Get into a college you couldn't get into as a freshman.

How it works: Selected first-year students spend fall on the Glenside, PA campus, then their spring semester studying in London (Arcadia-supported apartments, Arcadia faculty, courses counting toward the major), returning to Glenside to continue their degree on track.

Requirements: Invitation-only; selected by the Office of Enrollment Management after admission, based on academic strength, maturity, and fit. Notifications sent via email on a rolling basis beginning in March.

The cost angle: Cost-neutral: same Glenside tuition and fees; financial aid, scholarships, and tuition all carry over to the London semester. No tuition surcharge.

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How it works: Incoming first-years spend their first year at Bard College Berlin (Germany), taking Language and Thinking plus the first-year core sequence and electives, then continue at the Annandale-on-Hudson, NY main campus, where all credits transfer automatically.

Requirements: Open to incoming first-years who have accepted Bard's offer of admission and made their enrollment deposit; students then apply to the program (details circulated to admitted students each May). An option for admitted students, not a separate admission route.

The cost angle: Not framed as a discount; standard first-year curriculum with credits transferring automatically to Annandale.

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How it works: More than 30 first-years each year start Colby with on-campus orientation, then spend their FALL first semester abroad in Salamanca, Spain or Dijon, France doing intensive Spanish/French in a cohort of ~20 Colby students, earning credit toward distribution requirements, and arrive on the Waterville campus in January. Some students are admitted on the condition they do the fall-abroad first semester.

Requirements: Offered/conditioned by admissions based on prior foreign-language study and fit for a smooth January transition; not a self-selected guarantee. Earns credit at the same pace as classmates. (Distinct from Colby's unrelated "Jan Plan" exploratory January term.)

The cost angle: Same Colby comprehensive fee/tuition (fall billed by Colby for the abroad semester); structured to keep on-track to graduate, not to save money.

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How it works: Admitted students begin their first semester at CSU's Todos Santos campus in Baja California Sur, Mexico, completing ~11 credit hours over 10 weeks of in-person CSU instruction, then transition to the Fort Collins campus to finish the bachelor's. Primarily an international-student entry pathway.

Requirements: Meet international undergraduate admission requirements: ~3.0 GPA, secondary-school graduation, and English proficiency (Duolingo 100 / TOEFL Band 4 / IELTS 6.0). Courses count toward CSU's All-University Core Curriculum; students transitioning to Fort Collins receive an automatic $10,000/year scholarship.

The cost angle: Roughly same price for the CSU degree; the $10,000/year transition scholarship offsets cost, and the Mexico semester is a distinct (lower-cost-of-living) start rather than a tuition discount.

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How it works: Students complete 1-3 accredited semesters abroad through Verto Education (academic credit delivered by the University of New Haven, mapped to FAU courses), then earn guaranteed Direct Transfer pathway admission to FAU upon meeting transfer eligibility.

Requirements: Complete the Verto abroad semester(s) and meet FAU transfer eligibility criteria. Admission guaranteed only if FAU has capacity and the major is available; some majors excluded.

The cost angle: Roughly same/variable: Verto study-abroad pricing for the first year, then standard FAU tuition.

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How it works: Select deferred applicants spend their first semester (First Semester Abroad) or full first year (First Year Abroad) at one of FSU's international study centers (London, Florence, Valencia) or Panama City, then transition to the Tallahassee campus (January for one semester; after the year for FYA). Requires a separate application through FSU International Programs.

Requirements: Offered to invited/deferred applicants; complete an online summer course plus the abroad term(s) successfully and apply through FSU International Programs. FYA non-FL residents receive an out-of-state tuition waiver for the rest of the degree; FL residents get a $1,000 scholarship.

The cost angle: Roughly same/variable: abroad costs apply, but FYA offers an out-of-state tuition waiver (non-residents) or $1,000 scholarship (residents) that offsets later tuition.

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How it works: Admitted FSU students begin at an international study center (Florence, London, Valencia, or Panama City). FYA students study fall and spring abroad; FSA students study fall only. Both then transition to the Tallahassee main campus, with coursework satisfying university and statewide graduation requirements plus major prerequisites.

Requirements: For students already admitted to FSU (often the offered start term); minimum 15 credit hours per semester. FYA students earning a 3.0+ cumulative GPA qualify for tuition benefits.

