We thank you for over 40 years of experiences.
We thank you for over 40 years of experiences.
HOW DO I APPLY?
Initial applications will only be accepted and considered completed when they are submitted with the following materials:
WHAT ADDITIONAL MATERIALS ARE REQUIRED AFTER I APPLY?
HOW DO I GET FROM THE AIRPORT TO MY HOST FAMILY/RESIDENCE HALL?
MADRID, SPAIN
MLSA representatives will be at the Madrid Airport (MAD). Transportation from the airport in Madrid to the residences will be provided by MLSA buses for students arriving during the established arrival date and times scheduled. Students need to arrive at the airport no later than 12:00 pm; those arriving later than 12:00 pm must take a taxi to the residence. Students with homestays will be picked up by their families at the airport. About two weeks prior to departure, students will be informed by e-mail about the specific times, places, and sites at the airport to pick up the buses to the residences in Madrid.
SAN JOSE, COSTA RICA
An MLSA representative will be at the Juan Santamaria Airport (SJO) to greet you. MLSA buses will pick up students at specific times to take them to our MLSA Center (student will be informed of the specific place as the program gets closer) for families to take them home. For this service, students need to arrive at the airport no later than 12:00 pm. Those arriving later than 12:00 pm must take a taxi from the airport directly to their families. The taxi counter is just after you leave the baggage claim area but before you leave the airport (there will be a neon sign). Just give the address to the taxi driver at the counter and he will take you to your family for a fixed price (around $30). About two weeks prior to departure, students will be informed by e-mail about the specific times, places, and sites at the airport for pick up and how to arrange transportation on their own if need be.
FLORENCE, ITALY
In Florence, an MLSA representative will be at the Amerigo Vespucci Airport (FLR) to greet you. MLSA buses will pick up students at specific times to take them to the Centro di Cultura per Stranieri, Via Francesco Valori, 9, where information and directions for the shared apartments will be given to you. You must arrive at the airport by 7:00 pm at the latest. If you are arriving past 7:00 pm, you must take a taxi to the assigned residence and notify our office of your arrival time, so that the landlord will be there to hand over your keys. The fixed price for a cab from the airport to downtown is 20 euros.
LYON, FRANCE
In Paris (then to Lyon), an MLSA representative will be at the airport to greet you. Please note, students are responsible for their own transportation to the airport on the day of return to the United States. Arrival services are exclusively for MLSA students—no exceptions.
DO I NEED TO BY MY OWN AIRLINE TICKET? CAN MLSA PURCHASE THE AIRLINE TICKETS FOR MY GROUP?
Students are responsible to purchase their own international air tickets, unless you travel with a specific sponsoring university or school group. Before purchasing the airline tickets, contact the MLSA office for travel support; they may be able to help you with valuable information about prices and airlines. MLSA can make air transportation arrangements for groups, but MLSA will only make travel arrangements for specific groups (not individuals) upon request.
WHEN SHOULD I ARRIVE?
Students need to arrive at their housing arrangements in Madrid, San Jose, or Florence on the specific date before the classes start, not before—no exceptions. Residences in Madrid house Spanish students. Families in Costa Rica may have another student in the house. Apartments in Florence and Lyon have a specific move-in date and must be vacated by 7:00 pm on the day after classes end. If you arrive before the designated date, you have to stay in a hotel or make other arrangements. You are responsible for your living arrangements before and after the established dates of the program. Please be sure to send our office flight information: name of the airline, flight number, and time of arrival 35 days before departure.
WHAT IS MLSA'S CANCELLATION POLICY?
Cancellation from the program must be done in writing to MLSA, P. O. Box 548, Frankfort, IL 60423. Verbal cancellations will not be honored. The postmark of the U.S. Postal Service will be the effective determining date for all cancellations. The student agrees to accept the terms of the Refund Policy as outlined in the application and specified here. The $100 registration is non-refundable. If a participant withdraws more than 60 days before leaving, amount withheld is $400, anything after that will be refunded. If he/she withdraws 59 to 30 days prior to departure, amount withheld is $900, anything after that will be refunded. If 29 days or less prior to departure, amount withheld is $1,500, anything after that will be refunded less the $100 non-refundable registration fee. NO REFUNDS WILL BE MADE UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES OR ANY REASON for tuition, unused accommodations, meals, land transportation, hotels or other activities once the trip has begun. No reduction or refunds will be made for services not used by the student and no substitutions will be allowed for services not used. Services cannot be transferred to another person. We recommend the purchase of trip cancellation insurance.
