Applying to EPIK: Fees & Finances

me giving all my money to EPIK, postal fees and documents

Hey readers!

We have all heard about how much money you can make teaching abroad through the English Program in Korea (EPIK) (hint: it’s A LOT), but what about the money it takes to apply?

Yup, that’s right. It costs money to apply to EPIK. Anyone want to take a guess at how much?

$20? Nope.

$60. Keep guessing.

…$100? I wish.

It costs…well…price varies from applicant to applicant. Depending on the methods they use to complete the steps, as well as where they are applying from (i.e. a South African applicant will have different steps than an applicant from the US), costs will vary. While it might not cost literal thousands  –  it’s still no laughable amount.

If I were to compare it to any other application cycle one pays to go through, I would liken it to that of undergraduate college and medical school applications. Personally, the lowest I’ve heard of someone spending is 150 USD (not including the flight) while the highest can be as much as 2,000 USD.

Why am I writing this?

I know finances are a hard thing to talk about (which is probably why there aren’t many posts online about this), but I think it’s important for applicants to know what they are getting into. EPIK is an amazing program that can help you save money, pay off debts and travel all while teaching English in Korea (2021 edit – although, don’t expect to save crazy amounts as teacher wages have been stagnant for at least 10 years while living costs have only risen). However, this opportunity does require some sacrifice upfront. There are those who do not have to think about the costs, and for them, that’s awesome! No hate or shame from me. But, for the others (like me) whose opportunities are limited by what they can afford, this is for you.

This is not written to deter or detract you from applying. I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t think it was worth it. Instead, this post serves to inform and educate future applicants of the costs so they know what’s to come and what is required of them before deciding to apply and then having to deal with the costs out of the blue. Even though this was an expensive application, I was more than willing to front the costs because I really wanted to do this and was lucky enough to have a free place to stay (aka: my parent’s place), as well as a form of income that was mine to spend (online teaching).

Please also keep in mind, these are approximations and are for what costs you may incur based off of my Spring 2019 EPIK application as a US applicant. I did NOT use a recruiter, but even if I did, recruiters DO NOT and SHOULD NOT charge their applicants so that wouldn’t make a difference. Also, the type of TEFL course you take, as well as the way you choose to complete these steps will affect the cost so don’t use my example as the ‘end all – be all’, yours likely will differ a bit – this is just an example. Additionally, I used third party channelers to help expedite the process. I did this purely for peace of mind as I wanted my documents ASAP but you can save money by forgoing the channelers. You’ll have to wait a bit longer for them to arrive and get started early, but you’ll save money. 

Without further ado, here we go!

Application + Pre-Departure

Submitting the EPIK application via email: $0

TEFL Course: $149.50 via myTEFL.org w/ recent graduate. discount (message me for more info/not sponsored/not a referral code – just wanna spread the news – there are many cheaper courses available on Groupon and other platforms, this is just how I decided to get my TEFL)

Interview: $0

CRC/FBI Background Check: $50 via SureID (HIGHLY RECOMMENDED)

Passport: $120 for a renewal

Apostilled CRC & Notarized Degree via Monument Visa: $55 + $55

Making Copies and Scanning Documents: $15

Passport Photos: $15 at CVS

Sending Documents to EPIK: $112.80 (1.1 LB package w/ Tracking, FedEx)

Placement: $0

Visa Application & Postage (send to consulate and return postage): $45 + $40

One Way Plane Ticket: $700

IRS Form 8802: $85

Scanning and Printing Docs to take w/ Me: $5

Personal Items for Travel: $300 (hair-care, toiletries, clothes, medicine, contacts, glasses, etc.)

Post-Departure + Pre-Paycheck

Money needed for the first month in Korea: $1,000

EPIK Health Exam: $42.50 (~50,000 KRW)

Alien Registration Card: $25.50 (~30,000 KRW)

Estimated Costs BEFORE 1st Paycheck (from application until 1st paycheck): $2,297.30 

Flight Reimbursement + Settlement Allowance (Adjusted from KRW to USD):  $1,362.55

Total Amount Spent (considering reimbursement): $934.75

So, after all was said and done, I really only spent $934.75 on my entire application process, but if we even remove the personal items, then I spent $634.75 on purely EPIK costs. 

How did I do it?

How did a recent grad like me pay? I had some help from my family, but I earned most of the money used myself through part-time work and living at home.

Something to keep in mind is that these ARE NOT incurred all at once, but over the time from when you first apply until you are paid your first paycheck one month after working as a teacher. For me, that was roughly spread over 9 months (July – March), but for others, this could be less or more depending on how early they started applying.

As you can see, you spend quite a lot before starting reap the benefits from this position but if you are able to take the cost, you will see just how worth it this is (2021 edit – this has been worthwhile for me as far as saving money goes, but the stagnant wages and high living costs have made this less-so for many other teachers. Please bear this in mind.). Now, I am a new teacher so I can’t speak much to these benefits as of yet BUT from the beginning, once you get here after orientation, you get a $300 settlement allowance to help you get settled and in your first paycheck AND you are owed a flight allowance of around 1,300,00 Korean Won, which is roughly $1,100 USD (unless you are placed in Busan or another area that gives it to you after your first 6 months).

Also, with EPIK, your apartment is FREE (2021 edit –  well, it’s included in your contract so really you work for it but no monthly payments to keep track of – yay! And if you choose to switch apartments after the first year, you are paid a monthly housing stipend of 400,000 won to help with rent. Somtimes it covers it all and you can pocket some, somtimes you break even, and sometimes it helps supplement a higher rent). The only expenses you are responsible for are anything you personal use (cell phone, utilities, home WiFi, food, and maybe a housing deposit that gets returned when you complete your contract and return home). The longer you stay, the more your salary increases (capped at 5 years) and upon completion, you are owed a pension, an extra month’s bonus as severance, and another 1,300,000 KRW for your flight home when you have successfully completed your contract terms and have decided to return home. You have pretty great health insurance that your school pays half of and your school may even give you discounted lunch while you are teaching during the week.

What should you do next with this information? Look at what I have laid out for you and weigh the benefits and pros yourself. See if this is worth it for you and if this is something you are willing to do. Although the costs are great, the benefits can be plentiful (2021 edit – refer to the edits above. It’s case by case nowadays). Maybe you’ll decide that this is not the year…or maybe you’ll do whatever you can to make it work. Regardless of your decision, I hope this article was useful and gave you a preview of the less talked about side of the EPIK process: the fees and the finances.

I hope this article was helpful in your EPIK process. Let me know what else you’d like to know and don’t forget to follow my blog!

Until the next post,

m. m.

Note: Any links you see in this article are not monetized and are provided to serve as resources.