CAPA Florence Program Q &A
Please click one of the links below to view frequently asked questions pertaining to the following topics.

§ Admission Requirements
§ Program Fees
§ Application Process
§ Financial Matters
§ Housing
§ Transportation
§ Courses
§ Internships
§ Academic Credit Transfer

Admission Requirements

What are the admission requirements for the CAPA Florence Program?

• You must be at least 18 years of age and it is recommended that participants are the equivalent of a 2nd semester sophomore.
• You must have a minimum GPA of 2.8 (on a 4.0 scale)
• You must be in good standing with your home institution. You will be required to present two recommendations with your application.

Program Fees

What else do I need to budget for besides my program fees?

CAPA tries to provide an all inclusive program fee that will help cover most of your overseas costs. However, there are a few items you will need to budget for in advance.

• Meals
  If you are staying in an apartment, you will need to budget for your meals. Your apartment will include cooking facilities so you can keep costs down by cooking for yourself at home. The weekly memos provided by the Florence center will include fun, local recipes to try.

If you are staying in a homestay, breakfast and dinner are included so you need only budget for lunch and when you choose to eat out.

• Airfare
  Airfare is not included in the program fees. Please call STA Travel at 1-800- 224-0371 to get a quote on airfare to Italy for your specific program dates.

• CAPA sponsored weekend trips
  Every semester CAPA Florence organizes excursions that you can sign up for once you are in country. These trips range from $10 to $340 depending on the destination, inclusions, and length of the excursion.

• My Education Cultural Activities
  Throughout the semester CAPA organizes an array of cultural activities to enhance your experience of living in a new culture. You will receive a detailed ME calendar at the beginning of the program. Most of the activities will be free though a few will have nominal costs.

• Spending money
  It is a good idea to write out a weekly budget including everything you may need to spend – this should include your weekly food shopping, nights out, weekend and break travel, things you plan to buy in Florence etc. Then you need to constantly monitor your spending against your budget to ensure you stick to it! Make sure you keep in mind the current exchange rate of the dollar vs the euro – visit this website for up to date information: www.xe.com.

Application Process

When do I need to turn in my CAPA Florence Program application?

Please refer to the timeline on your CAPA Program application which states the application due date for each term. These deadlines are set at 85 days prior to the start of the program.

How will I know if I have been accepted on the CAPA Florence Program?

If your application is approved, you will receive a welcome pack approximately 70 days prior to your departure from the United States. If you have any questions regarding your application, please call the CAPA student services line at 1-800-793-0334. If the CAPA admissions team has any concerns regarding your application, you will be contacted immediately upon receipt of your application.

Visas

Do I need a visa to study on the CAPA Florence program?

Yes, all students staying in Italy over 90 days must obtain a visa. It is very important that you being the application process as soon as possible. Please refer to the following link for further information.

Financial Matters

When are the CAPA program fees due?

You will need to send in a $300.00 deposit along with your initial CAPA application. This deposit consists of a $50.00 non-refundable administrative fee plus $250 which will be applied towards your program fees. Your final payment will be due 70 days prior to the start of the CAPA Florence Program. If you have any questions regarding the payment schedule, please contact the CAPA student services line at 1-800-793-0334.

Can I use my financial aid to help cover the program fees for the CAPA Florence program?

For Fall and Spring semester programs, your federal financial aid can be used to help cover the costs of the CAPA Florence Program. However, you will need to meet with your financial aid officer at your home institution as soon as possible to make sure you have taken all of the required steps to obtain your aid.

For Summer programs, again you will need to check with your institution’s financial aid officer to find out if aid is available.

Financial Aid students participating in the CAPA Florence Program will follow a different payment schedule than non-financial aid students. Please refer to the following link for more specific Q & A’s on financial aid.

What are the cancellation fees if I have to withdraw from the program?

The CAPA cancellation fees are based on the number of days prior to the start of the program that we receive the cancellation notice.

Housing

Where will I live?