WILL THE PROGRAM FEES CHANGE?
The program fees are based on rates in effect at the time of printing this brochure and are subject to change, without notice, due to possible increases in the cost, devaluation of currencies, or other reasons not under the control of the university. The prices will be guaranteed if complete payment of all program fees is made by February 15 (summer programs) and October 1 (winter program).
WHEN IS THE DEADLINE TO APPLY?
SUMMER PROGRAMS
WINTER PROGRAMS
SEMESTER PROGRAMS
FACULTY-LED PROGRAMS
DO YOU HAVE ANY TIPS FOR PACKING?
A good rule of thumb is to make a packing list and then lay everything out you want to bring with you. Once that's done, get rid of half of it and bring twice the money. You'll definitely want to buy souvenirs/go shopping and the less you have to carry, the happier you will be. Before departure, you will get a list of suggested items to pack.
SHOULD I BRING A CREDIT CARD? ARE THERE ATM'S?
We suggest you take with you some of the more universally well-known credit cards. Visa or MasterCard are the most commonly accepted in Costa Rica and Europe. There are ATM machines everywhere in Spain, Costa Rica, and Italy. You may wish to bring some dollars and travelers checks as well.
WHICH OPTIONAL EXCURSIONS ARE OFFERED AS PART OF THE TRIP?
SPAIN (FACULTY-LED & COMPLUTENSE PROGRAMS)
MLSA will sponsor optional faculty-led academic excursions to cities & places important for their history, customs, art, architecture or national beauty: Toledo, Segovia, Avila, El Escorial. There will also be offered a 3-day excursion to Burgos/ Pamplona/San Sebastian/Biarritz (France) AVAILABLE TO STUDENTS ON ALL PROGRAMS. Transportation and seats are limited on a first-come, first-served basis. Some specialized faculty led programs will have some excursions included in the program fee. Please check the email we send out after acceptance as well as the respective web pages for further details.
SPAIN (NEBRIJA PROGRAMS)
Information on specific excursions will be given by the teachers in the classroom a few days before each excursion takes place, and interested students may sign up in advance and pay at the office at the university. Each excursion includes transportation and faculty tour guide teachers who will usually accompany the groups. Sometimes students will pay a relatively minor entrance fee with their student ID card if the excursions include visits to museum, monuments, etc.
FLORENCE
Optional excursions to Venezia, Roma, Siena, and Tuscania will be offered on two Saturdays. Once in Florence, students will need to reserve their places before going.
COSTA RICA
A cruise to the Tortuga Island and an excursion to La Paz Waterfalls are offered by MLSA. These optional trips provide an opportunity to see the natural beauty of the Costa Rican country and round out the experiences in the city of San Jose. An on-site director/tour guide will offer advice and suggestions for weekend excursions. In addition, a reliable travel agent will be on hand to offer weekend trips for interested students; these are optional, non-MLSA sponsored trips.
FRANCE
A guided excursion to Paris, visit to Avignon Festival, themed visits of Lyon and Discover Lyon are included. Optional excursions to Annecy (near the Alps) or Marseille are available. Transportation and seats FOR ALL EXCURSIONS are limited on a first-come, first-served basis. Check on deadlines for specific excursions.
WILL I BE STAYING IN A HOST FAMILY OR IN A RESIDENCE HALL? CAN I CHANGE HOUSING DURING THE PROGRAM?
SPAIN
Participants stay in the residence halls or Colegio Mayores on the Universidad Complutense de Madrid campus. Homestays are available upon request and on a limited basis. Since limited families are available, requests for homestays cannot be guaranteed. Students should make the request for homestays on their initial application. Students must vacate the university residences in Madrid before 2:00 pm the day after the last day of classes or closing ceremony. Students hosted by families in Madrid must depart before 7:00 pm the day after the last day of classes or the day after the closing ceremony.
