In Costa Rica, locals say pura vida, but this is more than just a phrase. Studying abroad in Costa Rica for a summer (1-2 months), trimester, semester or full academic  year will give you the opportunity to immerse yourself in this way of life that values less stress and a slow pace – and a deep appreciation for nature. In this country famed for its commitment to environmental protection (over 20% of the territory is protected reserve or animal refuge) students get full language and cultural immersion by living with a local host family and attending a local high school. And not to mention an instant buddy: for summer and trimester students, you’re guaranteed to live with a host sibling your age.

Are you ready to make pura vida your motto? If you check off any of the below, Costa Rica might be the next stamp on your passport:

• You prefer to go with the flow – schedules are flexible and you roll with whatever changes come your way
• You have a commitment to speaking Spanish – even if you’re a complete beginner (all levels welcome – language courses include in semester and academic year programs)
• You’re an environmental justice warrior and want to learn from the experts (and live their values)
• Internet might be spotty but you’re okay with less screen time. Bring on the IRL interactions!

Our alumna Leah Miller shares her reflections on her Costa Rica program:

“My exchange made me more sure about what I want to do in life because of the cultural and historical influences I experienced. No matter how much I love my high school, now I will always want to get on a plane and travel to explore other cultures. Thanks to this experience, I also know that I can do it! And it made me prepared to work hard for the things that I really want. I may not be the most normal person, but this experience taught me that travel is where I belong. It made me confident that that’s what I need to be doing with my life.” – Leah Miller, 2017 Greenheart Travel high school abroad alum

Spring 2025 Dates

Application Deadline: September 15, 2024
Apply early and save! Apply by June 15, 2024 and save $300 off a trimester or semester program and $500 off an academic year program.

• Trimester: Early/Mid February – Late April/Early May 2025
• Semester: February – July 2025
• Academic Year: February – December 2025

Fall 2025 Dates

Application Deadline: March 15, 2025
Apply early and save! Apply by December 15, 2024 and save $300 off a trimester or semester program and $500 off an academic year program.

• Trimester: July – September 2025
• Semester: July – November 2025
• Academic Year: July 2025 – June 2026

Can’t go for a full month but still want to learn Spanish? Check out our 2-4 week summer language camp options in Costa Rica or Spain! 

Arrival and Departure 

All students are required to book flights on their own. An airport transfer upon arrival is included in the cost of the program. We will provide your exact arrival and departure dates after acceptance, as well as the exact timeframes you should arrive/depart, so that you can start to search for possible flights. We require prior approval of a proposed itinerary before you purchase any flights.

Nervous about flying on your own? We recommend students and parents sitting down together to review the following resources:

• How to navigate an international airport blog
• Flying internationally video
• Webinar with tips on flying internationally

For many Greenheart Travel students their first time flying is across the world to start their exchange program! You can read our alumni experiences on our blog, such as Emily’s or Madison’s blogs on their experiences flying to Japan or Rachel’s tips on what you actually need to know about flying.

Program Fees for Spring 2025

Trimester: $7,110
Semester: $14,220
Academic Year: $23,360

Packaged into the Price:

All lengths: 

• Airport pickup upon arrival
• Host family accommodation and 2 meals (semester or academic year) or 3 meals (trimester or summer) per day
• Comprehensive medical/accident insurance
• Arrival Orientation in San Jose
• Certificate of Completion upon successful completion of the program for use on college applications.
• Access to Greenheart Travel Facebook groups to connect with alumni and others on your start date ahead of your program.
• Greenheart Atlas Program 
• Greenheart Travel T-shirt & other Greenheart swag

Semester and Academic Year lengths includes all of the above, and: 

• 2 weeks (semester) or 3 weeks (academic year) of Spanish classes (20 hours/week)
• 1 full weekend excursion 
• 1 half-day excursion
• Tuition in a Santa Ines High school in Heredia

Our Support and Services: 

• Visa Assistance in applying for the visa ahead of arrival, including visa paperwork and extensive directions and support.
• Extensive pre-departure advice and support from your US-based program manager! They will be with you from your first inquiry, all the way through preparing to leave and your arrival in Costa Rica.
• Support from in-country staff upon arrival to Costa Rica.
• Online pre-departure cultural and logistical orientation before you leave.
• 24-hour in-country and emergency support for the duration of the program, including 24-hour emergency phone numbers to reach a program manager at any time.
• Opportunity to apply for a Greenheart Grant to give back to your community at home or abroad.

