01. How do I contact SAI?
Please contact us at the following address:

Study Abroad Italy
7151 Wilton Avenue, Suite 202, Sebastopol, CA. 95472 USA.  
Tel: 1-800-655-8965
www.studyabroad-italy.com
mail@studyabroad-italy.com

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02. What is the Mission of SAI?
Study Abroad Italy is dedicated to giving students a focused cultural experience—living and learning in Italy—that will serve them as they pursue their careers and find their place in a global community.

See our about SAI and our SAI Services pages for further information.

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03. What Schools/Programs do you work with in Italy? Are there any scholarships?
Study Abroad Italy (SAI) is pleased to work with the following host schools in Italy. For information, please follow the links below.

Each year SAI offers a number of Scholarships for study in Italy. See our page on scholarships for details.

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04. Where are your programs in Italy located?
SAI offers modern study abroad programs in four historical cities spanning the Italian Peninsula: Milan, Florence, Rome and Syracuse, Sicily.

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05. How are grades/transcripts issued?
Students enrolled in SAI Programs from affiliated universities will receive US credit for courses from their home university. All SAI students enrolling from non-affiliated universities will receive US course credit from Fairfield University in Connecticut. Study Abroad Italy will automatically process non-affiliate students through Fairfield University with no additional fee.

Students attending the SAI Rome program at John Cabot University (JCU) will receive US credit directly from JCU, since JCU is a US accredited university.

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06. Is there one School of record?
Our programs in Milan, Florence and Sicily are accredited by Fairfield University in Connecticut. John Cabot University (JCU) is a US accredited university.

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07. What other US Schools have participated in your programs?
Please see our participating schools page for a list of US schools that have sent students to study in our programs.

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08. Does SAI have direct affiliations with any US Schools?
Please see our affiliate page for a list of US schools which have a direct affiliation with Study Abroad Italy.

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09. Are there any US Schools we can contact for references?
We would be happy to supply references. Please contact us for information.

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10. Would we be welcome to do a site visit?
Yes, please contact us to discuss site visits.

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11. What’s unique about the location of your Programs?
Italy's peninsula has major train lines running north/south and east/west, providing easy access to the entire country. Any direction you choose to travel will offer stunning scenery and history — one cannot go wrong.

From mountains to seaside and hill towns, Italy lures travelers to stop along the way. It is unique in that it possesses much of the western civilization's renowned art and architecture, with more UNESCO World Heritage Sites than any other country in the world.

Within the setting of a fairy tale like environment - the natural, with its intense vegetation, mountain ranges, white beaches and blue Mediterranean and the cultural, with literally hundreds of interesting cities and towns to discover, region by region - Italy offers masterpieces in art and architecture as well as unparalleled millennia of tradition and heritage. Those who come to know Italy are changed forever; each of us coming away with our own personal Italy.

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12. What programs do you offer?
Study Abroad Italy (SAI) is pleased to offer undergraduate students semester programs (fall or spring), summer programs (June or July), and intersession programs in four distinct Italian locations: Florence, Rome, Sicily, and Milan. At our Milan School, SAI is able to offer graduate programs. For information, see our program pages.

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13. What inherent academic quality or distinction does the program provide?
Our host schools in Rome, Florence and Sicily all offer a liberal arts education with specializations in either business & politics (Rome), art (Florence), or classics and humanities (Sicily). Our Milan programs focus on the study of contemporary design.

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14. Are there just Italian language classes or are other courses available?
In addition to Italian Language, our host schools offer a variety of core US undergraduate credit courses.

All courses are taught in English, with the exception of the Italian Language programs and those courses which specify ‘in Italian’. For a full listing of classes offered, please consult our catalog sections of each program site.

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15. What are the faculty credentials?
We are happy to supply a full list of faculty and their qualifications on request. Generally, all instructors of humanities/sciences classes are PhD holders and all instructors of Arts classes hold terminal masters degrees.

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16. Are there counseling and support services available?
SAI provides all students with access to a US trained and certified counselor. SAI also has an on-site program coordinator based at the host institution in Italy.

See our staff pages for details.

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17. What are the academic resources (e.g. library/laboratory facilities, language labs, computer availability and tech support)?
Each school maintains a library with copies of key textbooks and further reading related to courses, which is sufficient for ordinary research related to course work. All students have free access to computers and internet at the school. Students are encouraged, in the longer semesters, to bring their laptop computers.

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18. What are the student qualifications? (GPA, faculty reference, etc.)
Students are required to be 18 years of age and have a minimum GPA of 2.80. Students with a GPA less than a 2.80 will be considered on an individual basis, and should contact the Study Abroad Italy office to discuss enrollment.

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19. Do you cater to students with Learning/Physical difficulties?
Study Abroad Italy is dedicated to providing education abroad opportunities to students with physical disabilities or learning difficulties. If a student experiences any learning difficulties (e.g. dyslexia) which may interfere with his/her ability to pursue an academic course, and which he/she wish to be taken into account, students are to notify Study Abroad Italy during the application process. Although we may not be able to offer any specialized instruction or resources, we can offer understanding and respect, and will do our best to replicate any assistance (extra time in tests, etc.) offered at the student's home institutions. Regarding physical disability, it is important to note that Italy’s infrastructure and ability to accommodate disabled individuals differs from what is available in the United States. Among our program choices, certain sites are better equipped to assist students with disabilities than others. As this may be a factor in choosing which SAI program abroad to attend, students should notify us of any and all disabilities before applying.

