Academic Year Abroad Siena at the Università degli Studi & the Università per Stranieri

Mensa Sallustio Bandini

AYA believes strongly in the educational value of living in an Italian home, and therefore recommends arrangements of this sort to all its students. Home placements are made after the group's arrival in Siena (and sometimes after a short stay during orientation at a hotel or hostel) on the basis of the student's own self-characterization and his/her statement of interests and objectives on the questionnaires sent to each candidate on admission to the program. This self-characterization is interpreted in the light of the staff's long experience with American students and the host families in Siena. Every effort is made to achieve a good match of each AYA student with his/her roommate and his/her Signora. Much depends, however, on each AYA student's awareness that he or she must adapt to the Italian home, not vice-versa. Students tend to love their Sienese homes, especially their famiglie italiane, and are intrigued by the different habits, customs and cuisine. Indeed, quite often a relationship grows up between the student's two families which extends across the ocean and over the years. It is possible as well to share rooms or apartments with Erasmus (other European) or Italian students (but not including meals). As to meals, the current price for lunch or dinner at a university mensa is 2,5 € (approximately $3.50).

Mature students may make their own living arrangements, but only on the understanding that they and their parents must assume full financial and legal responsibility. The AYA Siena Direttrice, Maria Viñas Sestini, will provide excellent information to any applicant who desires to find his/her own accommodations. But AYA cannot undertake to find such accommodations for such students. AYA will reserve a room in a reasonable hotel, provided the arriving AYA student writes to request this at least 3 months in advance and gives the precise date and time of his/her arrival. Since AYA - arranged housing is contracted for the semester, a student who initially contracts for housing cannot expect any refund if he/she chooses to shift to personally-arranged housing before the end of the semester.

Hospitalization insurance, which is mandatory for visiting students in Italy, is provided as part of the Basic Fee for the Siena program.