United World College Costa Rica

Costa Rica, San Jose

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Fee Table

All the fees for United World College Costa Rica

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Annual Fees

Name	Age	Fee	Track	Conditions
Year 1 (Grade 11)	16	43,000 USD	IB Diploma Programme	Boarding included; cost of attendance per year is USD 43,000. One-time upfront charges: reservation deposit USD 4,300 (10% of tuition) plus immigration/visa admin fees USD 550–750 and security deposit USD 500. Bank transfer fee USD 45 per transfer (three transfers in Year 1). Total annual tuition/board: USD 43,000.
Year 2 (Grade 12)	17	43,000 USD	IB Diploma Programme	Boarding included; cost of attendance per year is USD 43,000. Bank transfer fee USD 45 per transfer (three transfers in Year 2). No additional one-time deposits in Year 2 beyond the standard annual cost.

Application Fees

Name	Fee	Conditions
Application Fee	0 USD	No separate college-level application fee published; reservation deposit is the first formal payment.

Enrollment Fees

Name	Fee	Conditions
Enrollment Fee	0 USD	Included in the general payment terms (not listed as a separate line item).

Additional Fees

Name	Fee	Conditions
International bank handling fee	45 USD	USD 45 per transfer.
Immigration/visa admin fees	550 USD	Region-dependent; USD 550–750.
Security deposit	500 USD	One-time USD 500; held to cover damages and discretionary charges.

Fee Breakdown

Fees

Application fees
- No separate college-level application fee is published. The first formal payment required after an offer is the non-refundable reservation deposit described below.

Tuition and boarding (annual and total for the two‑year IB programme)
- Cost of attendance for incoming (first‑year) students: USD 86,000 in total (presented as USD 43,000 per year). This total includes tuition, books, room, food, health insurance, field trips, IB examination fees, and co‑curricular activity fees.

Breakdown by payment instalment (billing schedule and payment terms)
- Reservation / enrolment deposit: a non‑refundable payment equal to 10% of the tuition fee plus 100% of the extra costs (immigration fees and the security deposit) is due within seven days of receiving the Welcome Letter.
- Second instalment: 40% of the total tuition is due within 30 days of receiving the Welcome Letter.
- Final instalment: the remaining 50% of the tuition must be paid by the final deadline provided in the financial contract (the published example deadline for the intake described was June 25). Upload proof of international transfer (ideally the MT103) after each payment.

Boarding fees
- Room and food (boarding) are included in the annual cost stated above (USD 43,000 per year). There is no separately published line item for boarding outside the stated cost of attendance.

Other compulsory fees and one‑time charges
- Security deposit: USD 500 (one‑time). The deposit may be used to cover damage or other discretionary charges; the Financial Office issues a statement at the end of the first year and an invoice for the second year as required. After the second year, USD 70 is deducted for shipping the IB Diploma and results outside Costa Rica using DHL.
- Immigration / visa administrative fees: charged by region and invoiced to the family; range is USD 550–750. Example regional amounts given: USA/Canada/Brazil (non‑Spanish speaking) USD 750; Latin America (Spanish‑speaking) USD 550; Asia/Africa/Europe/Middle East USD 750.
- Activity attendance penalty: unexcused absence from a co‑curricular, residential, or academic activity is charged at USD 30 per activity.
- International bank handling fee: USD 45 per transfer is applied to cover international bank charges. Families are asked to upload the international transfer confirmation (and MT103 if available) to the college's records.

Refund information
- The reservation deposit described above is explicitly non‑refundable. The security deposit is held to cover damages or discretionary charges and is accounted for by the Financial Office; specific refund amounts (if any) are determined after deductions for damages or approved expenses. No separate, detailed tuition‑refund schedule for early withdrawal or partial attendance is published with the payment schedule provided.

Fee payment methods and instructions
- Payment method: international bank transfer is the required method referenced; families must upload a scanned copy of the international transfer document and, if possible, the MT103 transfer confirmation to the college's financial records (financial.department@uwccostarica.org is the contact given for transfer confirmations). An international bank fee of USD 45 is applied per transfer.

Incidental and optional additional costs to budget for
- Immigration/visa fees (USD 550–750, region dependent).
- Personal spending money, travel to/from country, visa‑related expenses, and any optional or externally charged activities or trips beyond standard field trips and co‑curricular offerings (these are not included in the one‑line items above and should be budgeted separately).

Notes on invoicing and year‑to‑year administration
- The Financial Office provides an end‑of‑first‑year statement summarising costs and issues an invoice for the second year as required; families are expected to follow the Financial Terms agreement and the payment schedule in their enrolment contract.

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The school at a glance

Instructs in English, Spanish

Fees Unlisted

Ages 13 - 18 years

Pupil numbers 200

Type Co-educational (boarding)

Opened 2006

Bus Service No

United World College Costa Rica is a two-year residential IB Diploma Programme school for students aged 13 to 18. It delivers the full IB DP in Spanish with a bilingual diploma option (Spanish and English) and emphasizes experiential learning through Experiential Days across Costa Rica. The campus moves from Santa Ana to San Isidro, Heredia, on 40 hectares of nature reserve to support nature-based inquiry. The college operates as a foundation with an Executive Board and a Board of Trustees, and a Board of Directors was established in 2013. The IB DP core includes Theory of Knowledge, the Extended Essay, and Creativity, Activity, and Service across six subject groups. Co-curricular initiatives such as Agents of Change, Thematic Weeks, and CAS Experiences extend learning beyond the classroom. Eight residences host students with wellness support and vegetarian and vegan dining. One-on-one university counseling helps students pursue global destinations, with Davis Foundation scholarships for UWC Costa Rica students at over 100 U.S. universities. Arts opportunities include Music Ensemble, Art, Film Production, and CAS activities.

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