Hingham lawyer James P. Brady has sued Wheaton College for the price of a study abroad program his daughter attended last spring.

According to the Boston Globe, the suit contends that because the program Brady’s daughter, Jennifer Bombasaro-Brady, took in Durban, South Africa was completely separate from Wheaton, Brady should not have to pay the comprehensive fee.

This fee includes tuition and room and board. The trip to Durban costs about $4,400 less than what Wheaton is charging.

However, the policy for studying abroad is clearly stated on the college Web site and in program material, according to Wheaton’s assistant vice president for communications Michael Graca.

Their study abroad program is consistent with the way the school charges students for classes. One person will not be charged more tuition money if they choose to take more than the required number of classes per semester, and a student will have to pay the same rate if they take fewer classes.

Wheaton also gives institutional grants and financial aid to students who are in need that they can use wherever they go.

“About 60 percent of students receive financial aid,” Graca said. “We feel that it is an appropriate policy.”

Unlike Wheaton, and many other private colleges, the University of Massachusetts does not base its study abroad programs off of the home tuition.

The education abroad fee determines a large part of the trip’s cost, and differs depending on where one wishes to study. There is no one flat rate for every program.

Each UMass student must also factor in the standard study abroad fee of $750, as well as round trip air fare and expenses once he or she has reached the destination.

One benefit about this program is that students who currently have financial aid are able to attend meetings where their application can be re-evaluated to adjust their aid depending on the cost of the program. This will factor in all aspects of the trip, including expenses.

About 1100 to 1200 undergraduate UMass students travel abroad each year, and ultimately have a lot of opportunities as to where they are able to go.

In the end, most in-state students will pay about the same or a little more than what it costs to live at UMass for a semester, while people who are out-of-state will probably pay a little less.

“Yes, it costs a lot, but with some help and planning you can put the pieces together and get out of here,” said Carol Lebold, who is the program director for study abroad in Africa, the Middle East, Australia and New Zealand.

Senior Jackie Forman, who traveled to Ghana, West Africa in the fall of 2006 says that her trip was the most significant experience of her life.

“I learned about myself, independence, what it means to be an American and what it means to be a foreigner. I’ve been back for well over a year, and I still think about it every day,” Forman said.

An in-state student at UMass, Forman traveled through the School for International Training and, because it is a private organization, she paid more than the cost of a semester at UMass.

“I got scholarships from UMass and SIT, and I always knew I wanted to study abroad, so cost wasn’t a problem,” she said.

Senior Lauren Murphy spent the fall of 2006 to the spring of 2007 in the United Kingdom, and agrees with Forman that studying abroad is an amazing experience.

“It helped me academically and helped me socially. England has definitely become a really special place to me,” she said.

Murphy admitted that without the financial aid she received from UMass, her trip would not have been possible.

“UMass is definitely generous with financial aid. I also got grants and scholarships,” she said. “The University sets out your budget so you’re secure and safe when abroad.”

Also an in-state resident, Murphy said she paid a little more than what it would cost her to be at UMass, but considering how the exchange rate was in the United Kingdom, she believed the price for her trip to be fair.

Both seniors were adamant that study abroad is one of the best things to do for any student.

“No one regrets going abroad. People regret not going abroad,” Forman