Study Overseas

American higher education is an expensive endeavor. I should know: I am a graduate student at Georgetown University and an employee of a higher education association in Washington, DC. As an undergraduate, my time "at university" - most Americans say in college - was spent at Franklin and Marshall College, where I took excellent classes, worked with intelligent professors, and made great friends. In fact, I enjoyed college so much that I'm still going to school, despite the costs. And although expensive, I never doubt that my degrees are worth the price and hard work (even though my bank balance frequently has its doubts).

The clearest way to explain the costs and expenses that accompany American education is to separate education expenses from living expenses.

Education Expenses

Examples of education expenses are:

• The cost of tuition
• The price of books
• Any other miscellaneous fees you might find on your bill from the university.

Tuition

Tuition is paid in one of two ways: either you pay one sum per year that allows you to take as many or as few classes as you want, or you pay per credit. Most full-time undergraduates pay one lump sum, frequently called "full-time tuition" or "tuition for the academic year." This amount depends entirely on your school, but yearly tuition generally runs a little over $30,000 US dollars per year, but that figure is only an estimate. If you are planning to be a part-time student, you can pay per credit in some cases. Given that tuition is a significant expense, all colleges and universities offer financial aid - mostly loans, and some need-based or achievement-based scholarships. You must apply for such aid before you begin school; in fact, many people apply for aid at the same time they apply to the school, and the amount of aid they receive becomes a factor in deciding what school they attend.

Books and Fees

Other education expenses are books and fees. The cost of books can very greatly by program, though an easy way to reduce the amount of money you spend on books is to buy used books either from the school bookstore or online from www.Amazon.com. Most students spend anywhere from $200 to $500 or more on books per year, but, again, that figure is only an estimate. Fees also vary greatly depending on the student and the institution, but a generous budget would be $1,000 per year.

Living Expenses

Although expensive, tuition and fees are relatively straightforward. Living expenses, on the other hand, are much more complicated. Depending on where you live and attend school in the States, your living expenses like rent and food can vary dramatically. For instance, an apartment or a dorm room in New York City is probably ten times as expensive as one in Kansas! So if you have a strict budget for your study in America, be sure to research what an apartment in your school's neighborhood will cost, or how much room and board will be on campus (at many schools, students live on campus the first two years and then rent an apartment or a house with friends the second two years). Major cities, like New York, DC, San Francisco, and Boston to name a few, have very high costs of living compared to more rural or remote areas. Frequently, living a bit farther away from the city center makes rent go less expensive, but be sure you can still easily get to campus. Many non-Americans are surprised at how big America is compared to what it looks like on a map. A good way to understand the difference in scale is to realize that one state (Texas) in the US is the size of all of France!

Although rent, or room and board if you are living on campus, will be a major expense, you should also factor in additional money for dinners out with friends and travel. Again, this figure will depend on where you live - you may not pay to get to campus, or you may take public transit for $2.00 each way, for example. I can't speak for everyone, but I like to budget at least $330/month for food and unavoidable expenses like travel. Let's be fair: I almost always exceed this budget (partly because I live in an expensive area, and partly because $11/day is not a lot), but it's a reasonable place to start.

Although all these fees and expenses quickly add up, realize too that many students find on-campus jobs to make a little money. Go to your campus' financial aid office for more information about working in the cafeteria, library, or someplace else on campus for seven or ten hours a week.

Know In Advance Tips

So, what is the best advice I can give about expenses while studying in America? Be sure to research what your expenses will be before you arrive.

• What tuition is per year
• What fees will be added to your bill
• What room and board costs per year, or what an apartment nearby will cost
• How much money you will spend getting to and from campus
• Then factor in money for food (if you haven't already paid for a meal plan), clothing, and other expenses.