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20. When do your programs run? How many weeks?
Our programs run for the following periods: Semester programs (fall or spring, 15 weeks); Summer programs (June or July, 4-5 weeks); Intersession programs (2-3 weeks, January); Masters programs (Milan only, 11 -13 months).

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21. What is the total cost of the FALL/SPRING semesters and what does it include?

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22. What is the total cost of the SUMMER sessions and what does it include?

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23. What is the total cost of the intersession programs and what do they include?

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24. Do you arrange airport pick up and drop off?
All SAI students arriving at the designated airport for each program during the official check-in dates will be met by an SAI representative who will coordinate shuttle transfer to the school for program check-in, apartment check-in and cell phone pick-up. After check-in, students and their baggage will be taken directly to their apartment. This service is at no cost to the student, but is covered by program cost. Airport drop off is not included but can be offered.

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25. Do the students need a Visa for study?
All semester students must obtain a student visa. Upon acceptance, SAI will send you the application procedures for your student visa. It is very important that you start this process as soon as you are enrolled in the program, as the procedure will take time. For some Italian Consulates, SAI is able to handle the visa processing for you, and the fee for this service can be found below on the costs page.

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26. Where will the students live? What are our choices?
SAI, with our rental agency partners, offers all applicants shared student apartments in Italy, but students are free to arrange their own accommodations. Each student shared apartment is equipped with the following: basic kitchen supplies; furnishings; one set of sheets per student; washing machine and iron.

Study Abroad Italy aims to create a comfortable living environment for each student by providing safe, well maintained student-level housing in quality apartments. Our staff will be on hand to greet and help orient students, and will remain available throughout the school term to answer questions and help with maintenance needs that may arise.

Home stay options may be available at some school locations; contact us for information.

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27. Where do students eat?
As all apartments are equipped with their own kitchens, students may prepare all of their own meals at home. It is possible, however, for students to pre-purchase a meal plan for the duration of the semester.

Prices for the meal plan are available on request.

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28. What if someone gets sick or injured? Describe the health plan?
Study Abroad Italy automatically provides all students with an HTH Worldwide Insurance "Health Select Overseas Policy". Prior to your departure, you will receive an email explanation of benefits, as well as instructions on how to print your ID card from HTH and an "HTH (UNICARE) Authorization Form". This form must be completed, signed and returned to the Study Abroad Italy Office as soon as possible prior to departure.

All policy costs and charges for this policy are included in our general program cost.

For policy information see:

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29. Where do students go to the Doctor? Where’s the nearest hospital?
All of our host schools deal with and will refer students to a local English speaking Doctor. In the event of a more serious case, our on-site SAI Staff will accompany the student to the local hospital.

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30. Is there an orientation for students?
The SAI on-site program coordinator organizes a series of meetings and events which are designed to provide students with a thorough orientation of the city and surrounding area, and a full explanation of the academic program, including an introduction to the faculty and staff. By the end of orientation, students will have a clear understanding of their new environment and feel confident moving about the city independently.

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31. Are there extracurricular offerings included?
Our SAI resident Program Coordinator regularly organizes social and cultural events for SAI students, including:

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32. Are there extracurricular offerings which are not included? What are the costs?
Optional events and excursions of varying lengths are offered at each location. The following overnight excursions are currently offered at our host schools; costs for excursions range from approximately $400-$800.

For further information or if you have any questions, contact the Admissions Officer for Rome, Florence, Sicily or Milan in our California office.

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33. Is there time for independent travel? Where do they typically go on their free time?
Students engage in a variety of free time activities, including organized tours and individual exploring, etc. During the semester, there are a number of opportunities for weekend trips, and students generally travel all over Italy.

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34. What is the cost of living in Italy?
The cost of living in Italy is similar to that in the U.S. In Italy, a cappuccino costs about $1.50 and fruits and vegetables are perhaps a little less expensive than in the States, especially if you buy them at the open market. Telephones, on the other hand, are more expensive in Italy, as is energy in general (gas, electricity, gasoline), so things tend to even out. If you cook in your own house, you can live relatively cheaply. Italian consulates expect you to have about $1,000 - $1,200 per month for your stay in Italy, and this is a good estimate of the basic living cost.

Of our different locations, Milan is perhaps the most expensive city and Syracuse (in Sicily) the lowest, in terms of the general cost of living.

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35. Do US schools send a faculty director? If so, where do they live and what is their primary role?
US schools do not send a faculty Director (with the exception of Faculty led AND taught programs).

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36. What type of support services does the school offer?
Every SAI program has a dedicated admissions officer based at our California office offering a full admissions service and an on-site program coordinator based at the host institution in Italy. All of our on-site Italy staff are fluent in Italian, have lived or studied in the city in which they work and are trained by the Italy Program Director and US staff. In times of emergency, parents may reach a member of the SAI Italy staff (24 hours a day) by dialing the number of the Program Coordinator in the appropriate city.

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37. Can we have additional pastoral care if we didn't send a faculty director? What would it cost, and what would be the extent of their involvement?
On request, it may be possible for us to arrange for a staff or faculty member on-site to act as a dedicated representative for your Institution. The cost would depend on your requirements in terms of duties, availability, etc. Please contact us for information.

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