Additional Expenses to Budget For:

• Flights to/from Costa Rica
• Public transportation to/from school (if needed)
• School uniforms (approximately $100)
• Textbooks and school supplies (approximately $400)
• School lunches during the week (approximately $80)
• Personal spending money for entertainment, extracurriculars, toiletries, etc.
• Local SIM card and any other cell phone costs

Payment Details

• $1,500 Application Fee due by the program deadline to formally apply
• $5,000 Commitment Payment due 14 days after acceptance
• Remaining balance is due 16 weeks prior to your start date. If your program starts within 16 weeks of acceptance, the remaining program balance payment will be due at the same time as the commitment payment. 

Worried about the program fee?

Our goal is to help make travel accessible to everyone and we are here to help when you are deciding if this experience is financially do-able. Each year we offer scholarships for high school study abroad students! We also have a guide to fundraising your program fee, and many high school students fundraise in their hometown ahead of their program.

We also offer discounts for applying early (plus there are many other benefits to applying early!) for each start date and for US families that have hosted an exchange student with Greenheart Exchange.

Please inquire here if you have questions about the program fee, scholarships, or fundraising for your program.

In researching a study abroad program, you have already shown you are a leader and open-minded in your academic pursuits. These are just a few of the traits that our exchange students possess. You’re motivated to immerse yourself in another culture and flexible enough to live outside your comfort zone. You should also:

• Be between 14 and 18 years of age (at the time of travel)
• Be from the United States or Canada
• Possess a high school cumulative GPA of at least 2.75/4.0
• Be in great mental* and physical health
• Have a genuine interest in becoming a part of your host family and community
• Be willing to study and learn Spanish. If your command of Spanish is not sufficient to follow lessons in school, you will be expected to take additional language lessons at your own cost

Check out our summer language camp program in Costa Rica to get a head start on your Spanish skills.

*What does it mean to be in good mental health?

Moving to a new culture and staying in unfamiliar surroundings without your normal support structure can be very stressful, even to a well-adjusted student. Sending a student with pre-existing conditions on a long-term exchange program could exacerbate whatever challenges the student was previously facing. In order to ensure the safety of our participants, we must be rigorous in our pre-screening of all high school abroad applicants.

Therefore, we may not be able to accept students who have struggled with any kind of mental illness, specifically within the last 2 years and/or are reliant on medication to address their existing mental health condition. Each student will be addressed on a case by case basis and ultimately it is Greenheart Travel’s in-country partner who holds the right to accept or decline a student based on their individual policy.

These include, but are not limited to:

• Depression
• Anxiety
• Obsessive-compulsive disorder
• Eating disorders
• Chronic debilitating migraines
• Bipolar Disorder

All students who currently experience one or more of these conditions will be required to submit an addendum to the terms and conditions as well as a letter of support from their current mental health specialist. If the student’s mental health issue has been managed (post-medication) for over 2 years, we will still require a note from his/her relevant practitioner (psychologist, therapist, psychiatrist, etc) as part of the application process.  We encourage you to discuss your specific situation with us directly, before securing these documents.

Please note that students who have been diagnosed with ADD or ADHD will not be guaranteed any academic accommodations plans by the host school abroad.

The government of Costa Rica invests much of its funding toward their education system. To fully embrace your local Costa Rican community you will attend a public school and all of your classes will be taught in Spanish. Mandatory school uniforms minimize economic differences among classmates and will make your packing process much easier! Typical classes include; Math, Spanish, English, Science, Geography and Agriculture.

So, what about credits? 

Neither Greenheart Travel nor the host school abroad provides high school credit. All credit must be granted through your home school in the U.S. or Canada. All U.S./Canadian schools have different policies. Here’s a blog post to read more about how some alumni have transferred credits.  

In Costa Rica, we cannot guarantee your host school will provide you an official transcript. If your school will not, some host schools will provide documentation, letters, and any other materials you require upon request. You must have good behavior, attendance, and performance in order for the school to fulfill this request.  

Then, you should take this documentation back to your home school as proof of your participation in the program. Your home school is responsible for awarding you credit for this program or not.  

Before You Go Abroad

You should meet with your US high school before you leave and share the general curriculum guidelines for Costa Rica with your guidance counselor and/or teachers.  

