Florence, Italy

rooftop view of the City of Florence, with flat red roofs and the Duomo

Florence is an exciting city in which to live and study. On an afternoon stroll through the streets of Florence, which is set amidst the golden hills of Tuscany, you can admire the architecture of Giotto and Baroque sculptures adorning the fountains of the city. You can linger in at the Uffizi Gallery with its vast collection of paintings and sculptures, and view the magnificent Santa Croce, where Galileo, Michelangelo, and Machiavelli are buried. Discuss art with Florentine painters in their studios and explore the bookshops near Via Cavour, and visit one of the most popular spots in Florence, the Ponte Vecchio, a 14th-century bridge spanning the River Arno.

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Program Dates

Depart U.S.: Sat., January 31, 2026

Arrive in Florence: Sun., February 1, 2026

Mid-Semester Break: March 14 - 22, 2026

Depart Florence: May 1, 2026

Application Open Soon Program Brochure Program Info Sheet (from 2025 as a reference) Important Dates (from 2025 as a reference)

Attend an info session to learn more about the Florence study abroad program or how to apply for scholarships to pay for study abroad.

Attend an Info Session

Can't make the info session or have more questions? Please contact Professor Lisa Palmer to set up a meeting via Zoom or in-person.

Email: palmer@smccd.edu | Phone: (650) 306-3221

Application Process

Ready to apply? Watch this four-minute v ideo about how to complete the application.

Here is our latest info session for Spring 2025 program as a reference.

In order for SMCCCD Study Abroad to review your eligibility, you must select “San Mateo County Community College District” as your home college on the application. Learn more at the NCSAC Florence website.

Application Checklist Application Open Soon

About this Program

This program enables you to study abroad while making normal progress toward your degree objectives and earning fully transferable units in courses taught by community college faculty and guest lecturers. The program is offered in cooperation with the Contra Costa County, Los Rios County, San Mateo County and Santa Rosa Junior College, and with the American Institute for Foreign Study (AIFS), which arranges transportation, living accommodations, and a wide range of student and instructional support services.This program is part of the Northern California Study Abroad Consortium (NCSAC). Units earned in Florence will appear on your transcripts issued by the participating colleges.

Visit the NCSAC program page for a list of Frequently Asked Questions.

Courses Offered

Program Deadlines

Friday, September 19, 2025: Priority Application Deadline
Friday, October 31, 2025: Application/Deposit Deadline (closing early due to capacity limits)
Friday, December 5, 2025: Final Payment Deadline

Program Eligibility

Students need not be currently enrolled at one of the sponsoring colleges in order to participate.

Program eligibility requirements:

Be 18 years of age or older.
Have a cumulative GPA of 2.25 or higher.
Have completed a minimum of 12 units of college level coursework.

Provisional Student Enrollment

Students who do NOT meet the application criteria (of at least 12 units and at least a 2.25 GPA) may use their current semester transcript in progress to assist with meeting the criteria, BUT MIGHT NOT BE ALLOWED TO ENROLL in the Study Abroad Program until after they receive their mid-term grades AND can demonstrate they are likely to meet the minimum qualifications.

After meeting these criteria, students may be allowed to be enrolled for the AIFS-SMCCCD Study Abroad Program under “Conditionally Accepted” status. Provisional students who finish the semester without meeting any of the minimum requirements will be dropped from the program.

Please read the Provisional Student Advisory, sign and submit it to studyabroad@smccd.edu if it applies to you.

Provisional Student Advisory

Financial Aid and Scholarships

Financial Aid

If you are receiving financial aid and would like to apply this towards the Spring 2026 Semester Abroad Program in Florence, you MUST complete the 2025-2026 FAFSA at studentaid.gov and work with the Financial Aid Office to complete all steps of the Financial Aid checklist.

Financial Aid Checklist AIFS Financial Aid Packet

Scholarships

SMCCCD Study Abroad offers a limited number of scholarships for students to study abroad. Visit our How to Pay section to learn more about applying to these opportunities.

Gilman Scholarship

AIFS Scholarships

Due Friday, November 7, 2025

View SMCCCD Scholarships

Program Fees and Refund Policy

Program Costs

The fee per person is $8,745.

The above fee excludes airfare, passport or visa fees if applicable, meals other than those listed, personal expenses, any California Community College tuition or administrative fees, textbooks, additional field trips or excursions to those listed, anything not specified.

Budget Sheet

Refund Policy

If a student withdraws on or before Friday, November 7, 2025, a full refundwill be made less $150, plus any non-refundable deposits paid either by thestudent or by AIFS on the student’s behalf.
If a student withdraws after Friday, November 7, 2025, but on or beforeFriday, December 5, 2025, the $450 deposit fee is forfeited, along with anynon-refundable deposits
If a student withdrawing voluntarily for any reason after Friday, December 5,2025, there will be no refund.
If a student withdraws once the program has begun, there is no refund.

Meet Your SMCCCD Faculty Teaching Abroad in Florence:

Professor Lisa Palmer | palmer@smccd.edu | (650) 306 - 3221

Evan Kaiser

In high school, Lisa Palmer studied abroad with our consortium’s partner, AIFS, visiting, in one month, five countries, twenty-five cathedrals, and fifteen museums. She returned to her hometown of Seattle with her mind blown open, which likely helped her get into Stanford, where she majored in English. She returned to live and work in Europe during and after college, and her wanderlust has also taken her to Central and South America; Fiji, Australia, and Japan; and, last summer, Scotland, where, with her daughters, she hiked the 100-mile West Highland Way before seeing Taylor Swift play Edinburgh. Lisa’s passion for learning about other cultures infuses her academic interests, as well. After Stanford, she earned an M.A. (Columbia University) in English and Comparative Literature, and a PhD (UCLA) in Comparative Literature, with a focus on Latin American, Italian, and American literatures.

Lisa has taught composition and literature for several decades, first as a graduate student at UCLA and then in the San Mateo Community College District. She was thrilled to teach with our program in Florence in 2011 and cannot wait to return to Florence in Spring 2026. As a former study abroad student, she knows that students would much rather explore the city than sit in a classroom, so she strives to make the city the classroom. She and her students will visit sites that are featured in the texts they read and go to places associated with the writers and film-makers they study. They will also blog, to describe, process, and share the life-changing experience that is studying abroad. Finally, Lisa’s courses are ZTC (Zero Textbook Cost), so students don’t have to pay for, or transport, textbooks.

Study Abroad

SMCCCD Study Abroad

Florence, Italy

Program Dates

Application Process

About this Program

Program Deadlines

Program Eligibility

Program Eligibility

Financial Aid and Scholarships

Financial Aid

Scholarships

Gilman Scholarship

AIFS Scholarships

Program Fees and Refund Policy

Program Costs

Refund Policy

More Information or Questions?

Courses Offered

Meet Your SMCCCD Faculty Teaching Abroad in Florence:

Study
Abroad