CSU Study Abroad Costa Rica

From July 4 - August 8, 2026 in Costa Rica and Tuesday evenings May 19- June 16 on CSU campus

This innovative summer 2026 program abroad provides exciting academic opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students by partnering with a well-known institution in San José, Costa Rica LCI Veritas under the direction of a World Languages Literature and Culture professor of Spanish from Cleveland State. By design, this program highlights the many ways that proficiency in Spanish and familiarity with Latin American cultures can enrich careers and lives across a broad spectrum of professions, fields of inquiry, and personal interests.

Academics

Participants will earn a total of 8- 9 graded, in-residence CSU credits on this program. 

• 3 credits from Spanish language course at Universidad LCI Veritas at the appropriate level
• 3 or 4 credits from an elective course of choice at Universidad LCI Veritas
• 2 credits of WLC 240, 340, 440, or 540 Field Studies.  Exceptionally qualified students may inquire with the director about enrolling in additional CSU independent study credits as needed. 
   

At Universidad LCI Veritas, courses will be taught by local professors and may include other international students from around the world or other U.S. universities. The price of the 6-7 credits at the local university is included in the program fee and therefore is not an extra expense. Individual course selection will be based on the results of a placement test and in consultation with the faculty leader, Dr. Gingerich.

The Field Studies course will meet weekly in the summer on CSU's campus in the run up to the Costa Rica residency. Students will meet on Tuesdays between 5:30 pm - 7:30 pm (room TBD) as part of the 2-credit course WLC 240, 340, 440, or 540 on 

May 19
May 26
June 2
June 9
June 16 

Housing and Meals

Students will live with families in the neighborhoods surrounding the Universidad LCI Veritas, giving them opportunities to experience the culture first hand and to have an intensive Spanish immersion experience. A university shuttle system offers free rides to and from campus, but homes are located close enough to walk comfortably. Students will have an individual room and receive breakfast and an evening meal at their homestay. Lunch tickets can be purchased for eating on campus in the university cafeterias. The university is also located close to the business corridor of the Trans-American highway, for a variety of food and shopping options. Please note that a supplemental fee of approximately $5.50 per day may be assessed for special dietary needs at the homestay. 

Tentative Itinerary

Saturday, July 4: Group flight departure from Cleveland for San José; transfer to homestays

Sunday, July 5: Group neighborhood tour by CSU program director Dr. Gingerich 

July 6-10: First week

• Group meeting on Tuesday to exchange impressions of university, families, neighborhoods; set up and discuss agenda for weekly individual meetings; walk to Mall San Pedro
• Bus trip together on Thursday to visit downtown San José: Mercado Central, Avenida Central Pedestrian street
• Saturday excursion to Poas Volcano, La Paz Waterfall Garden, Doka Coffee plantation
• Free day on Sunday
   

July 13-19: Week 2 

• Tuesday afternoon group meeting: sustaining conversations with your hosts, making acquaintances
• Individual student meetings with director
• Thursday afternoon tour of Teatro Nacional
• Weekend excursion: Limón and Cahuita, National Park
   

July 20-26: Week 3

• Individual student meetings with director
• Weekend may include excursions associated with classes. Other students are free to plan their own activities
• Weekend may include excursions associated with selected LCI Veritas classes. Other students are free to plan their own activities with director input and notification.
   

July 27-August 1: Week 4
 

August 2-8: Fifth, final week 

• final exams
• Group dinner on Thursday evening
   

Saturday, August 8: Group return flight from San José to Cleveland

Eligibility

Applicants must meet the following criteria: 

• be in good standing* and have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5 or greater (or 3.2 if a graduate student)
• completed SPN 102 or its equivalent with a B or better by May 2026 (or with director's permission)
• 18 years or older
   

*Good standing means
- Not on academic probation or warning
- No financial holds in CampusNet
- No outstanding or egregious sanctions resulting from adjudication of an infraction(s) against the CSU Student Code of Conduct

A minimum of 10 participants is required for this program and a maximum of 18 will be accepted.

