Books: When will I receive my books or class materials for my classes?
For U.S. students: Generally books are mailed around May 1st to the temporary address you listed on your application. Should you change address, you will need to notify us of your new address ASAP. If you leave the U.S. before you receive your books, you, the student, would have to pay USD to Fed Ex it to you in Europe. Fed Ex can cost anywhere from $50-$200 depending on your classes. Casebooks are heavy! If you attend school in San Diego, you would pick-up your books and/or photocopied materials at our office, Law School (Warren Hall) room 310. If you fail to pick up your class materials, we will Fed Ex them to your site and bill you.
For students coming from outside the United States, your books and/or photocopied materials may either be sent to you in your home country or will be at your chosen site. If sent to the site, you will need to pick them up from either the Director, or the Administrative Assistant at that site.
For students coming from outside the United States: If you are attending 2 programs, your books and/or photocopied materials may either be sent to you in your home country or at your chosen site. If sent to the site, you will need to pick them up from either the Director, or the Administrative Assistant at that site.
FOR ALL STUDENTS:
You will receive the first set of information sheets with your acceptance letter about 1 week after we have received your initial non-refundable amount(s) and the last set of information sheets on your chosen program(s) will be sent out in April. Sometimes it can take 2-3 weeks for air mail to arrive in various countries around the world, so please be patient.
Payments: If my U.S. school and USD sign a Consortium/Visiting Student Agreement, do I still have to make the scheduled payments?
Yes, payments must be kept up regardless of loans and/or Consortium/Visting Student Agreement. Once you have paid the USD Study Abroad Program a total of $800, which is due at USD by April 21, your final payment of the balance due must be received at USD no later than May 10th for law classes, language class and/or the internship. If any of the scheduled payments are missed, you would not be able to take advantage of the early pay discount. See Early Payment Discounts and Payment Due Dates. If applying to the Internship/Clinic on or after April 1st, then full payment is due with your Application.
If you are going to 2 sites, Barcelona and then on to either Dublin, London, Oxford, Paris then an initial non-refundable payment amount of $400 is due with your application, or $450 is due with your application, if you would like for USD to provide you with housing in Dublin, London or Oxford. Then follow the payment schedule at Installment Payment Due Dates and Early Payment Discounts (Scroll down to "Installment Payment Schedule". Payment in full for both sites for tuition, housing, internship, and any language courses must be received at USD no later than May 10th. (we do not provide housing in Barcelona, Florence, Paris or Moscow, Russia). Remember housing through USD is optional. You may secure housing on your own, but USD will not be able to assist you in finding alternative accommodations.
If any of the scheduled payments are missed then you will not be able to take advantage of the early pay discount.
Credit Cards:
USD accepts Mastercard, Discover, and American Express credit cards to pay your costs for tuition, housing, language class, and/or the internship (if taken) in Barcelona. Please go to Credit Card information
Sorry, but Visa credit cards are not accepted by USD for any payments.
Also, you must make your inital non-refundable payment(s) through our office and NOT through USD's Student Accounts or Cashier's office or USD's e-pay system!
After your initial non-refundable payment to sign you up and you are then enrolled, have received your Acceptance Letter and have been assigned a USD ID number, you may then either pay through USD's E-Pay system, paying via e-check or credit card only (Visa credit cards are not accepted). Otherwise, if you will be MAILING or WALKING IN a U.S. dollar personal check or U.S. dollar money order, then these must be sent/brought to our office to: Ms Cindy King, USD Law School, 5998 Alcala Pk LS 310, San Diego CA 92110-2492; or you may bring into our office, Law School 310 and pay either Darlene or Cindy.
Returned Checks: What about returned personal checks?
Should a U.S. dollar personal check bounce and it is returned back to USD, there is a chance of you being withdrawn from the program for non-payment. USD puts returned checks back through two (2) times before the Study Abroad office is notified of a bad check. USD will not resubmit this check after two (2) tries.
Re-payment must then be made immediately or arrive at our office within 2 business days by either a U.S. Money Order, U.S. Cashier's Check, or a Wire Transfer only (foreign students only). If your money is not received by our office within the 2 business days, you could be withdrawn from your selected program(s) for non-payment. If your check is returned back to us for any reason, there will be a bank/administrative fee charged to your account.
