By Brian Geiger

Brian Geiger is a co-founder of Scholarships360. He previously worked on the growth team of a hypergrowth startup and in investment banking. Through a combination of private grants, outside scholarships, and income from freelance writing, Brian earned his undergraduate degree from Princeton University with $0 in student debt.

Updated: August 7th, 2021

Verto Education offers a creative, new way to get into your dream school and start college differently–with a year of study abroad!

In this review, we’ll explore how Verto works and what type of student might benefit from applying. Let’s dive in!

• How does Verto work?
• What does Verto cost?
• Pros & Cons of Verto
• Bottom Line

How does Verto work?

Verto partnered with colleges in the U.S. and internationally to offer college freshmen the opportunity to partake in a gap year while simultaneously receiving college credits.

The Verto program is a freshman year. Core requirements for freshmen are taken so students later enter college as second-semester freshmen in the spring or sophomores in the fall.

During each semester with Verto, students can earn up to 16 credits. In addition to required courses (include a college writing / rhetoric class and an identity and politics class) students will take courses that vary based on which country they’re studying abroad in. You can explore the different semester programs on their website.

Once a student has been accepted into Verto, they are guaranteed admittance into one of Verto’s 46 partner universities the following fall or spring. These partners include: William & Mary, University of Tennessee, University of Vermont, University of South Florida, University of Oregon, Temple University, Bucknell University, Butler University, Pace University, the Catholic University of America, High Point University, University College Dublin, and The University of Bristol, among many others!

What does Verto cost?

Verto is a low-cost option for students looking to get a quality education abroad.

Current semester program costs are listed on our individual program pages and run from $15,000 – $25,000 per semester depending on the location(s) chosen, before scholarship and aid is applied.

Note that you can use FAFSA to help pay for your Verto semester, so this sticker price can be greatly reduced. Financial aid (loans, scholarships, grants) is available for all Verto Education semesters. If you’re eligible to receive financial aid, you can apply it to your semester abroad with Verto.

Does Verto offer scholarships?

Yes! Verto is running a few very generous scholarship programs to further reduce the cost of attendance. These include:

1. $1,000 International Leadership Award: For this award, most students will need to be nominated by a counselor, teacher, or boss. For more information, check out our profile of this scholarship.
2. $5,000-$10,000 Opportunity Grant for Hawaii and Latin America Semesters: These generous grants are awarded based solely on income level for these two semesters. Check out the infographic below on how much this award can reduce your cost, and check out our profile of this scholarship for even more information.

Also see: Top study abroad scholarships

Verto Pros & Cons

Beginning college with Verto offers distinct advantages compared to directly enrolling in university or traditional study abroad programs, but may not be right for all students.

Pros

• Lower cost compared to typical study abroad semesters. Costs can add up quickly when studying abroad through your university, who may or may not cover accommodations. Verto’s cost covers tuitions, accommodations, tickets/entry fees for sponsored programs, and study tours and excursions, among other things. Flights to and from the location of study are NOT covered.
• Partnering with universities for college credit. Unlike some independent study abroad programs, Verto partners with colleges and universities to ensure credits transfer seamlessly into students’ four-year degree programs.
• Go abroad while staying on track to graduate. Verto is an opportunity to travel the world while completing your university degree in 4 years. It’s a “gap year” without the gap, allowing you to explore the world without missing a beat.

Cons

• Integrating study abroad with your academic career. Some students may want to use study abroad to explore a language they picked up in college, or to conduct research for a senior thesis. Students opting to go abroad in their first year will miss out on these opportunities, although may discover a passion they didn’t know existed!
• Beginning college with study abroad may be stressful for some students. While some students might jump at the opportunity to live abroad for a year before diving into college life, the transition to college on top of studying abroad might be a lot for some students. Before committing to any program, we encourage you to think deeply about your own comfortability with change.

Bottom Line

Verto is revolutionizing the first year of college to help students find purpose, discover the world, and be successful in their college career. We recommend Verto to students looking to begin their college education with a study abroad experience at a fraction of the cost of a typical study abroad program.

Interested in more creative ways of paying for college? Check out our top personal finance tips for students!