Approximate Program Costs
Please remember that Middlebury College only bills you for the tuition portion (and the $1,500 per semester study abroad fee for Middlebury students); the remaining expenses will be out-of-pocket. An estimate of program costs for full and half-year students as of February 2015 can be found here: Chile expenses. Figures may vary depending on individual lifestyles and situations. Please note that the “personal” figure covers only some basic necessities (e.g. local transportation, personal items, cell phones, laundry, cultural activities, bank fees, etc.) and does not and is not intended to include students’ discretionary spending (e.g. entertainment and travel).
Fluctuating exchange rates make advanced planning of costs challenging. We advise that you overestimate your costs to accommodate these fluctuations. Please be sure to confirm the exchange rate shortly before your departure so that you budget accordingly.
Year estimates do not include the Southern Hemisphere summer break (mid-December to early March) for those students following the U.S. academic calendar (early August to mid-July).
Expenses
Keep in mind that the amount of money you spend ultimately depends on the lifestyle you choose. One School in Chile staff member noted, “I would even make a direct relationship here: the less money you spend, the better and more authentic the immersion experience. Think of yourselves as sojourners or even better, anthropologists rather than tourists. Most often, the Chilean facilities used by foreign tourists are not those used by the locals. The more money you spend, the more you alienate yourself from a demographically representative Chilean experience and will fail to achieve one of the main objectives of the program.” Local university students, on average, spend far less money than American students, don’t travel out of the country (or out of their cities of study) as much, and are not often found in discos and pubs on weekday evenings. Most students in Chile will rarely have more than the equivalent of $5 USD with them at any one time. That said, in general, you should plan to spend at least as much in a given month abroad as you would at home. Remember to budget extra if you are planning to travel before or after your program. With the exception of travel that includes a Saturday, plane tickets are often more expensive than in the U.S., but bus travel has remained relatively inexpensive. In some countries (i.e. Chile), you can save more buying your plane and/or bus tickets in advance. This is definitely the case for plane tickets. If you are a big spender in the U.S., bringing more money would be a good idea. Some students have found that they spend more than expected on gifts... Students who plan on regularly sampling the nightlife of their cities should budget extra money for taxis ($5 USD to $15 USD per taxi ride).
Another factor that will contribute to your expenses is the fluctuating exchange rate which is common in Chile. You should keep track of these rates in order to become a more conscientious consumer.
Student Visas
A student visa gives you permission to be a student in Chile and is required of all U.S. citizens and many others. You will apply for this visa in the U.S. before leaving for your semester abroad. The visa procedure requires that you already have a valid passport. Students are responsible for obtaining their own visa.
Each consulate determines its own procedures for obtaining the visa; please call your consulate for instructions as soon as possible and before making your travel plans. Some consulates may require students to apply in person for their visa; others will process them by mail, or electronically. However, all students will have to pick up their visas/passports in person, once their visa is ready. 
One of the requirements for obtaining a visa is an acceptance letter from the host institution abroad. The offices abroad will request these acceptance letters from host institutions and will send them to Middlebury to be forwarded to you. It is impossible to know exactly when these letters will arrive, but in some cases, they arrive very near the start date of the program, making it impossible to travel much in advance of the suggested date of arrival. Please make a copy of your acceptance letter and take it with you, as you will submit the original to the consulate when you apply for your visa.
If you are traveling under another country’s passport, please contact International Programs to inquire about any specific requirements or prohibitions for your particular nationality. Students of all nationalities should bring a photocopy of your passport with you and keep it separately so as to facilitate replacement should it be lost or stolen at any time during your stay abroad. Be certain to travel with all documents in your carry-on luggage.
Each consulate has its own requirements for obtaining a student visa, so you should contact your specific consulate and be certain you submit all requisite documentation. You may only apply at the consulate with jurisdiction over your permanent, and in some cases, your university address. Once you inform our office through which consulate you will apply, we send each consulate a list with the students who will be applying, so it is important that you do not switch consulates. What follows are the Washington DC consulate’s requirements at the time of printing:
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Valid passport (not expiring within 6 months after your intended return to the U.S.) and, for international students, a permit to reenter the U.S.
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Health Certificate: Any medical doctor may issue this “certificate” or letter. It should state that you are in good health and have no contagious diseases. It must be issued within 90 days of application.
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HIV Certificate (negative): It must be issued within 30 days of application, so make an appointment early for one month before your planned visa appointment.
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Proof that you do not have an FBI record. Obtaining this certificate can take up to 12 weeks, so do not delay—you will need to be fingerprinted and then send these fingerprints, application, and credit card payment to the FBI for processing.
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Four recent passport-sized photographs.
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Processing Fee: The fee for the visa is $160, payable by money order. It covers the life of your current passport, even after your visa expires.
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Proof of enrollment in Chile: Middlebury College will send you an enrollment certification letter from your Chilean university.
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Proof of Financial Solvency: consulates vary as to what they require to show that you have the means to support yourself during your stay in Chile, but this could include copies of your financial aid award (if applicable), copies of bank statements showing sufficient funds, and/or a notarized letter from a parent claiming financial responsibility during your time abroad to the effect of “I [parent’s name] will financially support my child [name] in the amount of $1,000 per month for the duration of [his/her] studies in Chile from [start month of program, year] through [end month of program, year].” The letter should be dated and signed before a notary who must then sign the document and affix a raised seal.)
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Student visa application form.
If you need to list an address, use our director’s:
Dr. Jeffrey Stevenson, Director
Middlebury School in Latin America (Chile)
Alcántara 200, Piso 6,
Las Condes
Santiago, C.P. 7550159
Once you have gathered the requisite items, you will either appear in person, send copies of everything and present your passport when you go to pick it up, or send everything, including your passport, to the appropriate consulate with a letter citing your name and passport number, requesting a student visa for either six months or one year, depending on your stay. Each consulate has its own requirements, so be sure to follow their guidelines.
Most consulates will require you to pick-up the finalized visa and your passport in person; though in some instances they may return them to you by mail. If this is the case you should include a prepaid overnight express mail envelope with your application. Some consulates also require that you drop off your materials in person.
A student with a six-month visa who decides to stay another semester with the program will have to go through the (relatively uncomplicated) process of renewing the student visa within Chile for an additional cost.
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