Please contact the CISP if you attend another university and wish to apply to CSU in Costa Rica. Other university students are very welcome.

Program fee

The program fee is up to $6,899 and includes:

• Round-trip airfare and airport ground transportation
• Group excursions organized and led by the LCI Veritas and the CSU program director
• 2 meals per day and a single bedroom in a homestay
• Tuition for 6-7 credits at the Costa Rican university
   

The fee does not include CSU tuition for the Field Studies (2 credits) or the estimated $500 needed to purchase daily lunches, meals on excursions, miscellaneous travel and entertainment, personal expenses, or the Costa Rica Exit Tax currently priced at $29. Students should budget a minimum of $500 for these expenses. Additional extra expenses may include but are not limited to passport / visa fees, local transportation, souvenir shopping, homestay meal supplemental charge for special diets, etc.

To view the current CSU tuition rate, please visit the Bursar's website.

Billing and Payments
The program fee (minus the application deposit paid through ShopNet) will be added to participants' CSU student financial account at the time of acceptance. The tuition for the Field Studies will be added when the student "adds" the course to his/her 12-week summer session academic schedule. See information about the summer budget payment plan option offered through the Bursar's Office and sign up through CampusNet.

$250 non-refundable deposit due at the time of application. Pay the $250 deposit through Shopnet with a debit or credit card. Only inadmissible applicants will be eligible for a deposit refund. If inadmissible to the program or program cancellation due to low applications, the deposit will be credited to the individual's CSU CampusNet account. Otherwise, it's non-refundable.

There are no voluntary withdrawals and no withdrawal options after application decisions have been made.  Participants are considered fully committed to the program and financially responsible for 100% of the program fees. There are absolutely no refunds. Please carefully consider your situation before you apply. Consult with the faculty leader or study abroad adviser before the application deadline.

Remaining program balance will be due by the end of the start of the summer semester OR confirmed enrollment in the summer budget payment plan. 

Please make the payments electronically through Campusnet. If your program fees are not paid by the due dates indicated above, you may be removed from the program, but maintain financial responsibility for your portion of expenses.

Financial Aid and Scholarships

Students may apply for summer 2026 financial aid which may include Pell grants and any unused eligibility from Fall and Spring. Please speak with a Financial Aid Specialist as soon as possible in All-in-One (BH 116)).  Students may also apply for educational loans like Parent Plus loans or those offered through private lenders which can be found on FASTCHOICE. If finances are a concern, we cannot stress enough the need to speak with a Financial Aid adviser BEFORE you apply for admission to the program. Please make sure that you will have enough funds for all of the expected expenses (and develop a plan for the unexpected ones) before you apply for admission.

Summer Pell awards are available to those who qualify and are pro-rated based on the number of enrolled credits (minimum 6).

Contact Michael Almony in All-in-One Enrollment Services with any financial questions and to determine how your current financial aid package may be applied. 

Cost of attendance
The Office of Financial Aid uses the "cost of attendance" figure for the program when calculating financial aid. The cost of attendance is determined by adding up all the costs associated with the defined term or program. For the CSU Study Abroad in Costa Rica program please add up the program fee, the additional CSU tuition price (2 credits) and the out -of- pocket estimates to determine your cost of attendance. The cost of attendance for a typical undergraduate student will be approximately $8,500. If you're an out-of-state resident, a graduate student,  or are approved to take the Capstone (4 credits) in lieu of the Field Studies course, your cost of attendance will be higher.

Scholarships

1. OIC Summer Burke Award is for Ohio residents at the undergraduate level with at least a 3.0 GPA. The deadline is March 15.
2. CISP General Education Away scholarship is due March 1; open to most students
3. If majoring in a program within the College of Arts and Sciences, there is Special Opportunities Funding managed within the College Dean's office.
4. 2025-26 Pell grant recipients may apply for Benjamin A Gilman International Scholarship. Applications are due March 5

5. Check out other scholarship opportunities here and here.

Health, Insurance and Safety

Health
For general information on pre-planning considerations including insurance please visit our health and safety resource page.  We urge every student to purchase an international accident and sickness insurance or check if their current health insurance policy has international coverage.  Cancel for Any Reason (CFR) or travel insurance is also something to consider acquiring.