Discounts: Will I be able to receive a discount if I pay early?
Yes, go to Early Payment Discounts and Payment Due Dates for more information. Scroll down to "Early Payment in full discount information".
Will I receive 2 discounts if I am taking 2 programs?
No, only one discount applies.
Refunds: If I withdraw from the program, what type of refund will I receive?
Please go to Barcelona Refund Policy for more information.
What if I am Academically Disqualified and I decide not to attend the Barcelona program, would I receive a full refund of both Tuition and any housing amount I have already paid?
Please go to Barcelona Refund Policy for more information.
Course Changes: What if I want to change classes once I have initially signed up?
No problem and no charge if you do this before April 1st. If you change ON or AFTER April 1st, then there is a fee of $50 for each law course change/switch, and you may change/switch only if we have the class materials/books for your new classes.
Thomas Cooley and Indiana Univ-Bloomington students must obtain permission to change or drop classes from either Prof Bill Weiner or Dean Len Fromm. Then Prof Weiner or Dean Fromm will alert USD-San Diego to the approved change.
Class Additions: Can I add a class once I am in Barcelona?
Yes, but you will be charged for the new materials and the add fee. If it is only photocopied materials, and the materials have to be photocopied at your site(s), you will have to pay these charges as well. If books are not on site, you will have to pay for USD-San Diego to Fed Ex the new book(s) to you. You would pay for all extra costs via USD's on-line E-Pay system by either an e-check or via credit card only. (Visa credit cards are not accepted) No payments are to be made on-site to anyone.
Thomas Cooley and Indiana Univ-Bloomington students must obtain permission to add classes from either Prof Bill Weiner or Dean Len Fromm. Then Prof Weiner or Dean Fromm will alert USD-San Diego to the approved change. If you increase your class load, you will be charged accordingly.
Class Drop: Law Classes: Can I drop a class once I am in Barcelona?
Yes, however, there will be no refund of any monies paid. Be aware that if you took out loans, you may have to repay monies back to your lender. Contact the Financial Aid Office at your home school for further information.
Thomas Cooley and Indiana Univ-Bloomington students must obtain permission to drop classes after they have signed up from either Prof Bill Weiner or Dean Len Fromm. Then Prof Weiner or Dean Fromm will alert USD-San Diego to the approved change. If you increase your class load, you will be charged accordingly.
Language Classes: Can I add or drop in Barcelona?
Yes, if you add a language class while in Barcelona, you will need to pay a course fee of $85 per person for Survival or Intermediate Spanish. All extra charges incurred, can only be paid via USD's on-line e-check or credit card process. The link for this process is in your Acceptance Letter and your receipt. No monies are to be paid on site. If you drop the language class once in Barcelona, there will be no refund of any monies paid.
If you have signed up and paid San Diego the language class fee and then drop it while in Barcelona, there is no refund.
Exams: What time do the exams start and finish?
Your exams start at 9 am on June 19th and on June 20th and take about 2-4 hours. Do not plan to leave on a flight before 3 pm on Friday, June 20th if you have an exam that morning. EXAMS ARE NEVER GIVEN IN ADVANCE.
Housing: What about my housing?
Securing housing before you leave the U.S. is strongly advised. Housing in a foreign country is NOT like living in the U.S. Be prepared for the unfamiliar. Should you have a problem once in Barcelona, contact the Barcelona Director or the Barcelona Administrative Assistant for help. Some housing information will be sent to you, however, you are strongly advised to secure your own housing before you leave for Barcelona. For more housing information, click here: Barcelona Housing Information. Students in 2007 had a lot of trouble finding affordable housing when they arrived compared with students who secured housing before they left for Barcelona. It is to your advantage to arrange your housing accommodations before you arrive. Students who arrange their accommodations when they arrive, often have to pay twice as much because the program runs during the peak of tourist season.
