The first question many faculty and education abroad offices ask when working with a provider is: how much will my program cost? Of course, this is an important question. Yet it s also a question that contains within it other questions and, when unpacked, can help you clarify your goals in choosing a provider.
There are many questions and issues to consider within the question of cost as you decide to work with a provider, or whether to work with a provider. Those of us who ve been in the education abroad field for many years have heard of (and experienced!) our share of disasters and emergencies gone bad when professionals were not involved in organizing and administering faculty-led programs. Oftentimes it s after a disaster occurs that leads us to using providers.
So, when someone asks, What will my program cost? what is it they re wanting to know?
Here are questions I believe are contained within the cost question:
- What services will you provide?
- What can you guarantee? What is out of your control?
- Are the needs of my students important to you? How do you show that?
- Do you understand the financial limitations of my students?
- What are the benefits of working with your organization? (i.e., What are we paying for?)
- What can you do that I or my office cannot?
Questions to ask yourself before you ask what does it cost?
- What is the benefit of working with a provider? of working with this specific provider?
- What do I need a provider to do that I or my office cannot provide?
- What risks will a provider mitigate?
- What risks am I willing to take (on behalf of my students) if I lead a program abroad without a provider?
- What do I anticipate the cost difference to be between organizing a program myself and working with a provider?
What other questions would you add?