- "With sky-rocketing tuition prices in the US, many foreign degrees are actually cheaper to obtain than their American equivalents." Yup. The five mos expensive universities in the world are in the USA; the UK's University of Buckingham (7,770 pounds or $15,195 USD) or Tokyo's Aoyama Gakuin University ($11,700 to $16,100 USD), though among the priciest private schools abroad, are also deals compared to similar US universities.
- "There are a number of scholarships and bursaries (both need and merit) offered through universities themselves and through external bodies, some of which exist specifically to assist foreign students studying abroad." And your USA financial aid is very likely to be good for study abroad. As well, the Senator Paul Simon Study Abroad Act, which has a goal of sending one million US students abroad annually in a decade's time, was passed in the U.S. House of Representatives as part of the Foreign Relations Authorization Act, legislation aimed at enhancing US foreign policy efforts. With an emphasis on destinations in developing countries, the Simon Act will provide financial support to US students studying abroad and require schools to address on-campus factors that keep students from study abroad; the bill's requiring a financial commitment from schools to make study abroad more accessible to all. Hit up your school's financial aid office to get the full skinny on study abroad scholarships, or apply for independent study abroad scholarships.
- "Studying abroad, especially at some of the world's top universities, enhances your academic profile, demonstrating intellectual and personal maturity.... Your job prospects are helped with an international education. In the biggest-ever survey on the topic, the 2011 QS Global Employer Survey Report found that 80% of employers actively sought students who had studied abroad, and six out of ten employers gave extra credit or consideration for an international student experience." Yeppers, travel abroad -- period-- is a serious CV and resume-enhancer, and that's just one of the reasons we wholeheartedly encourage you to pursue some student travel or a gap year before, after or during school. Chances are that your parents didn't travel in or after school and don't think you need to, either, and after you graduate from college, it's implied that you'll go straight to work for the rest of your young-enough-to-travel life. Resist! Take a gap year! Employers like the look of time spent abroad -- travel broadens and matures the traveler, and it shows great initiative and resourcefulness on your part. Plus, you'll be practicing languages where they're spoken, enabling you to up the level of your proficiency on a resume. Since most Americans don't travel abroad, you could conceivably have a leg up when it's time to travel on biz, too.
- "Living abroad gives you the ability to pursue employment or internship opportunities that might not otherwise be possible if you were only staying in a country for a short period of time, or studying through a program with a US university." We can't echo Focarino's wisdom strongly enough: it is much, much easier to work abroad if you've studied abroad. Doors open that you would never glimpse were you living in the USA. Simply getting a work visa for another country while you're living in the USA is a head-scratcher: the wole process can be much easier if you're already overseas.
Finding Study Abroad Resources
Start with these:- US Government-Sponsored Study Abroad Program Search
- All the Study Abroad Resources
- Paying for Study Abroad
- High School Study Abroad
Study Abroad Financial Aid Resources
Financial aid for study abroad is far easier than you may think! Your own financial aid from your home school or university might work. Learn how to get study abroad financial aid:- Will my existing financial aid work for study abroad?
- Study abroad financial aid from the US government
- Study abroad financial aid from private sources
Return to: Study Abroad | Financing Student Travel