Also, be aware that you may have to wire transfer either the entire rental fee before you arrive or wire a deposit to hold the place until you arrive to look at it and decide if you want it or not. There is usually an extra fee charged for Wire Transfers. Remember to add them to your total amount sent (usually around $50) This deposit is generally NOT refundable.
Housing Costs: What is the total cost of housing in Barcelona?
For more budget information, click on Barcelona Budget. It sometimes can be more than the budget states if you wait until you arrive, so be prepared. But if you secure early, you can probably find something within the budget range.
Apartment Deposits: Will I have to pay a deposit for housing?
Probably, if you rent an apartment in Barcelona. Sometimes there is no deposit required if you move into a room in someone's apartment or live in an ApartHotel. USD does not provide housing in Barcelona.
Apartment Location: Where will the apartment/room be located?
All students will have access to housing information that is listed on our web site. There will also be a list of housing information provided to each student in their Acceptance package once enrolled. It is the students responsibility to secure housing. USD Barcelona may be able to provide some housing help upon arrival in Barcelona. However, be aware that most of the good places and bargin prices will be gone by the time you arrive. So count on spending a larger amount on housing than originally budgeted for if you wait until the last minute. We are there during high tourist season, so rooms are in short supply and pricing is expensive.
If you use an agent or broker to find an apartment, you will need to inquire how far you are to the University of Barcelona. Remember to provide agents with the Avenida Diagonal 684 address so that they can find you something close to school. There are several other "University of Barcelona's" in Barcelona. You want to make sure you are near the correct one. Agents and Brokers sometimes charge a separate fee.
Utilities: Will I have to pay utilities?
Depends on the deal struck. Not in a hotel, but you normally pay utilities in an apartment. They can range from $30 to $100 depending on usage. There may also be a utility deposit. These deposits are set by the landlord/lady/agent. Sometimes it's just $30-$50. Sometimes higher.
If I withdraw, will I receive a housing refund?
You will have to discuss this with your landlord/lady/agent in Barcelona since USD-San Diego does not provide housing and is not collecting any money for housing.
Telephone: Will there be a telephone in my apartment? Will I be able to use it?
There may or may not be a phone in your apartment. If there is, you may only be able to receive incoming phone calls. So if you wanted to make an outgoing call, you would have to find a public phone. If you have both an outgoing line and a receiving line in your apartment, the landlord/agent may charge you a deposit to take care of the phone bill when you leave, so be prepared! What that deposit would be, will be determined by the landlord/agent.
Laundry: Will I have access to a washing machine and/or dryer?
Again, this will depend upon which apartment you, the student, finally decides on. If there is NO washing machine or dryer where you live, you will need to find one once you're in Barcelona.
Here are 4 locations for laundry services that we know of:
Lavomatic - 9am - 9pm; Carrer Consultat del Mar 43, Ciutat Vella, phone # 93-268-4768
Lavanderia - 9am - 1:30pm and 4pm - 8pm, Aribau 29, phone # 93-453-8933
Lavanderia - 9am - 2:30pm and 4:30pm - 8pm, Provenca 356, phone # 93-207-2946
Lavanderia - 9am - 2pm and 4pm - 8pm, Carrer Parlament 18, esq Viladomat, phone # 93-442-3149
Do I have to bring linens to the apartment?
No, everything is usually provided. If you are addicted to large bath towels or washcloths (as opposed to wash mitts), you may wish to bring your own.
Do I have to bring pots, pans, silverware to the apartment?
No, everything is usually provided or can be bought there.
If I rent a room in an apartment, will I have kitchen privileges?
This will depend on the landlord/agent, discuss this with your landlord/agent.
If I live with a family, are meals included?
Usually breakfast is included in the price. Sometimes, arrangements can be made for a second meal. Specify what you want when you apply to live with a family, either through a broker or agency or on your own or through our source (see info below). Special meals, such as vegetarian, no salt used, etc. will cost the student more and will be added to the rent.
If I choose to live with a family, how much will it cost me?
There are many factors involved, such as location, meals, whether you share a bedroom or not. Prices can run from $1000+ per person.
Can I have friends stay in my apartment/room with me?
This will depend on your agreement with the landlord/agent. Some do not care; others will not allow friends to stay over. Decide what you want to do at the outset, as it may influence where you live. Also check w/the landlord/agent what their policy is before you put down a deposit.
