Home
>
Financing Your US Education by Cheryl Darrup Boychuck
Cheryl is President and CEO of the
U.S. Journal of Academics
Let's assume
you've made the decision to study in the USA. You may have
even explored a few colleges, universities or English
language programs that interest you (for U.S. campuses that
specifically seek to welcome Singapore
students, please complete the simple selection form at
http://www.usjournal.com/_programs/ show.en.html).
In order to
realize your dream, you need to work out a few details...
such as "How will I pay for it?"
Financing a
post-secondary education is no easy task. There are many
resources to assist you; please plan to take time and
explore all of your options, and learn what financial aid
program suits you best.
More than
two-thirds of non-U.S. students use funds from their own
personal accounts and from their families as the primary
source of financing their education. According to the latest
statistics, only about 18 percent of non-U.S. students
receive most of their academic funding from a U.S. college
or university.
Overseas
students in associate degree programs at community colleges
tend to
finance their own education. More funding opportunities are
available for graduate students in research universities.
A number of
U.S. colleges, universities and English language programs
offer primarily partial scholarships for non-U.S.
students. The criteria and policies at each individual
institution vary. For details, contact a school that
interests you, and explain your situation
You may also
consider studying in the USA for a short period of time.
Summer Programs, Short-Term Certificate Programs,
Internships or Associate Degrees require less time, so
they are also less expensive than full, four-year degrees.
The first five options in Category 1 at http://www.usjournal.com/_programs/show.en.html
are becoming increasingly popular for international
students with limited financial resources.
How much does
a U.S. education *really* cost?
Because there
are so many U.S. academic options, costs vary widely.
Estimated expenses, per academic year, range anywhere from
$10,500.00 to $45,000.00. For a complete chart of
estimated expenses, please see http://www.usjournal.com/finaid.htm.
That page also
features links to a number of international student
scholarship searches. But be prepared! Those scholarships
are very
competitive. You may want to bookmark that site so you
remember to visit it often, as scholarship opportunities
are constantly updated.
One recent
announcement involves a global telecommunications company,
AT&T. The corporate giant is sponsoring an Asian
Leadership Awards Program. All students from China, Hong
Kong, Taiwan, Japan, Korea, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia,
Singapore, Philippines, India, New Zealand and Australia
are eligible to apply if they have an I-20 or an IAP 66
dated 2001 (for visa information, please see http://www.usjournal.com/visa.htm).
The application
deadline is 15 September 2001. Thirty (30) awards will be
presented, at $4,000 per student. Contact cheryl@usjournal.com
for more information.
The key to
financing your U.S. education is to learn more about all
of the funding opportunities available to you. A little
creativity can go a long way in realizing your dream to
study in the USA!
Cheryl Darrup
Boychuck
U.S. Journal of Academics
Online International Recruitment http://www.usjournal.com
ph 570-339-4731; fx 570-339-5634
SingaporeUpdate.com All Rights Reserved
