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• RETURN TO ISO HOMEPAGE

Please keep in mind that your first days in Erie will be spent searching for available housing in the campus area.

You should plan your finances accordingly, bringing enough money to cover possible hotel stays and rent deposits. On-campus employment is hard to acquire at Gannon and WILL NOT provide you with enough means to cover your expenses. Please keep this in mind as you prepare your trip to the U.S.

Planning for First Expenses

Aside from covering the cost of your tuition and fees, which completes your registration, you will need to plan for a number of other expenses in the first month after your arrival in Erie. (All costs in parenthesis are approximate)

• Textbooks and Study Materials: ($250.00-300.00)
  A textbook or course packet is usually a requirement of any class that you will take at Gannon. You can buy textbooks at the Gannon Bookstore, online, or from classmates. New textbooks are expensive, but you can opt for a used version, if available through the bookstore, or try ordering textbooks through online through booksellers such as Amazon. In addition, you should be prepared to purchase paper, writing instruments, auxiliary computer storage units (flashdrives, etc.), and copier materials.
  
  
• Computer Access; Cell Phones: ($100.00-200.00)
  There are a number of on-campus computer labs available to students for both study and personal communication. Many students opt for cell (mobile) phones, rather than landlines, so be prepared to purchase the phone equipment if you do not bring a compatible handset from home, and to pay for services which are usually contracted for a year or two at a time. Many cell phone service providers will also require that you make a substantial deposit ($100-$200 dollars) as a security against the charges you will incur each month.
  
  
• Transportation: ($5.00-25.00)
  At Arrival
  Local bus fares are usually 1.10 each direction, unless you are riding the free Bayfront Trolley between downtown locations (including the bus and train stations). Cab fares range from 15.00 to 17.00 from the airport. IF you choose to stay at the Avalon Hotel for temporary housing, you may call for the free Avalon Hotel shuttle from the airport.
  
  After Choosing Housing
  Since there are many apartments available to students within walking distance to campus, a car is not immediately necessary, and further, you are cautioned against making a car purchase without due consideration for the expense of maintaining a vehicle in the state of Pennsylvania.
  
  The public bus system in Erie serves Gannon students well for getting over to grocery stores, shopping centers, and other consumer service providers. The bus fare in each direction is $1.10, but you can purchase a monthly pass (31-days) for $35.00 which allows unlimited rides throughout the period.
  
  A bicycle is nice in the summer months and can be ridden in winter, too, if you purchase one with broad wheels and good treads. Costs range from $60.00 upward, depending on the condition and model.
  
  
• Temporary Housing: ($50.00-350.00)
  In the first days after your arrival to Erie, you will require some time to choose a permanent residence and to carefully review rental agreements, leases, and any documents related to housing. There are several hotels and bed-and-breakfast inns near campus. Gannon University has arranged for reduced rates at the Avalon Hotel (about 49.00 a night for singles; 59.00 for a double).
  
  
• Permanent Housing: ($400.00-800.00)
  Undergraduates are required to live on campus or apply for an exemption. Please see the Student Living Web site for more information.
  
  Graduates have no on-campus housing facilities available at Gannon. Depending upon whether you share an apartment or rent one for yourself, should plan to pay at least $200.00 toward first month’s rent and the same amount as part of a one-time, "upfront" security deposit. In addition, you may be asked to make security deposits to some of the utility companies to begin service for heat, electricity, telephone, etc.
  
  
• Food: ($50.00-100.00)
  Costs really depend on what you like to eat! But of course, if you are not able to cook for yourself, you should put aside at least $10.00 a day for food from “fast” food restaurants and food kiosks, and more for “sit-down” café and restaurant dining.
  
  There are grocery stores near campus, but because these are small operations, food will be more expensive than if you take a bus or go with someone to one of the larger grocery stores further to the south of campus. Ingredients to prepare food from your home cuisine may or may not be available locally, but almost surely such ingredients will cost more here in Erie if they are not common ingredients for American-style cooking.
  
  It is possible to order many dry ingredients online, and many students pool orders and resources for a trip to one of the larger urban areas (Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Buffalo) to buy spices and other ingredients from specialty markets where costs are lower.
  
  
• Clothing: ($20.00-150.00)
  If you arrive during the winter you will require a heavy coat, boots, hat, and gloves, so plan for another $100.00-150.00 in order to outfit yourself. You can also find used coats, boots, etc. at thrift stores near campus at a much reduced cost.
  
  
• Health Care and Insurance: ($300.00-500.00 per semester)
  International students at Gannon are required to carry health insurance during each semester of enrollment. Keep in mind that if you arrive before the start date of any policy you choose, you will not be covered for any costs that you may incur for health care (accident, illness, etc.) You may want to consider purchasing a short-term travel plan to cover health emergencies for the time you are in Erie before coverage begins on the yearlong policy.
  
  
• Miscellaneous: ($100.00-200.00)
  Especially if you are renting an unfurnished apartment, you will need to spend a couple hundred dollars on simple furnishings, plus bedding, kitchenware, and cleaning products. Here again, buying at used furniture and thrift stores will save you money.