Changing Money: What is the best way to deal with money for the summer program in Barcelona?
There are three principle ways of getting the cash you need: traveler's checks, Automated Teller Machine cards (ATM's), and credit cards.
First, estimate how much cash you will need for the program in Euros or US Dollars & then add $500 in case of an emergency. This is the amount of cash you will need at your disposal. Check out the Budget for some help. Barcelona Budget
Traveler's checks in U.S. dollars are always accepted, even when traveler's checks in the local currency are not. While the standard charge for traveler's checks is 1% of face value, it is often possible to obtain them free. AAA does this for its members, and many banks provide them free for significant account holders. When cashing traveler's checks in Europe, you receive a better rate than when exchanging cash.
ATM cards are a good way to receive cash. In addition to your card, you need a PIN number valid in Europe. Check with your bank to be sure that you have one. You are limited to the same withdrawal as at home, and it can sometimes involve major math to figure out how much you will be allowed. The major problems with the ATM solution are fees and cash. There may be two fees involved, one from your bank, and another from the bank that owns the ATM machine. The fees can easily total more than $10, so it makes no sense to withdraw less than the maximum allowed, as fees are imposed on each transaction by each bank and/or machine. In addition, you can only withdraw money if you have it in your account. Both the Plus and Cirrus systems are well-represented in Barcelona; check with your bank if you have only the Star system about Barcelona machines.
One should probably charge as much as possible on a credit card. Visa and MasterCharge are universally accepted; American Express and Diners less so; Discover not at all. The exchange rate is pretty good, there are no transaction fees, and the bill need not be paid for at least a month. Using your credit card to take a cash advance will also work if you have a correct PIN number, but interest begins accruing immediately, and there is usually a fee for the loan. So this is the more expensive alternative.
Normally, the best rates for changing money are NOT found at the airport, because banks there have a monopoly. However, it is usually better to change at the airport than to buy large amounts of foreign money before leaving the U.S. You should however, buy at least $50-$100 (in small bills) worth of currency before you leave for "landing money" that you can use immediately for drinks, toilet, cab fare, bus fare, porters, etc.. Once settled, students then exchange information about good places to change money. It is usually disadvantageous to change money at night or on weekends because the number of places open then limits the competition. Two factors determined how advantageous the exchange might be: the rate, and the commission. Many places offer exchange with no commission, but usually give less favorable rates.
American Express traveler's checks can be cashed anywhere, but AmEx sometimes charges a commission & sometimes not. AmEx is located at Passeig de Gracia 102, with the entrance actually on Calle Rossello. They are open M-F 9:30am - 6pm, Saturday 10am - noon. There is an ATM machine at the entrance. AmEx is not near the University.
In the past, the best rates were at the banks in the Eixample: 1% commission on greenbacks. Bank hours: Mon-Fri, 8:30am-2pm.
El Corte Ingles (Pl Catalunya; open Mon-Sat, 9am-9pm) changes travelers checks with no commission or minimum.
On Sunday's you can change money at Estacio de Sants for a 1% commission on checks and bills. Open 8am-10pm. The exchanges on Las Ramblas may be temptingly convenient on Sunday, but they often charge the maximum commission (9.8%).
Health Insurance: What about health insurance?
U.S. STUDENTS ONLY: All U.S. students must provide to our office evidence of medical insurance valid in Spain by sending us a photocopy of your insurance card showing the dates you are covered. We recommend the International Student ID Card. It costs about $25.00. It provides some medical and travel insurance and student discounts. International Student ID cards can be obtained from STA Travel or call 1-858-544-9632 or 1-800-226-8624 or at the USD UC Box Office. You should bring a passport size photo when purchasing this card. If you choose this option, please mail/bring a readable copy of the International Student ID Card to our office. Mail us a copy of your proof of insurance, (USD Law School, Attn: Ms Darlene Smith, 5998 Alcala Pk LS 310, San Diego, CA 92110-2492) or scan it as an attachment to an e-mail (no faxes) to Ms Darlene Smith darlenes@sandiego.edu. We strongly suggest that you keep any health insurance you have current.
