Request for
Proposals RFP

FAQs

Things to Consider

Your program proposal must include a preliminary budget.  The budget worksheet includes all items that are part of the program cost.  A budget addendum must be attached to detail items on the worksheet.  Based on your preliminary budget, International Programs and Services (IPS) will work with you to finalize a viable budget for your program.  The program fee is based on faculty, student, program, and administrative expenses as follows: 

1. Tuition and Special Session Overhead
   
   Tuition for all faculty led programs is $250 per credit hour.
   
   Faculty-Led Programs are 100% self supported; salaries of the faculty and the Faculty-Led Program Advisor are paid through the tuition dollars generated by the program.
   
   Faculty salaries are based on the CSU Salary Schedule Class Code 2322, “Instructional Faculty – Special Programs”.  Consult this salary schedule to determine the rate per unit based on the number of students you plan to enroll.

2. Student Expenses
   
   Direct students expenses include housing, airfare, meals, health insurance, class materials, etc.  Additional expenses must be accounted for and itemized.
   
   Consult STA Travel (877-777-8717) or www.statravel.com  for an initial quote for airfare and international identification card expenses.  STA Travel can also arrange lodging in hostels or hotels at group rates.  You may also receive quotes from other travel agencies and through online resources.
   
   For calculating health insurance costs, consult with the university approved health plans at http://www.csuhealthlink.com/
   
   IPS uses a university authorized insurance company that will provide a reasonably priced monthly policy of approximately $40 per month per student or faculty.

3. Faculty Expenses
   
   Faculty expenses include housing, per diem, airfare (economy class ticket only), insurance, and incidentals.  Student-generated fees will pay for faculty expenses.
   
   Note:  You are expected to travel on the same flight and stay with the students throughout the entire course of the program.
   
   Programs that have more than 25 participants may require a faculty assistant.  Faculty assistants are SJSU employees or graduate assistants and are not compensated above the cost of travel, accommodations, and per diem expenses.  If a faculty assistant is required you must add this to the budget worksheet.

4. In Country Expenses
   
   These expenses include all costs incurred while in the country of the program including foreign guest lecturers, foreign institutional costs, ground travel, events, and excursions.
   
   To calculate your program expenses you will need to check the exchange rate of the country you are traveling to.  Currency converters can be found at http://fxtop.com/ and http://www.xe.com/ucc/
   
   Based on the exchange rate, enter your expenses in US dollars for foreign lectures, foreign institutional costs, ground travel, event, and excursions. As exchange rates fluctuate, you will need to revise your budget to reflect these changes before you depart.
   
   When using overseas agencies to make excursion arrangements, provide as much information as possible about the types of expenses and the specific expenses for these services.

5. Administrative Expenses
   
   Administrative expenses will cover everything you need to prepare for your program including marketing costs, photocopying, postage, international phone calls and faxes, supplies, etc.  We recommend that you keep your marketing expenses to a minimum.  The Study Abroad office has templates for making brochures.  We will also post information about your program on a website dedicated to Faculty-Led Programs.

6. Total Program Expenses
   
   Based on the student, faculty, in country, and administrative expenses, the total program expenses will be calculated automatically at the bottom of the worksheet.

7. Total Program Cost Per Student
   
   The final category on the worksheet shows the per student cost of your program including:

• Tuition:  This is automatically transferred from the top of the worksheet based on $250 per credit hour.
• Program Management fee:  This is a set $200 per student fee to cover administrative overhead for the IPS and Study Abroad Offices.
• Expenses:  This is automatically calculated based on the total program expenses divided by the total number of students you anticipate to enroll.
  
  Strategies to lower to costs per student are as follows:

• Enroll more students.
• Offer fewer courses, thus paying fewer honoraria for foreign lecturers.
• Eliminate foreign faculty and guest lecturers and have the faculty leader do all of the instruction.
• If the program will take place in a country with a lower cost of living and you will not need the normal per diem, charge the students a lower per diem amount.
• Reduce or eliminate excursions.
• Work with a partner/host institution to see if they can house the group on their campus for free.
• Stay in youth hostels instead of hotels.
• Work with a travel agency that will offer one free airline ticket for groups of 15 or more.
• Find more cost effective alternatives for marketing the program.
• See if your college or department will provide scholarships.
• Start fundraising!

8. Tracking Expenses and Reconciliation
   
   You will need to document every expense so that the program’s accounts can be reconciled upon return.  Create an expense journal and keep all receipts.  Upon return, faculty will work directly with IES Finance to reconcile expense in association with SJSU Procurement Services policies and guidelines.

IES and IPS are not responsible for program deficits arising from over expenditures.

Contact us at the Study Abroad Office, Clark Hall, Room 543 Tel  (408) 924-5931 Fax (408) 924-5976
or send us an email