ALL OTHER PROGRAMS
Participants stay with host families or in apartments. All families are screened and evaluated every year by the students and the director of families in our office in Costa Rica. All families go through orientation to inform them about their responsibilities. All students must complete a Housing & Medical form where they list preference, medical conditions, dietary restrictions, and special needs. The medical disclosure section is optional, though it is highly recommended that the students answer honestly ALL of the questions. The information that they provide will not disqualify them from participating in the program. The director of families will make all efforts to accommodate individual needs and preferences, but MLSA cannot guarantee to fulfill them all. Students need to arrive to the housing assigned (families, residences, apartments) on the specific day and time before classes start—NO EXCEPTIONS WILL BE MADE UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES. Students hosted by families in Costa Rica, and the students hosted in apartments in Florence and Lyon must depart before 7:00 pm the day after the last day of classes or the day after the closing ceremony.
As a rule, no changes in the assigned housing are permitted, once the housing has been established, approved, and confirmed. Only in some cases and special circumstances will changes be allowed. Once housing assignment has been approved and confirmed, and money has been paid to secure it, a penalty will be established for breaking the agreement, in addition to any other fees originated by a change. Changes would include: from family to apartment, apartment to family, from one apartment to a different one, from one residence to another, or by leaving housing assigned by the MLSA office. Students agree to respect and abide by all the specific policies, rules, regulations, instructions, written or unwritten, imposed to every resident living in the premises; a signed release and agreement form will be required of all participants.No housing arrangements will be made for participants bringing children with them—NO EXCEPTIONS.
DO I NEED ANY SHOTS OR VACCINATIONS?
Travelers should be up to date on routine vaccinations; however, many vaccinations are not required for entry into Europe and Costa Rica. Most participants are already up to date with the vaccinations because of the requirements of your home university. We recommend you visit the Center for Disease Control and Prevention's website as well as the Department of State's website for country specific information on suggested vaccinations and current travel information about events going on in the country to which you are traveling. Please check with your family doctor for advice on which vaccinations he or she would suggest, since some of the routine vaccinations may not apply to you based on your personal health needs. Non-US citizens should also check with your home consulate.
DO I NEED HEALTH OR TRAVEL INSURANCE?
All participants in the program are required to have medical insurance. Additional insurance can be obtained to protect participants against cancellations and loss or damaged baggage. Travel insurance will protect you if you are forced to make any changes or cancellations to your trip as well as if you lose your luggage or have any emergencies while abroad. Most airlines will offer insurance as an add on before you book your flight that will protect you if you have to make any cancellations or changes to your flight details. A good place to look at for inexpensive travel insurance is STA Travel. They are partnered with ISIC which offers travel insurance for teachers, students, and youth travelers at inexpensive prices. They will also provide you with a student ID card that can be used for student discounts all over the world!
HOW DO I OBTAIN MEDICAL CARE ABROAD? WHAT IF I HAVE AN EMERGENCY WHILE I'M ABROAD?
MLSA staff will help students with emergencies, medical visits to doctors or hospitals, academic problems, cultural shock concerns, etc. MLSA in Madrid provides the services of our private doctor for the organization - for around 50 euros per visit, he/she will see our students daily on short notice from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. There are also hospitals near the residence hall for emergencies. In Costa Rica, MLSA will help with medical emergencies and immediate care - you must present a major credit card at Costa Rican hospitals. In Italy, the MLSA office will help with medical needs.
CAN I APPLY LATE? WHAT ABOUT LATE PAYMENTS?
We welcome students up until the very last minute, provided we have space and we can make arrangements for them to join the program after the deadline. Contact the MLSA office before sending your application. Applications received are accepted on a rolling basis until the program is filled. However, due to the extra administrative work, a service charge of $200 per person will be assessed to students joining the program after the deadline or to participants who fall behind in their payment schedule. Students enrolling after the deadline must send full payment for the program (including any fees for the optional excursions they wish to participate in) with the applications, plus the $200 late fee.
CAN I RECEIVE MAIL WHILE I'M ABROAD?
Students can receive mail from their parents, relatives, and friends, but please know that it will take a 7 - 10 business days to reach them. This is a very important thing to remember during the final two weeks.
WILL THERE BE MLSA STAFF ON-SITE?
MLSA has offices on the campuses of the Universidad Complutense de Madrid, the Universidad Antonio de Nebrija, the Universidad de Costa Rica, and the Universita di Firenze in the academic buildings where students can receive help for academic or non-academic concerns. Students will have access to the MLSA personnel 24 hours a day.
WILL THERE BE AN ORIENTATION WHEN I ARRIVE?
