# UK Student wanting to study in USA



## olicox7 (Jul 23, 2011)

I've just finished my a levels in the UK (what you do after high school for 2 years in the UK) and I had an idea that I would love to study in the USA as I feel I can go further in education and I have an aspiration to travel the world. I've done a little bit of research and from what I gather college courses in the US are VERY expensive (like $50,000?!) so what I wanted to know was if there was any way of an 18 year old getting on a course in the States for little or no money, for what it's worth I wouldn't mind waiting a year or two.


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## twostep (Apr 3, 2008)

Have you checked into an exchange year? Have you looked into the Disney Employment Program? Unless you very unusual skills you will not find a US institution offering a scholarship.


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## jenna188 (May 26, 2009)

I just completed a master's degree in the U.S. If you go to a state school you can expect to pay around $20,000 for a year's tuition. The 50k figure is more like a private school. Most international students are not eligible for scholarships and grants. However, I myself did manage to secure a $5,000 scholarship. However, was still an expensive year!!


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## olicox7 (Jul 23, 2011)

twostep said:


> Have you checked into an exchange year? Have you looked into the Disney Employment Program? Unless you very unusual skills you will not find a US institution offering a scholarship.


Thanks for your reply, no I haven't looked into an exchange year, do I need to be enrolled at a university for that to be an option? And I just had a look at the Disney employment program, and it sounds excellent but I'm still unsure about how I'd go about actually getting onto one of the programs?


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## olicox7 (Jul 23, 2011)

jenna188 said:


> I just completed a master's degree in the U.S. If you go to a state school you can expect to pay around $20,000 for a year's tuition. The 50k figure is more like a private school. Most international students are not eligible for scholarships and grants. However, I myself did manage to secure a $5,000 scholarship. However, was still an expensive year!!


Hi Jenna, thanks for your reply, what sort of grades did you need to get your scholarship? And what subject was it in?


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## sparkles21 (Mar 29, 2011)

olicox7 said:


> Thanks for your reply, no I haven't looked into an exchange year, do I need to be enrolled at a university for that to be an option? And I just had a look at the Disney employment program, and it sounds excellent but I'm still unsure about how I'd go about actually getting onto one of the programs?


From my own experience; you can enroll in a UK university and then 'exchange' with a US school that is in a partner scheme with your school. Unfortunately not all UK Uni's are in it, you will have to google the 'University name' and 'International exchange program' to see what they offer.

At my University (Sunderland) I was only given the choice of W.Virgina Tech or San Diego State - when I really wanted to go to Ole Miss. However, if you go to one of the approved partner schools, you only have to pay normal UK tuition to your school. But if you choose your own school like I tried to, it is full fees with no support.

What's more this way, only lasts one semester (3mo) or 1 year of study, then you have to return to your home institution.

There may be scholarships out there - look, but I don't think that the UK students loan company will fund your entire study at a US college. Let me know how you get on!


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## RyanKimbo (Jul 14, 2011)

I have friends that are doing a years studying in the US on an exchange programme. So they do the first year in the UK, the second year in the US and then come back for the final year. There are no extra fees involved and the university manage all the Visa applications exceptyou would have to go to an interview (just to make sure your not a terrorist!!). 

They also sort out accomodation, and because your on an exchange the accomodation fees stay the same as what you would normally pay here as you do a swap.

Im not sure how many courses allow you to do this, but check it out!


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## JJEagleHawk (Jul 29, 2011)

I don't even think you'd need to do an exchange program. Most Unis are eager to get international students to help their diversity numbers. 

I'm an American Citizen, obviously, but I attended Washburn University for undergrad (in Topeka, Kansas -- not recommended necessarily as an introduction the United States), a municipal DII state university, and the cost would have been $7500/semester in tuition as an out-of-stater. Of course, Washburn usually can establish residency after a semester, when the cost drops to $3240. This is obviously much less than the $50,000 Harvard might charge, and less even than the $19,000 the University of Kansas would charge to out-of-staters, and it's less than an hour away.

[these figures assume 15 credit hours]

I'd venture to guess that many other states have similar costs, inflated (or even decreased) based on public/private, prestige, cost of living, size of the school, whether it is for-profit or a public university, and how quickly you can establish residency in the state (or whether they even do that). The cost could vary WIDELY even within a state.

I suppose what I'd recommend is figure out:
(1) what I can afford to spend or take out in loans
(2) what I want to study
(3) what schools offer those courses
(4) whether those schools take international students and whether they offer scholarships
(5) where I'd want to live
(6) where I can AFFORD to live/attend

Once you've done those things, and talk to admissions, and get admitted provisionally or all that, getting a visa isn't that complicated. you can go to travel. state. gov and go to the /visa/ page.

Put simply, though, I'd not limit my search to exchange programs, and I'd not limit the search to big or private universities. There are colleges in virtually every city of any reasonable size -- Kansas has Baker, Emporia State, Wichita State, Kansas State, Kansas University, Washburn, Pittsburgh State, Friends, and Mid-America Nazarene, just off the top of my head. Any other state or city would have similar choices.

Do some homework, figure out what you want to do, and where you might like to go. There's literally thousands of options for higher education here in the U.S.


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