Office of Study Abroad

Financial Overview

Two Brandeis students seated at the dinner table with their local host mother

Brandeis in Mérida students eat three meals per day with their local host family.

The Brandeis in Mérida summer program costs are outlined below. Please note that Brandeis University reserves the right to adjust its fees in the event of significant change in exchange rates or other factors beyond its control. During the course of program operations, actual figures may vary. It should not, therefore, be used as a basis for calculation of refunds. Brandeis University reserves the right to adjust fees at any time.

Summer 2025 Program Cost: $8,290

  • Tuition for two 4-credit courses
  • Program housing with a homestay family
  • Three meals per day in Mérida
  • Two meals per day in Havana
  • Orientation
  • A range of domestic field trips in Mexico
  • A program excursion to Havana, Cuba
  • Transportation for local program-related academic and extracurricular activities
  • Comprehensive International Health Insurance in Mexico and Cuba
  • Emergency medical evacuation insurance coverage, including a 24-hour traveler's assistance helpline

Estimated Additional Expenses: $1,858

  • International airfare — $700
  • Local transportation — $240
  • Personal expenses - $800
  • Additional meals (lunch) in Havana - $100
  • Books and Supplies — $18

Scholarships and Additional Funding Opportunities

  • Federal Pell Grants can sometimes be applied to summer study abroad. For more information, please speak with the Office of Student Financial Services.
  • Need-based grants are available to students who receive need-based financial aid. Learn more about need-based aid for Brandeis-Run Summer Study Abroad Programs. 
  • The First Trip Scholarship offers up to $1,500 to qualified applicants traveling to Mexico who have never traveled outside the United States before. More information is available on their website.
  • You are encouraged to consider applying for a scholarship from the Fund for Education Abroad. More information is available at this link. Applications are due in February 2025.
  • Do you receive a Federal Pell Grant? You are strongly encouraged to apply for the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship. More information is available here and applications are due no later than March 2025. Students with a strong interest are encouraged to apply by the earlier deadline of October 2024.
  • The Catherine E. Philbin Public Health Scholarship is available to undergraduate public health students. More information can be found here.
  • Mérida need-based travel grants are available to Brandeis students. There are limited funds so the amount of aid an individual will receive will depend on the number of students requesting aid. Typically a travel grant will be awarded for $300 to $1,000 per individual. These grants will be applied for during the program application process.
  • Additional scholarships for study abroad may be available from a variety of organizations and institutions. Please visit this page on our website for a growing list of scholarships for which you may be eligible.

Do you have a scholarship you wish to promote to students on Brandeis in Mérida? Please contact Ari Kramer to have it added to this list.

Additional Questions?