Before departure, the MLSA office will assist students with information related to academics, course selection, transfer of credits, and travel issues. Once in Spain, Costa Rica, Lyon and Florence, the MLSA staff will have on-site orientation and introduce participants to the city, university campus facilities and offices. They will also assist with cultural shock, personal safety, health issues, and living arrangements to ensure students make a smooth transition. Attendance at these orientations is required. You will receive a folder with information about family, residences, student ID, and other important materials.
DO I NEED A PASSPORT? WHAT IF MY PASSPORT IS EXPIRING SOON?
Students are responsible for obtaining their own passports. To obtain a passport, you can apply at the nearest central post office in your town or online. Information on how to apply as well as all of the required documentation and fees can be found on the US Department of State's travel website at https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/apply-renew-passport/how-to-apply.html
We urge students to apply for the passport as soon as they are accepted in to the program to avoid delays. It may take from three to eight weeks (sometimes more if it is a busy time of year). It is the student’s responsibility to have all travel documentation and no money will be refunded for lack of documentation needed.We advise participants to make two extra passport photos and three copies of the inside first information page of the passport. With these extra documents, a quick replacement is easier to obtain if you should happen to lose your passport or it is stolen, preventing a delay in your trip and other serious problems. Check the expiration date on your passport carefully before traveling to Europe. Entry into any of the 26 European countries in the Schengen area for short-term tourism, a business trip, or in transit to a non-Schengen destination, requires that your passport be valid for at least three months beyond your intended date of departure. If your passport does not meet the Schengen requirements, you may be refused boarding by the airline at your point of origin or while transferring planes. You could also be denied entry when you arrive in the Schengen area. For this reason, we recommend that your passport have at least six months’ validity remaining whenever you travel abroad.
HOW DO I MAKE MY PAYMENTS TO MLSA?
Payments can be made by check, cashier’s check, or money order to MLSA. We do also have a PayPal option - however, please be aware that PayPal will charge a fee of 6% that the applicant is required to pay. If applicant is not accepted, the deposit will be returned; if applicant is accepted and later withdraws from the program, the registration fee will not be refunded. CREDIT CARDS ARE NOT ACCEPTED. A $50 fee will be charged if a check is not accepted by the bank. Students register for summer/winter semester and pay for summer/winter tuition, not per credit.
HOW CAN I RECEIVE PHONE CALLS ABROAD?
Check with your cell phone provider for the options available to you to be able to use your cell phone abroad. If you would prefer a European phone while abroad, there are several options available for pay as you go phones once you arrive in Europe or Costa Rica. There are also many companies that offer pay as you go SIM cards that can be ordered and sent to your home address before departure that can be used in unlocked phones - a good one is the UK based giffgaff which offers affordable rates for your month or semester abroad. If you are planning on travelling to multiple European countries before, during, or after your program, keep in mind that European SIM cards will work in anywhere in Europe for no extra cost, just like if you were travel between states in the US.
DO I HAVE TO TAKE A PLACEMENT TEST?
At the beginning of the program a placement test will be given to ensure that each student is placed in the level and group most suited to his/her needs and knowledge of the language. In some instances, and special circumstances, the placement test will be given in advance in the United States, before traveling to Spain or Costa Rica. No placement test will be given to students in the graduate program. If a student is placed in the wrong level, he/she can change to a lower or higher level the first two days. It is not allowed to attend classes of different levels or to change sections within the same level without going through the add/drop procedure. The day following the placement test, students will find the results posted on the bulletin board at the universities’ classroom buildings with their name, level placed in, teacher’s name, and classroom number for the first class.
HOW MUCH SPENDING MONEY SHOULD I BRING WITH ME? SHOULD I BRING CASH?
We recommend a minimum of $150-200 per week for spending money. Basic costs are kept at a minimum and the only additional money would be for incidentals: refreshments, postage, shopping, daily public transportation, optional tours, weekend travel, souvenirs, (lunch in Costa Rica). Meals in Florence and Lyon are not included but apartments have complete kitchens. A good rule of thumb is to bring twice as much money as you think you will need.
WHAT RULES AM I EXPECTED TO FOLLOW? WHY DO I HAVE TO SIGN THE BEHAVIOR AGREEMENT?
