International students.. plz help :)

[PucasKitten]

Ok so I want to go over to Ireland for school, I need to go to school anyways and to be closer to my love would be awesome while Im doing so <3 But how do you afford it? Ive been reading a lot into it and not only is gaining permits confusing but the money you need upfront is kind of scary! How is it possible?

[vpavelock]

I'm planning on studying abroad, but at my school some of the programs end up costing the same amount as tuition here (some less, but others esp. places like Ireland are a lot more.) I know my school is offering a few scholarships for a few specific programs that will cover the program cost (leaving housing, travel, etc. expenses still to be paid.) Most schools offer some kind of scholarship for study abroad but it usually tends to be pretty competitive. Look into study abroad scholarships through your school and other networks, but aside from that you can talk to advising at your school and see if they can help you find a job for while you're over there or something. (OH also, some school offer direct exchange which is not costly at all! It all really depends on what your school offers and where.)

[mllebamako]

Are you in college in the US already? All my studies abroad were done while I was attending a US university so I could just continue to pay my tuition at home. They were also helpful with visas, etc.

I do know some people in France who came on their own (without the help of a US uni) and they probably ended up paying less since university is wayyyy cheaper here (in France). I think it made it more complicated to get the visa but as long as you get acceptance letters from the university abroad, you should be fine.
Who is asking you for so much money upfront? The government asking you to prove you have funds in your bank account? Or the university asking you to pay upfront?

[lucybelle]

Oh Pish posh. Going abroad as a student is THE cheapest way to go. Try to find a program where you continue to pay tuition at your school, but go to another school. There's TONS of scholarships out there. When I studied abroad I got the Gilman Scholarship which gave me $Texas

How long do you plan on studying abroad? I went for a full year and the first semester I went with my "program". The 2nd semester I just applied directly to the school and it was about $5,000 cheaper!

[PucasKitten]

I would want to study for the full 4 year degree since the teaching is of a different style. They give you an estimate of yearly spending that includes tuition and rent that ranges from 9-10,000 D: you have to show proof of funding like bank statements and stuff. I'm go to a community college at the moment using pell grants. sooo I don't have that kind of money lol. Hmm I believe we have section for internationals coming in though, Ill talk to them to see if they have any info

[Kiara]

Hi! Officially I am enrolled in Italy, where I did my bachelor and now I am doing my master. In practice, I have been studyin in Malta, in Spain and in the U.S., paying only my tuition at home (2000$ per year, and no strange fees -gym fee, medical center fee, dining hall fee, student services fee...- like in the U.S.)
The cheapest way I can think about is to go to study in an European country where education is very cheap, or somethimes free (like in Germany). Consider Portugal, Spain, France, Italy, Austria, Chech Republich, Hungaria... Then when you are there (and usually enetering is not as hard as in the US), you can travel with cheap airways (just a couple of hours usually).
Unfortunately, as you are not a European citizen, you cannot apply to the Socrates Erasmus scholarship, which would allow you to study 1 year in another European country (like Ireland!) without paying tuition and receiving money from the EU. But you can look for other scholarships!
Good luck!

[PucasKitten]

Thank you