The cost angle: Can be meaningfully cheaper for non-Florida residents: FYA participants receive an out-of-state tuition waiver for the remaining undergraduate degree; Florida residents meeting the GPA threshold get a $1,000 spring-fees scholarship. FSA participants are not eligible for these scholarships.

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How it works: Incoming first-years complete their entire first year in Florence, Italy or Dublin, Ireland, taking Marist's Core first-year curriculum and most major courses, then return to the Poughkeepsie, NY main campus to continue their degree on track. Nearly all majors are supported.

Requirements: A distinct admissions track with dedicated counselors; applicants may also apply to traditional admission. All enrolled First-Year Abroad students are considered for a one-year $5,000 scholarship; study tours included at no extra cost.

The cost angle: Offsets cost via an automatic $5,000 first-year scholarship consideration and included study tours; otherwise standard Marist tuition.

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How it works: LS Core students spend their first year at an NYU global academic site (Florence, London, Madrid, or Washington DC), taking core curriculum courses (Writing; Arts and Cultures; Global Works and Society), then matriculate as sophomores in the LS Core at the Washington Square (NYC) campus, meeting the same requirements as students who started in NYC.

Requirements: Selected by the Office of Undergraduate Admissions, on a space-available basis, for applicants who indicate openness/preference for a global first-year site on their application. Must be 18 by Aug 1; valid passport; student visa required for European sites.

The cost angle: Standard NYU tuition applies at global sites; not marketed as cheaper, it is a structured entry into NYU's LS program.

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How it works: Admitted students complete their entire first year abroad as a 300-400 student cohort, one semester at Northeastern University London and one at Northeastern University Oakland, taking first-year-curriculum courses aligned to their intended major, before moving to Boston as sophomores. One continuous transcript; grades count toward the NU record.

Requirements: Offered by Admissions as the admission decision (no separate application). Full year of credit awarded provided grades are D- or better; students can still graduate in four years if they prioritize the timeline.

The cost angle: Standard Northeastern tuition applies at the London/Oakland sites; positioned as a global cohort experience rather than a cheaper option.

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How it works: Some admitted first-years are offered entry via N.U.in: they spend their FALL first semester at an international partner site (e.g., England, Ireland, Australia, Greece, Germany, Canada) earning Northeastern credit, then transition to the Boston campus in January for the spring semester with the same major and cohort. (Listed for completeness; it is a fall-abroad start, not a spring-deferred start.)

Requirements: Offered by the admissions committee as the pathway to enrollment for designated first-year admits; students start abroad in the fall. A fall program fee covers housing and flights, and the fall abroad term is not eligible for federal financial aid.

The cost angle: Roughly the same tuition plus an added fall program fee (~$11k for housing/flights), and federal aid does not apply to the fall abroad term, so it can cost more, not less.

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How it works: Admitted students spend their first (fall) semester at a partner site abroad (e.g., England, Scotland, Ireland, Italy, Spain, Germany, Greece, Czech Republic), living and studying with other Northeastern students, then transition to the Boston campus for spring (Spring Husky 101 orientation). They earn a full semester of Northeastern credit on one continuous transcript.

Requirements: No separate application; offered by the Admissions Committee as the admission decision. Location eligibility depends on intended major, age, and other factors. Fall coursework is taken pass/fail (credit awarded for C or above) so it does not affect the Northeastern GPA.

The cost angle: Roughly comparable tuition to Boston plus a program fee covering housing and flight; fall direct costs estimated around $44,592 (tuition ~$33,600 + ~$10,992 program fee). Not a discount path, framed as an experience, not cost savings.

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How it works: Incoming first-year students live on Rowan University's campus and have the full residential experience, but enroll through Rowan College of South Jersey (RCSJ) for the first year, earning 24-30 credits taught by RCSJ faculty; on completion they enter Rowan as fully matriculated sophomores.

Requirements: Apply as a first-year applicant (seats limited); maintain a minimum 2.0 GPA to advance to fully matriculated Rowan sophomore status. Some restrictions apply (no NCAA Division III athletics, traveling sports clubs, or Greek life during the Rowan Choice year).

The cost angle: Meaningfully cheaper: roughly $21,800-$22,600/year all-in (2023-24), well below standard Rowan resident cost, because the academic credits are billed at RCSJ rates.