These rules have not been drawn up to restrict your freedom, but to ensure that the program is successful. The participants are subject at all times to the guidance and authority of the Director and he has the right to enforce appropriate standards of conduct. The Director reserves the right to cancel any participant at any time for reasons which appear to him to be valid in his sole judgment. He shall have the right, without refund, to send home any student who, by his/her conduct, causes serious inconvenience for the rest of the group or for any actions or conduct which he considers to be incompatible with the interest, harmony, comfort, and welfare of other students. If the student is dismissed from the program, no refund will be given and he/she will be sent home at his/her own expense. The excessive use of alcoholic beverages is not allowed. Intoxication is grounds for immediate termination of participation in the program. The judgment of the Director will be final in all matters of discipline.
WILL I RECEIVE OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPTS? WILL MY CREDITS TRANSFER?
At the end of the program, students will receive grades and credits reported on an official transcript from the universities in Spain, Costa Rica, France and Italy (not from MLSA). Grades will be recorded in both the American letter system (A, B, C, D, F) and the European/Latin American points system (5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10). At the end of the program, you will be asked to write down the address where you want the transcript to be sent in the United States. BE VERY SPECIFIC ABOUT THE OFFICE AND PERSON WHO WILL RECEIVE THE TRANSCRIPT SO THE TRANSCRIPT DOES NOT GET LOST.
*The Universidad Complutense de Madrid will only send the transcript to universities, institutions, or organizations—not to an individual. The other universities will send transcripts to a student’s home, university, or institution.*
The transcript will not be released until all payments and fees have been paid. Attendance at classes is required; if the student misses 3 days of classes in Costa Rica, France or Italy, or 4 days in Spain, he/she will not receive any credits or any documentation testifying that he has participated in the program. A number of late arrivals to class will be considered as one absence. All courses offered are given on SEMESTER basis as the universities recommend credits to be equivalent to semester credit in American universities. All credits earned under these programs are transferable and will entitle the students to an official transcript, a grade and credit report from the universities which are fully accredited institutions. Although they are fully accredited, the accreditation of these courses and counting the credits towards fulfillment of graduate or undergraduate requirements, teacher certification, or to receive credit in your major/minor WILL DEPEND SOLELY on the decision of the authorities or correspondent departments of the universities of each student. All departments and schools reserve the right to determine how much and what type of credit you may receive.
DO I NEED TO RECEIVE APPROVAL FROM MY ADVISOR? WHAT HAPPENS IF THE COURSE OFFERING CHANGES?
Students are advised to clear all courses with their home school before traveling to Spain, Costa Rica, France or Italy. Talk to your academic advisor or the person who is going to approve the transfer of credits to your home university, institution, organization, to get the courses pre-approved before participating in the program. Complete the Academic Approval, Home School Authorization for Transfer of Credits form (these will be emailed to you after acceptance and you can always ask MLSA office for the form) and have it signed by your advisor if it is necessary and you want credits. Keep the original and make a copy and send it to our MLSA office. In your application be sure to give the name of the institution where you want your transcript to be mailed.
COURSE OFFERINGS ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE DUE TO FLUCTUATIONS IN ENROLLMENT OR CHANGES IN TEACHING FACULTY AT THE HOST INSTITUTION. IF A PARTICIPANT FINDS THAT THE COURSE OFFERING FOR WHICH THEY WERE PRE-APPROVED HAS CHANGED, MLSA SUGGESTS THAT HE OR SHE IMMEDIATELY CONTACT THE ADVISOR OR ADMINISTRATOR AT THE HOME INSTITUTION FOR AN UPDATED APPROVAL.
DO I NEED A VISA? HOW DO I GET A VISA IF I'M GOING FOR LONGER THAN 90 DAYS?
SHORT TERM PROGRAMS
SEMESTER PROGRAMS
You must apply for your visa with plenty of time before your program. You will not be permitted to change visas, while in Spain. Though you may be able to submit an application for a visa while abroad, the consulate may require an in person interview and/or in person pickup.
While most student visa requirements are similar from consulate to consulate, the student must check their consulate's website for the exact requirements.
Advice and FAQs about getting a student visa are located here: https://www.nafsa.org/Professional_Resources/Browse_by_Interest/Education_Abroad/Spain_Visa_FAQs/
U.S. citizens can visit the State Department's website for more information on country specific visa requirements. https://travel.state.gov/content/visas/en/general/americans-traveling-abroad.html