College abroad is affordable
Are you worried about the cost of attending college?
Yes, it's true that colleges tend to be priced way out of the range of most students. In fact, for a lot of students, the only possible way to attend college is either to be awarded scholarships or grants, or to take out loans and accept the fact that, upon graduation, there will be tens of thousands of dollars that need to be paid back over the course of many years.
If you're worried this could be you, we have good news! There is a way to get a great education without selling your soul (which would require black market dealing and you don't want that.)
Have you ever considered attending college abroad?
While there are certainly many world-class colleges and universities in the United States, we do not, by any stretch of the imagination, have the monopoly on them. In fact, some of the finest schools in the world-Oxford, The University of Heidelberg, La Sorbonne, to name just a few-are found outside the United States. And while admission to them may be difficult, their costs can be significantly less than at their American counterparts.
You may be surprised by how appealing the foreign-education option is. Let us walk you through some of the things you'll need to think about before making a decision.
How Do They Do It?
How is education in so many other countries relatively affordable when it is often so expensive in the United States? Really, it comes down to funding: Much of the cost of higher education in other countries is offset by money from the government. As a result, those four years of money-hemorrhaging that so many American families fear is not really an issue in many of the countries in Western Europe.
This, of course, does not always mean that American students will pay the same amount, and tuition rates can be different for foreign students, who may have to seek out American-based financial assistance anyway. But overall, the costs of attending school abroad tend to be less than they are stateside. Just make sure you do your research and understand that you may nonetheless still need to find alternative means of funding it.
Is College A Four-Year Experience All Over The World?
Absolutely not. In fact, in many countries, it only takes three years for students to earn their degree. What does this mean for you? Simply that whatever your expenses are during your college years will be approximately 25% less for a three-year program than for a four-year one. This includes not only tuition, but living expenses like room and board, transportation, etc. This is something to be seriously considered when choosing a foreign university.
Also, going to school for three years means that you'll be out in the working world and making money a full year sooner than you otherwise would have been. If you're considering grad school, you might be able to make it through your masters degree in the time it takes your friends to get their first degree.
Cost of Living
When looking at schools abroad, you need to consider where they are. Just as in the US, different cities and towns abroad cost different amounts of money. In other words, attending La Sorbonne will involve many incidental expenses: Paris is one of the single most expensive cities in the world, and living there as a student will mean spending a lot of money for housing, food, entertainment and other incidental expenses that are difficult to imagine before you actually get there.
On the other hand, attending a foreign university that is located in a small town will probably cost less money. Cambridge, for example, is a much less expensive place to live than Paris, London or Tokyo. And because of this, it may be possible to spend a bit more money on tuition if it's necessary. Really, the same logic applies to many of the places in which you could potentially attend school abroad as does for institutions in the United States: The bigger the city, the more money it will cost. And the smaller the town, the more affordable it is likely to be.
This logic also applies to the continent on which you attend college: South America, for example, is generally much less expensive than Europe.
You should also consider the nature of the university community: Some schools have excellent programs for meals and housing even if they are located in large, expensive cities or in costly countries. As a result, they might be more affordable than you initially think. Just make sure you do as much research as you can before making any decisions.
There's No Place Like Home
If your family lives in Philadelphia and you attend Penn State University, you will have a three-hour ride home. If, however, you attend Cambridge University and want to visit your family, you will have a flight of more than 7 hours. And the cost, no matter how much gasoline skyrockets, will be significantly more. So make sure you understand that it will not be quite as easy to visit home if you attend college abroad as would be if you attended it domestically. Of course, a Philadelphian going to school in California would also have to deal with the cost of flying back home, so foreign study is not the only higher-education option that includes these kinds of expenses.
And there is absolutely an up-side to all this flying: Your family can come visit you. Anyone, for example, can ride the Bateaux Mouches down the Seine River, and anyone can take the elevator up to the top of the Eiffel Tower, but only your parents, family and friends can see through your eyes. And there is no monetary value that can be placed on that: It is, in the truest sense of the word, priceless.
So while there are a lot of decisions that you'll have to make, the benefits of doing going to college abroad are huge. And often, the costs are less, the experience is richer, and the overall benefit to you and to your loved ones is so great as to be virtually unimaginable.
So give college abroad the consideration it deserves. The world is waiting: Do your research and go. You will not regret it.
