Costa Rica (Veritas) Study Abroad Program

Volcan Irazu National Park, Costa Rica

Photo by Alex Ip on Unsplash

Program Overview

This program is offered in collaboration with Veritas Christian Study Abroad at Veritas University in San José, Costa Rica. San José, with a population of approximately 1.5 million people, is the “hub” of Costa Rica in every sense of the word. It is the cultural, economic and social center of the country where one can experience the hustle and bustle of daily life for more than half of Costa Rica's citizens.

Veritas is a division of International Studies Abroad (ISA). You will be attending classes with ISA students as well as Veritas students.

Course Content

You are required to take a comparative religions course or an international missions/service-learning practicum taught by local Veritas staff, and a beginning Spanish language course at the university. The remainder of the courses will be taken at Veritas University.

Excursions

You will have the opportunity to participate in several excursions. Which excursions are available depend on the semester. Possible excursions include a visit to the Arenal Volcano and La Fortuna, a visit to the Monteverde Biological Cloud Forest Preserve (with a possible ride on the 130-foot zipline), or a visit to the beaches of Manuel Antonio.

Housing

You will live in homestays with Costa Rican families and be provided with two meals per day, breakfast and dinner (except on Veritas excursion days), and laundry service once per week for the official duration of the program. This is included in the Veritas program cost.

Program Fees & Eligibility

You pay your regular George Fox tuition and room and board and continue to receive all of your financial aid. Due to the high cost of some programs, an additional fee may be charged. You are responsible for round-trip airfare. There also may be an additional charge for a visa. The fee does include emergency travel insurance.

To apply, you must be a full-time undergraduate student with junior or senior status, holding a cumulative GPA of 2.75 or higher. There is no language requirement.

Application Process

Applying to the program is a two-step process, requiring that you complete both a George Fox and external site application. Visit the Application Page to get specific details. Once you’ve completed the George Fox application, we will provide you with information to apply to the Costa Rica (Veritas) program.