Practical Information
The following page contains information for prospective students on practical matters related to visa, finance, etc.
Insurance
All students at CBS who are not Nepali citizens must have adequate medical insurance. At the time of enrollment, students are therefore required to demonstrate proof that they are covered by an insurance policy for the period of their studies. Please bring a copy of your insurance card as well as the emergency contact phone/ E-mail contacts for office records. There is currently no long-term insurance that covers international students available in Nepal.
Visa
International students enrolled at the Centre for Buddhist Studies are eligible for student visas as long as they remain in good standing with the program. To obtain this visa, please read the following information pertaining to bank accounts and non-objection letter carefully.
Bank Accounts
To get a student visa in Nepal, one must show proof of having minimum US$ 3,000 deposited in a Nepali bank (US$ 5,000 if a visa is also needed for one's spouse). Opening a bank account can at times be very time consuming and prolong the entire visa process. The longest delay is often the time it takes Nepali banks to clear funds. Both overseas personal checks and traveler's checks can take more than one month to clear. One thing to keep in mind when depositing cash dollars is that Nepali Banks charge 2% commission on the deposit
Important Note: Until you have received the bank statement showing your balance of $ 3,000 (which at times may take up to one month) you cannot spend the money in your account. You will therefore need additional funds to cover living expenses during this period.To facilitate the process you are required to do one of the following:
- Bring US$ 3,010 (bank fees apply), couples US$ 5,010, or the equivalent in Euros, to fully fund the account. This must be cash money. Checks or traveler's checks will not be accepted by the bank.
- Bring US$ 510 to open the account and be prepared to immediately wire the remaining funds into the new account.
Non-Objection Letter
To obtain a student visa, students are also required to have a 'Non-Objection' letter from their embassy. This letter must state that the home country embassy has no objection to you (their citizen) studying in Nepal.
Important Note:If your country does not have an embassy or consulate in Kathmandu you must obtain an official government letter from your home country before you come to Nepal. While the US Embassy in Nepal provides the letter free of charge, most others charge a fee. Aside from US citizens, it may therefore be easier and cheaper for you to get this document from your government before coming to Nepal.
CBS will review the grade on this exam and issue an LPE (Language Proficiency Exam) certificate listing the grade. This certificate can then be presented to the administration at CBS to register for advanced placement. Students may not be enrolled in advanced classes without this certificate. An Exam Processing Fee of $75 per course is required in order to use the LPE certificate towards formal credits. Credit for the course will be officially issued by Kathmandu University at a later time as per University regulations. Students may obtain test credits for a maximum of 15 credits towards the BA degree. The application for credit can only be submitted once a year during the week immediately preceding the fall semester.
Tuition and Expenses
To help students calculate their financial needs, the table below shows an estimate of costs for incoming BA students for the academic year 2007-2008 (in US$). This allows for an average level of comfort but not luxurious living.
| Full-time tuition fee per year | US $ 2520 |
| General fees | US $ 485 |
| Exam fees | US $ 100 |
| Student visa fees (40 $ / month) | US $ 480 |
| Books and supplies | US $ 200 |
| Room and board (200 $ / month) | US $ 2400 |
| Optional fieldtrips | US $ 250 |
| Total | US $ 6435 |
Scholarships
CBS grants three scholarships per semester for promising Nepalese students. For students of other nationalities a limited number of employment scholarships is available.
Financial Aid and Work Study
To encourage all potential applicants, CBS aims to keep tuition expenses as low as possible without sacrificing quality of education. In general, students are advised to research other financing options, such as national government grants and foundation grants. For example, several governments provide full or partial grants to students of their countries. As a degree granting institution, CBS does expect that students bear the bulk of the responsibility for financing this education and it is hoped that students view the investment in the CBS program as a worthwhile endeavor. Nonetheless, CBS realizes that some candidates will have difficulty meeting tuition costs. Thanks to the generosity of several donors we have a limited amount of financial assistance available for students with unusually limited financial resources.
Students who receive financial aid through CBS are assigned specific "work study" contracts that provide them with areas of responsibility within the daily functioning of the institution. The program emphasizes work-study as a way of reminding students of the value of participation and generosity. CBS has a limited number of work positions available each semester. Applicants’ skill sets are matched to available positions. These awards are limited to 50% of tuition per year. Work-study positions are reserved for full time students only. Students must maintain satisfactory academic progress to continue receiving financial aid. Students should also be aware that work assignments may sometimes require them to miss portions of class time.
Financial aid is awarded on a semester-by-semester basis. CBS will consider a request for review based upon major changes in financial situations. Need is a major criteria in filling work-study positions but in some cases an applicant may not be able to fill a work position. For such students CBS offers a deferred payment plan. Students can defer up to a maximum of 50% of their tuition for one year at a time. In addition, an administrative fee will be charged on top of tuition. This option is available exclusively upon providing sufficient proof of need. Interested candidates should fill out the form below. Applications must be submitted by May 31. The decision of the scholarship committee will be communicated by June 7.