You may choose to live in an apartment or a homestay. Apartments and homestays are located up to a 40-minute commute on public transportation from the CAPA Florence Center. Please refer to the Florence Q&A (LINK) for more specific housing details.

Who will I live with?

If you decide to live in an apartment, you will be sharing your space with two to eight CAPA students depending on the size of the accommodation. Generally there will be two to three students per bedroom. If you choose the homestay option, you will have your own bedroom, but there may be other students staying in the homestay in separate bedrooms.

Transportation

How will I get around the city of Florence?

Florence is well equipped with an extensive public bus system. An unlimited Florence bus pass is included in your program fees.

Courses

What courses are offered for the CAPA Florence Program?

The CAPA Florence Program offers a wide variety of language, art, and contextual courses as well as opportunities to participate in internship and service learning opportunities. Please refer to the following link regarding the available courses offered on the CAPA Florence Program. Please note that a few of the courses are not offered during the summer session as noted by an asterisk.

How many credits are earned per course?

Each course is worth 3 credits. During the Fall and Spring semester, you may choose to take 12 – 18 credits. During the Summer session, you must take at least 6 credits.

Will my courses be taught in Italian?

Only the Italian language courses will be taught in Italian. The art and contextual courses will be taught in English by Italian adjunct professors.

Can I take any courses I choose?

Before signing up for a specific course, you will need to check with your home institution to make sure they will approve the transfer credit provided for a specific course. If you are having difficulties getting a specific course approved, please call the CAPA student services line at 1-800-793-0334 and they will contact your university on your behalf. On your application you will be ask to list several course choices. On rare occasions there may be schedule or enrollment conflicts. If this occurs, you will be notified and ask to choose a second or third choice.

Where will my classes be held?

Your classes will be held at the CAPA Florence Study Center. The CAPA Florence Center is located in a historic 15th century palazzo. It is situated in the very center of the city, just minutes from the Duomo. The Palazzo, formerly the Palazzo Valori, dates back to the 1400s and was once owned by Filippo Valori, the rector of the University of Pisa and close friend of Lorenzo de Medici. Between 1865 and 1871 when Florence was the capital of Italy, the head office of the Agriculture and Commerce Ministry was housed here.

Internships

Do I have to participate in an internship?

No, it is up to you whether or not you participate in an internship during your time in Florence. You can also choose to take a full load of art, language, or contextual Courses.

Do I need to be fluent in Italian in order to take part in an internship?

You will not need to be fluent but you will need to have completed at least 4 semesters of college level Italian. Some placement areas may require more advanced Italian. Note that your internship placement may wish for you to help them complete tasks in English such as answering emails or speaking on the phone to English speaking international clientele. However, you will always have access to Italian speakers in order to expand your language skills.

How many credits will I earn by participating in an internship?

You may choose either a full or part time internship. In addition to your time at your internship site you will also participate in an internships course. Each class will be made up of five course components focused on your internship and the overseas experience. These will be examined through seminars, workshops, presentations, and discussions.

If I choose to participate in an internship as part of my program, when will I receive my placement information?

As long as you have completed your internship application in full by the 85 days prior to departure deadline you should expect to receive your internship placement description fourteen days prior to your departure from the US.

Please refer to the following link for more information regarding CAPA internships.

Academic Credit Transfer

What are the steps I need to take to ensure that I will receive credit for the program through my home institution?

There are three important steps to successfully obtaining Transfer Credit through your home institution:

• Obtain written pre-approval of your courses as well as for alternate course choices. CAPA can provide you with the needed course descriptions and syllabi to help with the approval process prior to applying for the program.
• Achieve good marks in your classes while studying abroad.
• You will need to complete a University of Minnesota Learning Abroad application as well as a transcript request form that CAPA will provide in your welcome pack once your application is received.

When can I expect to have my transcripts sent to my home institution?

Your University of Minnesota transcript will be sent to your home institution approximately four weeks after your return to the United States.

If you have further questions, please contact the CAPA student services line at 1-800-793-0334