There are no required immunizations for travel to or from Costa Rica. Please visit the Traveler's Profile Page for Costa Rica from the CDC as well as the Costa Rica country page for travelers from the U.S. Department of State to learn specifically about health and safety in the country.  Additional advice is available from the program director as well as the student services team at the Universidad LCI Veritas who maintains a 24/7 emergency line. 

Insurance
Cleveland State has a membership with International SOS (11BCAS000010) as part of the IUC Inter-University Consortium of Ohio's public universities. Any CSU traveler going abroad with university approval may use International SOS services and benefits before, during, or after travel. Easily access their services by downloading the assistance app to your phone. You may also obtain information from their website or by calling the dedicated scholastic client line in Philadelphia (215) 942 -8478. Once abroad, there are additional International SOS call centers around the world waiting to assist.  Call the Philadelphia or Mexico City Assistance Centre +52 55 4166 2808.

Travel accident and sickness insurance secured by Cleveland State on your behalf through Zurich is included in your program fee as a secondary policy to any current health insurance you carry. The policy information is available upon request and will be distributed at a pre-travel class session.

Safety 
Students will be registered as group through the U.S. State Department's Smart Traveler Enrollment Program or STEP. Additionally, students will receive an emergency card with important contacts to carry with them when in Costa Rica. The mandatory pre-travel sessions and online modules will include safety recommendations and tips for students.  

For the health and safety of the entire CSU community, all travel will comply with guidelines, best practices and any in-country and/or program-specific requirements.

Passport and Visa

All participants will be required to carry a valid passport with an expiration date at least 6 months beyond the end of the program. Presently, U.S. passport processing times are running 4-6 weeks for standard processing or 2-3 weeks with expedited processing (extra $60). It is the student's responsibility to verify their passport validity and/or apply for one in time to purchase airline tickets for travel (passport needed by January 5, 2026). Please contact the CISP for assistance. 

If you are not a United States citizen (even if you are a Permanent Resident), you may need a visa for Costa Rica. Visit the Embassy of Costa Rica's website to determine if you will need to apply for a visa; If you have any questions regarding visas, please contact the CISP.  At the time of this post, U.S. citizens do not need a visa to enter Costa Rica for this 35-day program.

Application 

The deadline is March 17, 2026.  The $250 non-refundable deposit is also due at that time. Applications without a paid deposit will not be considered. Program deposits are non-refundable. The deposit counts towards the program fee and is only refunded in the event that a student is not accepted or the program is canceled. This refund is only available in the form of a credit to the student's CSU financial account.

Application decisions will be made by the faculty leader and the Center for International Services and Programs. Notifications will be sent via email after the application deadline.  

Apply NOW click here to complete the application

Pay deposit NOW click here to make the $250 deposit

Note on Acceptance and Withdrawals
Once notified of acceptance on the program, the student becomes financially and academically responsible to the group and the University.  The remaining program fee (minus the application deposit) will be added to each participant's CampusNet account and becomes irreversible. There are no voluntary withdrawals, as each student is needed to make up a group and cover the program related expenses. 

Once admitted on a faculty-led program, there will be no refund of any of any kind for a withdrawal.  Expenses begin being paid out on behalf of the group as soon as a program is considered a "go" and the application decisions are announced.  If an applicant is unsure about making a financial and/or academic commitment to CSU Study Abroad in Costa Rica, doubts should be cleared up prior to submitting an application. Please contact one of the two administrators listed below to discuss your options and questions.

Contacts

Stephen Gingerich, PhD 
Program Director and Professor of Spanish
Department of World Languages, Literatures & Cultures RT 1628
s.gingerich@csuohio.edu

Julie Good (schedule an appointment via Bookings or through Starfish Service: Education Away)
Center for International Services and Programs (CISP) 
216-523-7531
j.a.good88@csuohio.edu
Drop-in office hours weekdays 1:00- 3:00 pm BH 412