Costs Paid for by the Program

• Weekend Trip in May with U.S. Fellows (optional)
• Pre-Departure Orientation in Kyoto (required)
• 5-week Research Internship in Houston
  • Hotel rooms will include kitchens so students can cook meals on their own. 
• Final week program on East Coast
  • No kitchens but free daily breakfast provided. 

 Partial Meal/Living Costs Stipend While Abroad: This is a partial stipend that will cover most, but not all daily living expenses. Students will receive these funds in two disbursements while at Rice University.  Funds will be issued to the students via a Rice University check which can then be cashed at a nearby into cash (USD).  Funds are to be used for food/meals and other necessary/required daily living costs. Stipend provided will be about $20 – $25 per day while in the U.S.  

Meals in Houston: Daily breakfast is not provided at the hotel in Houston. Students must cook or purchase all meals individually using their stipend and/or personal funds. Hotel rooms in Houston will include a kitchen and students are strongly encouraged to buy groceries and cook meals on their own to save money.  The hotel shuttle provides free transportation to a nearby grocery store.

Meals During Final Week: During the final week program on the East Coast, breakfast will be provided at the hotel but students will need to use stipend funds to pay individually for most lunches/dinners.  

U.S. Cell Phone: The program will loan each student a mobile phone and U.S. SIM card to be used to make/receive calls while abroad.  This will enable participants to remain in communication with in-country program staff, their host labs, and make calls domestically or internationally in an emergency situation.  Students will be expected to reimburse the program for any lost/damaged phones or excessive usage charges.

Data is limited on the U.S. mobile phone provided. Students are encouraged to use wi-fi whenever possible to access services like LINE, Facebook, Snapchat, Google, or other high-data usage apps. Free wi-fi access is widely available in the U.S. including at Rice University, hotels in the U.S., restaurants/coffee shops, and many other public places.  Use wi-fi whenever possible to conserve the data on your U.S. mobile phone.

If you choose to bring your Japanese mobile phone with you to the U.S., call your cell phone provider prior to departure and inquire about the fees charged for using your Japanese mobile phones to make calls or use data while abroad.  To avoid a high cell phone bill, it is recommended you turn the data roaming off on your Japanese mobile phone and only use this phone in wi-fi mode. 

Estimated Student Costs 

• Visa application costs for J-1 visa (~ $160)
• SEVIS Fee (~ $180)

Eating out in the U.S. is comparatively more expensive than
eating out in Japan. Low cost restaurant options are typically
limited to fast-food (e.g. McDonald’s). Students can save money
on meal costs, and maintain good health, by cooking on their own
at the hotel while in Houston. All hotel rooms will have a kitchen.

Students who  wish to visit other areas/restaurants/sites in and
around Houston during their free time will need to pay individually
for travel via taxi, Uber/Lyft, or the Houston Metro bus or
Metrorail System. During the final week on the East Coast,
students will need to pay individually for some travel via
subway for site visits in and around Washington, DC.