The cost of an American college education is on the rise, but cost-cutting methods do exist. The information and advice that follow will help you offset the price of studying in the United States.
Consider the Costs of an American College Education
Karen Ziv knows a thing or two about college education costs for foreign students. Ziv, an Israeli who received her master's degree at Fairleigh Dickinson University in New Jersey and now works as the director of the International Student Organization, says the successful international student must have expenses in order. The price of tuition alone isn't the only factor contributing to the high cost of an American college education. The cost of living in the United States plays a role in how much you'll spend. Cities near the East and West coasts are more expensive than cities in the South and Midwest regions.
Students who research which schools best mesh their career interests with their finances will inevitably find the right place. "If you don't have financial limitations, it would be nice to study in New York or San Francisco, but you can go to a less populated city and still get a quality U.S. education," Ziv says.
The cost of an American college education is on the rise. A survey of 2,700 colleges and universities in the U.S. reports tuition for public universities increased 10.5 percent in 2004 and 13 percent in 2003. In 2004 private universities' tuition increased by 6 percent, according to the survey conducted by the College Board, and community colleges' tuition increased by 9 percent. It was the first time average tuition was more than $20,000 for a private college, $5,000 for a public university, and $2,000 for a community college, according to The New York Times. Tuition costs for out-of-state students can be higher.
Cutting College Costs
For the 500,000 international students who study in the United States every year, financial aid is far more difficult to obtain than for American students. One cost-saving option that is becoming more popular among international and American students alike is attending community colleges for two years and then moving on to a larger state or private boarding schools in the U.S.. Another option to keep costs down is to take online classes.
Hidden costs, such as the price of textbooks, affect international students' budgets as well. Buying used, instead of new, textbooks helps keep the cost down. Another expense is health insurance. International students, especially those from countries where the government provides health care, often don't realize they have to pay for health insurance when they attend a college or university in the U.S.A. For international students, buying a health insurance plan can become costly, but buying health insurance through a group such as the International Student Organization, which bands international students together to provide lower health insurance costs, can reduce the financial burden.
All these costs may seem like a roadblock to studying in a country with one of the highest regarded higher education systems in the world. But Ziv believes a U.S. degree can be worth its weight in gold when you return to your home country. "You come back to your home country with a foreign education, and you build more status," Ziv says. "You can build more opportunity for yourself."
Consider the Costs of an American College Education
Karen Ziv knows a thing or two about college education costs for foreign students. Ziv, an Israeli who received her master's degree at Fairleigh Dickinson University in New Jersey and now works as the director of the International Student Organization, says the successful international student must have expenses in order. The price of tuition alone isn't the only factor contributing to the high cost of an American college education. The cost of living in the United States plays a role in how much you'll spend. Cities near the East and West coasts are more expensive than cities in the South and Midwest regions.
Students who research which schools best mesh their career interests with their finances will inevitably find the right place. "If you don't have financial limitations, it would be nice to study in New York or San Francisco, but you can go to a less populated city and still get a quality U.S. education," Ziv says.
The cost of an American college education is on the rise. A survey of 2,700 colleges and universities in the U.S. reports tuition for public universities increased 10.5 percent in 2004 and 13 percent in 2003. In 2004 private universities' tuition increased by 6 percent, according to the survey conducted by the College Board, and community colleges' tuition increased by 9 percent. It was the first time average tuition was more than $20,000 for a private college, $5,000 for a public university, and $2,000 for a community college, according to The New York Times. Tuition costs for out-of-state students can be higher.
Cutting College Costs
For the 500,000 international students who study in the United States every year, financial aid is far more difficult to obtain than for American students. One cost-saving option that is becoming more popular among international and American students alike is attending community colleges for two years and then moving on to a larger state or private boarding schools in the U.S.. Another option to keep costs down is to take online classes.
Hidden costs, such as the price of textbooks, affect international students' budgets as well. Buying used, instead of new, textbooks helps keep the cost down. Another expense is health insurance. International students, especially those from countries where the government provides health care, often don't realize they have to pay for health insurance when they attend a college or university in the U.S.A. For international students, buying a health insurance plan can become costly, but buying health insurance through a group such as the International Student Organization, which bands international students together to provide lower health insurance costs, can reduce the financial burden.
All these costs may seem like a roadblock to studying in a country with one of the highest regarded higher education systems in the world. But Ziv believes a U.S. degree can be worth its weight in gold when you return to your home country. "You come back to your home country with a foreign education, and you build more status," Ziv says. "You can build more opportunity for yourself."
Article by Reid Forgrave, reporter for The Des Moines Register in Des Moines, Iowa. He traveled to India and Sri Lanka in 2005 to report on humanitarian efforts after the tsunami. He has also worked as an intern for The Express, a daily newspaper in London.
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