If you do not have health insurance, the International Students I.D. Card, which provides you with some discount entrance fees and air fares to many sights, comes with some health insurance. Cost: $25. (USD students can buy these cards at the UC box office). Bring a passport-sized photo to avoid extra cost. The USD Campus Card Services office in the Bookstore (Loma Hall) now offers passport pictures - $10 for 2 pictures. Otherwise you can purchase your health insurance coverage commercially, through your parents insurance, through AAA (if you, your spouse or your parents are a member). You should double check that it covers you during your summer trip. For more general travel info contact: STA Travel or call 1-858-544-9632, or 1-800-226-8624.
Check to ensure that your current insurance covers you while you are in Europe. Ask if they will reimburse your out-of-pocket expense for doctor, prescriptions, etc. when you return to the U.S., if you provide them with receipts. A doctor's visit alone can cost $50 plus whatever medications in case you run into problems. Our USD-Barcelona office will have the names of English speaking doctors on hand for you if you need it.
Medication/Glasses: What about my medications/glasses/contacts?
We strongly suggest that you bring at least an extra months supply of whatever medications you take along with an extra pair of glasses or a prescription for your glasses/contacts. You also should bring a letter and a regular prescription from your doctor giving facts about your medications in case you run into problems. In Barcelona or Europe, both of these items may help you obtain your prescription where without them, you may not even be able to obtain your medications you may need.
Local transport: Tell me about transportation within Barcelona.
Transportation within Barcelona by metro is easy and efficient. The five numbered metro lines and the regional railways provide quick interconnections between their stations, with the central point being the Placa de Catalunya. The hours are Monday through Thursday 5am to 11pm, Friday, Saturday and holidays 5am to 1am, Sunday 6am to midnight. The per-ticket cost is about $5, but it is more advantageous to buy a T-1 block of 10 tickets, good on both metro and bus, for about $15, at any metro stop or Tabac. The T-1 tickets do not work outside the city itself, so they cannot be used to and from the airport.
The bus system has longer hours, is slower, but more scenic. In certain areas, it will slow to a crawl during the rush hour. Day buses are 6:30am to 10pm; night buses are 10pm to 4am.
To get to our office at the University of Barcelona from the Placa de Catalunya, take the green (#3) metro line in the direction of Zona Universitaria. Descend at Maria Cristina, then walk in the direction the metro is going on the Avenida Diagonal until you reach #684, the law school. Our building is behind the main law school building. Or, descend at Palau Reial, and walk in the direction opposite to the metro until you reach the Law Faculty at #684. Alternatively, buses leave from the Placa de Catalunya and traverse the Avenida Diagonal and get off as close as possible to #684.
What about program-organized legal events?
In 2007 students visited the Courthouse (Palau de Justicia) and two law firms, Cuatrecasas and De Pasquale, and heard a talk by Judge Francisco Jacier Bejar, President of Audiencia Provincial de Barcelona and had visited the Parliament.
What about program-organized tourist events?
In 2007 a majority of students organized their own tourist visits. However, the following were also arranged: A guided walking tour of old Barcelona, and Happy Hour tapas and drinks at the Txakolin Bar. Costs were determined by how many students signed up.
Les Rambles ariel view #2
References: Names and addresses of former students.
If you would like some names, e-mail addresses and/or phone numbers of previous Barcelona students, send an e-mail to Ms Cindy King cking@sandiego.edu and she will e-mail you back with the info.
QUESTIONS:
Send Ms Cindy King an e-mail should you have more questions that were not answered in these FAQ's or in the Barcelona Tips - General section.
If you find an error, please let Ms Cindy King cking@sandiego.edu or Ms Darlene Smith darlenes@sandiego.edu know, by providing the exact web site address location (www.sandiego.edu/lawabroad/..........) where the problem is located. Cut and paste it into your e-mail, so that it can be corrected. Thank you!
For more information click here Barcelona Tips - General
Barcelona Tourism home page
(on top left side, click on "Tourism" then click on "Accommodations")
FAQ's files from Barcelona Tourism's web site