International Student Resources

For general information about traveling to and living in the United States, see the U.S. of State’s webpage www.educationusa.state.gov. For information on Boulder, Colorado, including maps of the city, see https://bouldercolorado.gov/.

TRAVEL TO BOULDER

You will probably arrive in Colorado by air through Denver International Airport (DIA). Boulder is located approximately one hour and fifteen minutes from the airport. You can travel to Denver by bus or train, and then to Boulder by bus. Please check the RTD website for travel arrangements and schedules by clicking here.

The Boulder Shuttle is available for service to/from the airport and door-to-door. Please click here to view the Boulder Shuttle scheduling website.

HOUSING

While Naropa has on-campus housing for new and transfer first-year students only, off-campus housing assistance is available through the housing coordinator. The average cost of an off-campus room in a shared house or apartment is around $500/month, plus utilities. For more information, see the Naropa Housing web page. You may also contact our housing coordinator at housing@naropa.edu.

Students are advised not to commit to any housing arrangement before arriving in Boulder and checking the condition and location, meeting potential roommates, etc. Students in the Somatic, Contemplative Psychotherapy & Buddhist Psychology, and Transpersonal Counseling Psychology programs should be aware that most of their classes will be on the Paramita Campus, 3285 30th Street, rather than on the Arapahoe Campus.

TEMPORARY ACCOMMODATIONS

Boulder has many hotels and motels. Two that are close to the Naropa campus are Quality Inn, 2020 Arapahoe https://tbsdirectory.com/usa-co/boulder/hotel/quality-inn-a66005 and University Inn https://www.boulderuniversityinn.com/

TELEPHONES

All calls in the Boulder-Denver area require a ten-digit number. For example, to call the international student advisor at Naropa from DIA, you would dial 303-546-3592.

In order to make international phone calls, you can either purchase a phone card or order an international service through a phone company.

If you experience an emergency anywhere in the United States, you can dial 911 to contact the police. A call to this number can be made on any phone and is free of charge.

BOULDER CLIMATE

Boulder is located on the 40th parallel, at approximately 5,000 ft/1700 meters elevation. Temperatures during the summer months (June, July, August, and sometimes into September) can be fairly high during the day (85+F/30+C), but are often cool at night (50F/10C). The weather usually remains fairly mild through the autumn, becoming colder in November. Boulder has nearly 300 sunny days a year, and daytime winter temperatures vary a great deal, ranging from below freezing to as high as 65F/18C. Temperatures at night can be very cold, reaching 0F/-18C. There are usually several snowfalls each year; these can begin in September and last through May, but in most cases the snow melts a day or so after it falls. One sure thing about Boulder weather is that it is unpredictable, and one should always be prepared for anything.

If you arrive in August, bring warm-weather clothes with you and a few warmer things for evenings and cooler days. If you come from a warm climate and do not own cold-weather clothes, it will probably be best to wait and buy them after your arrival here. There are several sources in Boulder for low-cost and recycled clothing.

SHIPMENT OF UNACCOMPANIED BAGGAGE

Baggage shipped from overseas by sea freight is subject to long delays, loss, damage, theft, and excessive paperwork. We suggest that you investigate the possibility of sending any unaccompanied baggage by airfreight or by parcel post through the mail. Insure all shipments against loss or damage. Mark all packages of clothing and personal effects as "used" in order to avoid having to pay U.S. customs.

If you send baggage by sea freight or airfreight, you will have to clear it through U.S. customs in Denver. If you do not have a U.S. address, you can address it to yourself in care of International Student Advisor, Naropa University, 2130 Arapahoe Avenue, Boulder, CO 80302. Instruct your shipper to send it in bond to the Customs Office in Denver and to have the local receiving agent notify you in care of the International Student Advisor when it arrives in Denver. Be sure to obtain from your shipping agent the name and address of the final carrier or agent in the United States so that you can trace the shipment from here, if necessary.

HOW MUCH MONEY SHOULD YOU BRING WITH YOU?

