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+--- Thread: Study abroad (/Thread-Study-abroad--30414)
Study abroad - burbuja0512 - 10-07-2018
Hi all,
Has anyone here ever investigated studying abroad as an alternative to US school? I don't mean a single semester or a degree (like mine) that is done in collaboration with a foreign school.
My DD has expressed interest in doing a master's degree abroad. We have always made the agreement with her that we would fund her undergrad and she needs to pay for the rest. So, my guess is that she would need at least some student loans, but with her career plan, she would definitely get her ROI if the cost weren't too unreasonable.
Anyhow, I don't mind doing the research, but I thought I'd check to see if anyone here already had some thoughts.
Thanks!
RE: Study abroad - dfrecore - 10-07-2018
What language?
What I've heard about Europe is that the schools are free or inexpensive, it's the cost of living that is very high. So I think it depends on where she wants to go - if she's looking at German, that will have different options than Spanish (which will open up schools in Central & Latin America where it's far cheaper to live).
RE: Study abroad - burbuja0512 - 10-07-2018
(10-07-2018, 06:50 PM)dfrecore Wrote: What language?
What I've heard about Europe is that the schools are free or inexpensive, it's the cost of living that is very high. So I think it depends on where she wants to go - if she's looking at German, that will have different options than Spanish (which will open up schools in Central & Latin America where it's far cheaper to live).
Right now, we would have to assume English, though she will have a second language by the time she finishes her undergrad.
I was hoping for Spain based on preferred accent to learn and cost of living, but I just don't think her Spanish will be ready. Latin America is possible, but I'm concerned about safety issues unless she wants Uruguay or Costa Rica.
If she could get a US loan for the school then I think it could make it more manageable... I just wonder if that's viable. Unless the school is very expensive, it still could end up cheaper than grad school in the US. I think anyhow.. this is all new to me.
RE: Study abroad - dfrecore - 10-07-2018
(10-07-2018, 08:23 PM)burbuja0512 Wrote:(10-07-2018, 06:50 PM)dfrecore Wrote: What language?
What I've heard about Europe is that the schools are free or inexpensive, it's the cost of living that is very high. So I think it depends on where she wants to go - if she's looking at German, that will have different options than Spanish (which will open up schools in Central & Latin America where it's far cheaper to live).
Right now, we would have to assume English, though she will have a second language by the time she finishes her undergrad.
I was hoping for Spain based on preferred accent to learn and cost of living, but I just don't think her Spanish will be ready. Latin America is possible, but I'm concerned about safety issues unless she wants Uruguay or Costa Rica.
If she could get a US loan for the school then I think it could make it more manageable... I just wonder if that's viable. Unless the school is very expensive, it still could end up cheaper than grad school in the US. I think anyhow.. this is all new to me.
I think there are schools that are set up to get US-based loans in Europe. Like I said, the problem isn't going to be the cost of the schools, as they are VERY cheap in Europe. It's the cost of living that's pricey. And that part will also depend on what her status is - if she is married, it will be much more expensive due to needing an apartment, plus her spouse would need to get a work visa. If she's single, renting a room or getting a roommate may make it a lot less expensive.
I know for sure there are programs where all of the classes are in English, in multiple countries.
RE: Study abroad - triforce828 - 10-07-2018
Here's a place you can start your research -- especially if she is needing to finance her education through loans: https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/prepare-for-college/choosing-schools/types/international
Hopefully she will also qualify for some educational tax credits by going to a school that issues a 1098-T (as in schools who accept federal aid)
RE: Study abroad - burbuja0512 - 10-08-2018
Great info - thanks so much! She is working now so can start to save for cost of living. I also remember that my student loan for my MBA covered more than just the actual cost of the class. I could have gotten a lot more $$ if I had wanted to.... wonder if it's the same. NOT that I want her to have more debt, just to see all the options.
I'll check the site. Thanks!
RE: Study abroad - homeschoolmom1 - 10-16-2018
There are many masters programs in English language in Germany. Get information at www.daad.de. No tuition, only about 300 Euros per semester in fees, and potentially government aid (50% interest-free loan, 50% free money) available. Good luck!
RE: Study abroad - burbuja0512 - 10-16-2018
(10-16-2018, 10:33 AM)homeschoolmom1 Wrote: There are many masters programs in English language in Germany. Get information at www.daad.de. No tuition, only about 300 Euros per semester in fees, and potentially government aid (50% interest-free loan, 50% free money) available. Good luck!
OOOOH thank you! Checking out right now!
RE: Study abroad - Ideas - 10-31-2018
Yeah, she can get loans for foreign schools in basically the same way as for U.S. schools. I'm not sure what percentage of foreign schools take the U.S. loans, but there would be plenty of options. The foreign schools would most likely not have scholarships or certain other benefits for the American students.
Be sure to look at the international rates. They can be a lot more than the domestic student rates, and I've made this mistake, because in many other countries their credits are so different. So for undergrad I thought I could take their per-credit rate and multiply by 120, but no. It was more like 480 credits for what I was looking at.
RE: Study abroad - homeschoolmom1 - 11-01-2018
Yes, that is true. For example, in the Netherlands it only costs 300 Euros for citizens of any EU country, but for other citizens outside the EU it costs 2000 Euros per semester. I think Germany does not charge an increased fee for citizens from outside the EU, but I could be wrong. Still cheap from an American perspective. In general, the fee per semester is the same for every student regardless of the number of courses taken. So you could have a light load or a heavy load, but pay the same per semester. When I wrote about government aid to study in Germany, I meant aid that comes from the German government ("Bafoeg"). I don't know the details of eligibility, but it is need-based. If you have worked for more than 6 years after high school, they look at YOUR income and net worth. If you have less than 7500 Euros net worth and basically no income while you study, you might get up to 750 Euros per month from the German government, half of which is an interest-free loan and half of which is free money. If you are within 6 years after high school graduation, they look not at your income but your parents' income. They do NOT look at your parents' net worth. Roughly, if your parents make less than 2000 Euros per month, you might get that same rate of aid. The calculation is complex, this is just a general idea of the numbers.