fees for required museums
• Shared hotel accommodations when traveling and dorm in Cortona
• Breakfast and dinner while traveling with the program group
• Dinner 5 days a week while in Cortona (Monday – Friday)
• Breakfast 7 days a week while in Cortona
• Tuition: 7 hours of credit for the Science Maymester
• Program t-shirt

"How Much Money Do I Need To Take With Me?"
Individual expenses vary greatly from student to student, depending on personal habits, needs, tastes, variety of items acquired like clothing and souvenirs, and most importantly, the extent of additional travel planned at the beginning and/or end of the Program. As a guideline to decide how much additional money you may need to cover expenses not provided by the program, which the student must be prepared to handle, we offer the following estimates:

• Airfare ($800 - $1300)
• All of your lunches (25 @ $5-10 each)  $125 - $250
• Weekend dinners (5 @ $15 each) $75
• Local transportation within some of the locations we visit (i.e. public buses, subways, taxis, etc.)  $50
• E-mail and telephone expenses  
• Any independent travel you may choose to do on your own 
• Any personal items you may purchase (gelato, cappuccino, espresso, etc.)
  
  Estimated Additional Necessary Finances:  $1,050 - $1.675 (excluding personal purchases and independent travel)

Currency & Banking:
It is recommended to bring small denominations of Euros with you for use immediately upon arrival. It is difficult to cash traveler's checks, particularly in Rome. Be sure to check the currency exchange rate from US dollars to Euros before you leave the US because everything you buy in Italy will be in Euros.

Credit cards with check-cashing privileges and ATM cards are the best way to obtain money when needed. You are allowed to withdraw the equivalent of up to $250.00 per day. You might consider pre-arranging for parents or relatives to deposit money in your ATM checking account in the US as you need it so you can easily access the money from Cortona.
Before leaving the US, make sure that your ATM will work in Europe. Also advise both bank and credit card company the dates you’ll be abroad. Some banks will suspend a card’s use if irregular transactions are detected.

Ask your credit card company about international transaction fees. Some offer considerably lower rates than others. It pays to shop around. Bankrate.com has a good credit card comparison chart.
When you have your bank and credit company on the phone, ask them if they have a number in Italy for lost cards. Record that number in a safe place. Avoid DCC, Dynamic Currency Conversions. Some merchants will charge you for converting your purchase into dollars. You have the right to decline this service. If your receipt is rung up in dollars, politely ask that it be done again in Euros. This could save you up to 6% on your purchase.

Know your pin code by numbers. Not all ATM keypads have letters.

It is not recommended that you bring the entire amount of money you expect to spend in cash. You will not need a large amount of money with you when you arrive in Rome or Cortona if you have an ATM or credit card. If you want to bring the entire amount of money you will need for the Maymester, bring it in the form of traveler's checks. Be sure to keep a list of your traveler's check numbers in a secure place separate from the checks themselves in case they are lost or stolen.

It is recommended that you take a small amount of US cash with you when you travel to Italy and exchange it in the airport or train station as soon as you arrive. You can also exchange dollars to Euros in Athens or at the Atlanta airport before you leave the US. After you arrive in Rome or Cortona, we suggest you cash travelers checks as needed weekly at the local bank or use your ATM to obtain cash from automated tellers.

Credit cards (American Express, Visa and Mastercard) are honored in most places throughout Europe. They are not a substitute for cash, but using them gives you the advantage of the best exchange rate when you are billed by the credit card company. It is highly recommended that you bring a credit card in your name, signed on the back to be used in case of emergencies.
Exchange rates at banks are generally better than exchange rates at a cambio. Also, a cambio in a train or airport will usually have a lower rate than one in a more business-oriented district. Frequently hotels will exchange money or traveler's checks, but the rate is much less favorable than at a bank.

When cashing traveler's checks it is required to have your passport. The exchange procedure can take up to half an hour, so it is a good idea to cash enough traveler's checks to last you for about a week at a time.