PREPARING TO GO - SU Abroad - Syracuse University

2. Estimated for three meals a day, seven days a week, during the program period. It
assumes you will prepare most of your meals in your flat.
3. Includes personal travel expenses on weekends and during vacation periods; toiletries,
laundry, personal hygiene and other miscellaneous supplies, communication expenses,
and room and board during vacation periods.
4. Surcharge for students choosing to live in Syracuse University pre-arranged housing flats.
5. Surcharge for the optional Signature Seminar.
Banking
A Visa or MasterCard bank card with an international PIN (personal identification number) is
the best way to access money in London. Check with your bank to be sure your ATM card can
be used in foreign countries.
If the ATM card is also a checking account debit card linked to the international Visa or
MasterCard network, then you will get the best exchange rate and will not be charged interest.
Cash advances against a Visa or MasterCard credit card incur interest charges immediately. To
avoid high-interest charges on credit cards, prepay your account before going abroad so that you
are accessing your credit balance while abroad. Another advantage with the Visa or MasterCard
debit card is that family members can send students money during the semester by depositing
money in a US bank account accessible to you through ATMs.
There is usually a service charge for each ATM transaction. Check with your individual bank to
get information on the service fees. Note that Bank of America and the UK bank, Barclays, have
an agreement where US customers will not be charged an ATM fee. HSBC banks all over
London will not charge US customers fees.
Transferring funds
If parents or family members send you money during the semester, they can deposit money in a
US bank account accessible through ATMs, which are available throughout England and
Europe. They can also wire money from an American Express office in the United States to the
local American Express Bureau for pickup.
For complete advice on transferring money overseas, have your parents check with their bank
before you leave.
Credit cards
It is a good idea to have a credit card in your name. It is not essential, but can come in handy in
case of an emergency.
Visa and MasterCard are widely accepted all over Europe. Cash advances against a Visa or
MasterCard incur interest charges immediately (see Managing Finances and Banking on
previous page). American Express is not as widely accepted in local shops, but you have access
to the network of American Express offices located in just about every major city in Europe.
Preparing to Go: London – Fall 2012
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