Because the curriculum will vary by school and we cannot guarantee you’ll take any specific classes, it is important that you arrange the required classes required for your graduation, such as U.S. History, before or after your time abroad.  

Greenheart Travel will be able to provide information about the general curriculum for your age level in Costa Rica, but you will not know your course schedule until after you arrive in country and start attending school.  

Access your High School Curriculum Guidelines for Costa Rica here!

Once You’re Abroad

Please keep in mind that the grading system in other countries is different than the US. Most host schools will not grant grades or transcripts as it is too difficult to evaluate your work due to the language barrier. If your host school is able to award you grades, they won’t be an exact match to what you would get in the US.

Can’t miss part of your semester or a full academic year? No te preocupes! (Psst – that means “don’t worry”)

During North American summers, Costa Rican schools are still in session! You can still attend a local high school and live with a local host family and get the full exchange experience without missing your school year. You can see all the details here:

High School Summer in Costa Rica

The best way to learn about a new culture and language is to be fully immersed in it which is why all Greenheart Travel high school abroad students live with local host families. All of our host families are volunteers and will treat you as a member of their family. By being a part of your family’s daily life, you will learn to live and speak like a local.

For Summer (1-2 months) and Trimester students, you are guaranteed a host family with a host sibling who attends the same high school. 

Prospective host families undergo a rigorous screening process. Participants can rest assured that only suitable host families will be selected. In fact, many of our current host families have hosted students in the past, showing what an impactful experience it was.

In order to qualify as a host family, the prospective hosts must:

• Successfully pass a criminal background check
• Undergo and pass an in-person interview with program staff
• Agree to and pass a home inspection

We will connect you with your host family prior to your arrival in your host country. By e-mailing and speaking with them before arriving, it will help break the ice when you finally meet in person. It will also show that you are as excited to live with them as they are to host you!

Host families have many reasons why they want to welcome you! Our host families are volunteers, meaning they don’t receive compensation for housing and feeding students during their program. Many host families love the experience of cultural exchange – they learn just as much about your country as you do theirs. Many are also former exchange students and want to return the favor, or they have children who have gone or will go to study in the U.S. Having an exchange student exposes their children to new languages and cultures.

A Greenheart Traveler and his Costa Rican host family!

Semester and academic year programs have 1 full weekend excursion and 1 half-day excursion included in the cost of their program.

All students regardless of length will also be able to participate in organized activities, excursions, and short trips for a chance to see life beyond your host community. Sample some delicious BBQ while meeting new friends, take a hiking tour in the rain forest, or experience the thrill of seeing the Arenal volcano up close during your time in Costa Rica! These are just a few of the possible adventures you could enjoy during your high school abroad program.

In addition to program activities and excursions, there are also school-sponsored activities students can take part in, such as

• Teatro
• Fútbol
• Atletismo
• Danza
• Música
• Baloncesto
• Basketball
• Baile
• Yoga
• Portugués

What do our alumni say about their experience studying abroad?

“Not only has my High School Year Abroad with Greenheart Travel helped me learn Spanish as a second language, but it has also exposed me to different lifestyles and customs. Through living with a host family, attending school in a small, coffee-farming town & developing friendships with local students, I have gained entirely new perspectives and experiences. Studying abroad has given me the opportunity to change the way I see myself and everything around me, and that it a gift that I will cherish and benefit from for the rest of my life.” — Rachel Maloney, high school abroad alumni 2016

For summer (1-2 months) and trimester lengths, we place most of our students 1-2 hours outside of San Jose in small to medium-sized towns. Close to the rainforest, but also to the city, this part of Costa Rica is a great place to call home. Our most common placements are in the following towns: San Ramon, Palmares, and Zarcero. We work with several public (and private, upon request) high schools in these areas.

For semester and academic year programs, all students are placed in Heredia and will attend Centro Educativo Santa Ines.

Regardless of your program length, we make it a priority to place students with host families that closely match your interests and personality, for example, if you like soccer, we’ll do our best to find a family that also loves soccer! The best time to talk about your interests and preferences is during the application interview and in your host family questionnaire.

Greenheart Travel has been working with high schoolers for many years, and there are advantages of applying for this program through us:

Have questions or want to talk to one of the program coordinators? Set up a time to have a phone call below.