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College students pay thousands to study abroad. Many are shocked to find out that university officials nationwide often take trips to the same places – for free.

At colleges where many study-abroad agencies compete for student enrollment, university officials are often treated to free trips and other perks for meeting quotas – a system that’s come under fire from critics who say it smothers competition and increases costs for students.

“There really is no justification for individual benefits associated with the performance of campus officials,” said Barmak Nassirian, associate executive director of the nonprofit American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers.

“They’re not service providers like cab drivers or waiters, so they shouldn’t get tips.”

Some officials at universities across the nation have argued that these trips are necessary in order to evaluate abroad programs before students enroll.

“We think that as long as there’s appropriate oversight on the part of the institution, we don’t think there’s anything inherently wrong with travel paid for by a provider,” said Kay Glass, director of the Forum on Education Abroad, a consortium of colleges and study abroad providers, including the University of California’s Education Abroad Program.

“Study abroad officials need to visit a site in order to ensure academic quality,” she said.

At UCLA – where EAP dominates the study abroad market – payoffs for university officials have not been an issue for the majority of students who study abroad.

Bruce Hanna, EAP director of communications, said all trips taken by campus faculty and staff are paid for by EAP.

Still, for UCLA students who opt for independent programs, the line is hazier.

Officials at the Internship and Study Abroad Services Office – the office responsible for advising students interested in non-EAP abroad programs – at the UCLA Career Center have taken free trips.

Dario Bravo, assistant director there, said the trips are necessary to ensure the quality of the abroad programs UCLA students enroll in.

“Our policy is we don’t promote programs individually. We show the programs that are available. It wouldn’t be fair to try to promote one program over another. That just wouldn’t be right,” said Bravo, who has taken free trips.

Nassirian said students who study abroad through unofficial programs face an array of other challenges as well.

After returning from abroad, Nassirian said, these students are often unable to use their foreign coursework for their degrees – a potentially costly downside.

University officials encourage students to meet with counselors before enrolling in abroad programs – especially non-EAP ones – to determine whether their time abroad will get them closer to graduation.