botswana - Council on International Educational Exchange
botswana - Council on International Educational Exchange
botswana - Council on International Educational Exchange
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it provides, and note items that are excluded<br />
from coverage.<br />
The Sickness Insurance is designed as an<br />
additi<strong>on</strong>al or top-up policy <strong>on</strong>ly, and does not<br />
cover liability. It also does not include routine<br />
physical, dental examinati<strong>on</strong>s, preventive<br />
medicine, or psychological treatments. Students<br />
are not covered for injuries resulting from acts of<br />
war or other political unrest such as riots and<br />
dem<strong>on</strong>strati<strong>on</strong>s.<br />
Please note that CIEE does not cover medical<br />
expenses <strong>on</strong>-site. Students pay for any medical<br />
costs incurred and then file a claim directly with<br />
the insurance company for reimbursement.<br />
CIEE does not act as an intermediary between<br />
participants and the insurance company.<br />
Primary Insurance Plan Brokers<br />
If you do not have a primary insurance plan, you<br />
may wish to enroll in <strong>on</strong>e. The following brokers<br />
have individual insurance plans available:<br />
HTH Worldwide<br />
www.hthworldwide.com<br />
Tel: 877-424-4325<br />
Wallach & Company, Inc.<br />
www.Wallach.com<br />
Tel: 800-237-6615<br />
PERSONAL FINANCES<br />
Cost of Living<br />
The exchange rate is not c<strong>on</strong>stant. The New<br />
York Times and similar publicati<strong>on</strong>s publish<br />
exchange rates daily. You may also reference<br />
www.x-rates.com or www.oanda.com for up-tothe-minute<br />
exchange rates. You should keep<br />
abreast of how a rate fluctuates leading up to<br />
departure.<br />
What costs are covered by my CIEE fee?<br />
The CIEE fees include tuiti<strong>on</strong>, housing, opti<strong>on</strong>al<br />
<strong>on</strong>-site airport meet and greet, orientati<strong>on</strong>,<br />
cultural activities, field trips, a <strong>on</strong>e-week village<br />
stay, pre-departure advising, and a CIEE iNext<br />
travel card, which includes insurance and other<br />
travel benefits.<br />
What expenses should I budget for?<br />
CIEE does not cover local transportati<strong>on</strong> to and<br />
from your university classes, nor does it cover<br />
meals, the cost of textbooks, any visa fees<br />
associated with independent travel, or the exit<br />
tax you must pay at the airport up<strong>on</strong> departure.<br />
You should check with the airlines because<br />
normally the price of the departure tax is<br />
included in the fee of the ticket. You will also<br />
need m<strong>on</strong>ey for entertainment, toiletries,<br />
cosmetics, gifts, school supplies, and large<br />
purchases of any kind.<br />
Tip: Passport and credit card numbers<br />
Remember, to leave a copy of your passport and a list of<br />
credit card numbers at home.<br />
Besides inflati<strong>on</strong> and currency exchange,<br />
another variable that will affect your spending<br />
abroad is your individual taste requirements.<br />
When creating a budget, it may be helpful to<br />
c<strong>on</strong>sider how much you normally spend in a<br />
semester and inflate it a bit. Although the cost of<br />
living for a student in Botswana is comparable to<br />
that of a student in the United States, the added<br />
cost of independent travel al<strong>on</strong>g with the<br />
impulse to splurge makes careful budgeting<br />
imperative. Former students have saved<br />
c<strong>on</strong>siderably through limiting vacati<strong>on</strong> travel to<br />
the general area around Gabor<strong>on</strong>e. We suggest<br />
you take extra m<strong>on</strong>ey, if possible, for<br />
unforeseeable expenses.<br />
A complete list of Estimated Additi<strong>on</strong>al Costs is<br />
located <strong>on</strong> CIEE’s website:<br />
http://www.ciee.org/study/programOverview.asp<br />
x?pID=1784#6costs. Please note that students<br />
<strong>on</strong> the academic year program should budget an<br />
additi<strong>on</strong>al $700 for the break between<br />
semesters, which covers the estimated cost of<br />
housing and meals.<br />
Participants say...<br />
Budgeting depends <strong>on</strong> the individual, especially if you plan<br />
to travel a lot.<br />
Financial Arrangements<br />
You will need to make arrangements regarding<br />
traveler's checks, pers<strong>on</strong>al checks, credit cards,<br />
and bank cards before leaving home. See the<br />
secti<strong>on</strong> M<strong>on</strong>ey and Banking in Part III for details.<br />
Tip: Forget "Hey Mom, send m<strong>on</strong>ey"<br />
It is important that you make arrangements to receive<br />
enough m<strong>on</strong>ey to cover your pers<strong>on</strong>al expenses for the time<br />
you are in Botswana prior to your departure from the United<br />
States.<br />
PACKING AND BAGGAGE<br />
Try to organize and pack a day or two prior to<br />
departure so that you can judge if you'll be able<br />
to carry your bags (you must be able to do this).<br />
Some students have even practiced by carrying<br />
their bags around the block! Also, by packing<br />
early you'll have time to rest before the l<strong>on</strong>g trip.<br />
C<strong>on</strong>sider using a backpack or duffel bag,<br />
especially if you are planning to travel <strong>on</strong> your<br />
own after the program; suitcases can be quite<br />
heavy even when empty. A knapsack or flight<br />
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