You will need enough money to get to Boulder from the Denver Airport or wherever your transportation out of your home country ends, as well as funds for temporary housing and food while you are looking for permanent housing. Once you find a room or apartment, you will probably have to pay two months' rent in advance plus a deposit, possibly a total of $1,200 or more. You may also have to pay deposits for utilities (telephone, gas, and electricity.) You will need to purchase textbooks, which can be quite expensive, and you will probably have to purchase items such as bed linens, lamps, possibly cooking utensils, and furniture. Unless you have paid your first semester tuition in advance (to do so, contact the Bursar's Office at Naropa), and unless you already have health insurance, you will need funds to cover these as well. We would therefore recommend that you have a minimum of $8,500 available to you upon your arrival. This amount will cover only initial expenses. You will need additional funds of $1200 or more per month for living expenses. Do not carry large amounts of cash! You should bring most of your funds in the form of traveler's checks or certified bank checks. You may pay your tuition by Visa or MasterCard (2% processing fee for credit card payments.) You may also pay by wire transfer. For instructions on how to do this, please contact international@naropa.edu.

TRAVEL ASSISTANCE

The international student advisor is available to help you with arrival questions and problems, and may be able to find you a Boulder host—someone in the community who can assist with your arrival, and who might be able to provide you with a place to stay for a few days. Email international@naropa.edu. The International Student Group at Naropa can provide you with the email addresses of current Naropa students who will answer your questions about the University and about arriving in Boulder. If you would like a student email “buddy” please email world@naropa.edu.

It is not really necessary to have a car while you are a student at Naropa. All students are provided with local bus passes, which allow them to use Boulder's excellent public transportation system.

The Boulder Shuttle is available for service to/from the airport and door-to-door. Please click here to view the Boulder Shuttle scheduling website.

If you bring a car to Boulder or purchase one here, you must register the car in Boulder County as soon as you arrive. Do this at the Motor Vehicle Office, 1750 33rd Street, 303-413-7710. To drive a car in Colorado, you must have a valid driver license—either a license from your country of citizenship, an international driver's license, or a Colorado Driver License.

To apply for a Colorado license, first get a copy of the Colorado Driver Handbook from the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) office at 2850 Iris Avenue. When you are ready to take the tests required for the license, bring your passport, I-20, and I-94 to the DMV. There you will take a written examination, an eye test (bring your glasses), and a driving test in a car that you provide. The fees can be found here. You can take the written test first and the driving test at a later date if you prefer. You can call for an appointment for the driving test at 303-442-3006. If you pass the examination, you will be issued a regular Colorado Driver License. For more information, please click here.

If you own an automobile, you must have approved Colorado motor vehicle liability insurance, as Colorado law requires this. Consult any reliable insurance agent. The cost of automobile insurance is high. Depending on your age, the kind of car you drive, the specific types of coverage you have, and other factors, it will cost between $500 and $1000 per year. Insurance must be considered an essential part of the expenses involved in owning an automobile, as much as the original purchase price, operating expenses, and maintenance.

Do not drive an automobile that is not insured.

As of January 2014, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) went into effect.  This legislative act requires all US citizens and noncitizens to carry health insurance.  As non-citizens, all F-1 and J-1 international students and scholars studying in the United States are expected to comply with the health insurance requirement. In order to comply with this requirement, Naropa requires all undergraduate students and all international students to have medical insurance. Health care in the United States is very expensive and an uninsured illness or accident can result in enormous debt and/or insufficient care.

Each semester all full-time degree-seeking undergraduates and all International students are automatically enrolled in the student health insurance plan through the university with the option to waive it by providing proof that they are insured in some other way. The cost of Naropa University health insurance is approximately $1,252 for the fall semester, $1,237 for the spring semester during the 2021-22 academic year. Other international student health insurance plans may be less or more expensive, depending on the age of the student. Please note that according to regulations, all International Students and Scholars are required to have the minimum coverage of the following :

a.     Medical benefits of at least $100,000 per accident or illness

b.    Repatriation of remains in the amount of $25,000

c.     Expenses associated with the medical evacuation of exchange visitors to his or her home country in the amount of $50,000; and

d.    Deductibles not to exceed $500 per accident or illness.

For information on some other plans see:

• www.gatewayplans.com
• www.ejsmith.com (Sentry Plan II)
• www.lewer.com

Naropa University does not have a student health clinic. Students who purchase the Naropa health insurance plan can search for physicians on the website of the health insurance provider. Other students must locate health and dental care on their own. For information on health resources in Boulder County see Boulder County Resources.