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How it works: About 26 first-year students spend their FALL first semester in London (with two Skidmore faculty coordinators teaching required Scribner Seminars and classes at the CEA CAPA London Center), then return to the Saratoga Springs campus for the spring semester. It is a fall-abroad start rather than a true spring-deferred admission.

Requirements: Opt-in via the admissions application (select the Saratoga-or-London residence option / answer "Yes" on the Common App question). Students must be 18 by the program start (around Aug 20). Selective cohort of ~26.

The cost angle: Same Skidmore tuition with the fall billed by Skidmore; program/travel costs in London may make it comparable to or slightly more than a standard fall, not a savings.

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How it works: Incoming first-year students spend their fall semester in London (at the Arcadia London Center, Bloomsbury), enrolling in ~16 credits of Boulder-approved courses including a cornerstone course (Showcasing the Nation), then return to the Boulder campus for spring with general-education credits completed.

Requirements: Confirmed acceptance to CU Boulder for the fall term, with intended majors in the College of Arts and Sciences, Exploratory Studies, or the College of Media, Communication and Information. Fall is pass/fail and does not factor into the CU GPA.

The cost angle: Students can leverage financial aid and scholarships toward the program; positioned as cost-comparable rather than a discount.

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How it works: Students admitted to UMaine in specific science majors spend their first year on the smaller, lower-cost UMaine Machias campus, then transition to the Orono flagship (or stay at Machias). The move is not a traditional transfer: the student files a simple form with the Office of Student Records, and as long as GPA and good standing are maintained they move into the major they were originally admitted to at UMaine. Currently active.

Requirements: Be admitted to UMaine in an eligible College of Earth, Life, and Health Sciences major (Biology, Botany, Ecology & Environmental Sciences, Marine Science, Wildlife Ecology, Zoology); maintain GPA and good academic standing for the transition. No explicit minimum GPA published.

The cost angle: Meaningfully cheaper for the first year: lower costs and smaller classes at UMaine Machias before moving to the flagship, with no loss of progress toward the UMaine degree.

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How it works: An official UNH partner program: a student spends their first one to three semesters studying abroad through Verto Education (Buenos Aires, Prague, London, Florence, or Seville), then transfers into UNH's Durham campus via a Direct Transfer Guarantee. UNH's Director of Transfer Admissions is quoted endorsing the partnership.

Requirements: At least one completed semester with Verto; 2.75+ GPA; 12+ credits; no grades below C-. Students slightly short may still get holistic review.

The cost angle: Same price or higher for the away year (Verto study-abroad tuition is a separate cost), not a cost-saving route; the value is the guaranteed UNH entry plus a study-abroad first year, not cheaper tuition.

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How it works: Through a partnership with Verto Education, students study abroad in another country and then continue their education at UNF the following term via a direct transfer pathway.

Requirements: Complete the Verto abroad term(s) and meet UNF transfer eligibility. (Specific GPA/credit thresholds not detailed on the program page.)

The cost angle: Roughly same/variable: study-abroad pricing first, then UNF tuition.

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How it works: An invitation-only program for first-year UTK applicants; the student studies abroad for a semester or year at a Verto location (London, Florence, Prague, Seville, or Buenos Aires), earning transferable credit, then enrolls at UT Knoxville as a transfer student the following spring or fall.

Requirements: Invitation only; achieve a 3.0+ GPA and earn at least 15 transferable credit hours (semester program) or 24 (year program). Verto tuition ranges roughly $18,500-$29,750 per semester depending on location.

The cost angle: Same price or higher: Verto semester/year cost ($18.5k-$29.75k per semester, airfare excluded) is comparable to or above standard tuition; value is the study-abroad experience plus a guaranteed UTK seat, not savings.

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How it works: Wait-listed first-year applicants in select majors may instead enroll in a one-semester study-away program with Verto Education, taking fully transferable coursework; with the required GPA they are then automatically guaranteed admission to UVM the following spring as a transfer student.

Requirements: Be a UVM wait-listed applicant in a select major; complete the Verto semester earning a 2.8 cumulative GPA in Verto coursework; coursework is fully transferable; includes a $3,000 scholarship for the Verto term.

The cost angle: Not necessarily cheaper: students pay Verto Education's study-away program cost (offset by a $3,000 scholarship) for the fall semester before paying standard UVM tuition; the value is the guaranteed seat, not a tuition discount.

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