Simply, the parents of these students, a couple of years before the "University Admission" operation, get into the know and with a calculator in hand calculate all the financial "pros" and "cons" of studying abroad and at home. At this stage, the result sometimes turns out to be unexpected for them, but later they are already spared unpleasant surprises concerning education expenses.
Expensive pleasures
The first thing to find out is, of course, the cost of education at universities in different countries. And don't let the astronomical sums charged by the world's most prestigious universities scare you. Not by Oxford alone... In the same Britain there are quite decent educational institutions, where getting an education can cost $5-8 thousand a year. And is that expensive? Absolutely. But don't forget that your student is, after all, getting a British education - traditional, classical, high-quality, opening doors to the world. And it is quite possible that his annual income after graduation will be many times greater than the amount mentioned above.
On the other hand, you shouldn't fixate on Britain specifically. After all, on a neighboring island - in Ireland - educational traditions are no less venerable, and the cost of education and life in general in the country is significantly lower than in England.
So it is not surprising that Irish universities have recently become increasingly popular. The cost of education at universities depends on the chosen specialty. Thus, the most expensive - medicine and dentistry - at prestigious universities cost about $10.5 thousand. Slightly cheaper - about $7.2 thousand - engineering and information technology. Legal and business education, social and public sciences - about $4.8 thousand. Universities in this country allocate a small number of scholarships for foreign students. But the principle of distribution of these grants is determined by each specific university. In addition, the Department of Science and Education of Ireland provides some financial assistance.
A year of study at an Australian university costs about 12 thousand Australian dollars per year. The amount may vary slightly depending on the location and ranking of the university.
The biggest price range is in US universities - from $30 thousand at Harvard, Yale, and several equally prestigious institutions to $6 thousand at some unpretentious university in Arizona or Utah. True, it is still a question whether it is worth going to distant Oklahoma for a rather lightweight diploma.
Free cheese
Cheese is free, as everyone knows where. But free education (no strings attached) is not such a rarity in the West. Foreign students are taught for free in Germany, Sweden, the Czech Republic, and Hungary. In France, tuition can vary from purely symbolic to simply low: the annual fee at the beginning of the academic year, which a student is obliged to pay, is only $800-3,500.
Moreover, in many European countries, in particular in Germany, there are many foundations that provide foreign students with financial support - grants for the entire period of study or part of it.
The catch is that you need to study in these countries in the appropriate language. Many universities also have English-language programs, but those are precisely the paid ones. Therefore, you should worry about ensuring that by the time of admission the applicant already has in his pocket documentary confirmation of knowledge of Czech, Swedish, Hungarian, and other "exotics." The earlier you take care of this, the cheaper the language courses will cost (our long-term programs cost much less than intensive ones, and, moreover, foreign ones).
And diplomas from universities in developed European countries are valued by various employers no less than British and American ones.
Debit and credit
All the above prices are only the cost of education. Do not forget that the student also needs to live somewhere, eat something, wear something, travel around the city, buy textbooks and notebooks. And all this costs money. In England, Ireland, and the United States, the annual cost of living can be equal to the amount paid for education, or even exceed it - however, much depends on the "appetites" of the student himself.
And in "free" countries, accommodation and food are by no means free. Therefore, when obtaining a German or French visa, you will have to provide a certificate that you have an annual income of at least $10-12 thousand. The amount is not astronomical, but not peanuts either.
Of course, a conscientious student can "cheapen" his stay in a foreign country. For example, immediately upon arrival, find out which stores are the cheapest (the price spread between a cheap and expensive supermarket can be quite significant). Don't be lazy to cook yourself, instead of running to fast food. It is better to bring clothes with you, and if necessary, look for a sale where a decent item can be bought for a pittance. Textbooks, if possible, take from the library. And do not neglect part-time work. In England, Ireland, Australia, and other countries, students are legally allowed to work 20 hours a week, and during vacations, full-time. This is legal. The most savvy easily find illegal ways to earn extra money. Of course, this will be unskilled labor (in a store, restaurant, factory, etc.). But the earnings will be at least $6 per hour. By the way, some students, with a joyful cry: "El Dorado!", get so carried away with "making money" that they forget about their studies. And that's already bad...
We counted - and wept
And yet you choose a domestic university? Do not rush to put aside the calculator!
Public education here... hmm... is free. Unless, of course, you count classes with a tutor in the subjects that are included in the exams. That's at least $10 per hour. And "with a guarantee of admission," that is, if the applicant is taught by a university teacher who has access to the admissions committee, it is five or more times more expensive. Moreover, there are actually no guarantees.
“Price lists” for admission to our prestigious universities, although they supposedly do not exist, are known to everyone who is interested. The amounts vary - depending on the prestige of the university and the audacity of the one collecting. At decent educational institutions, entrance exams can cost an average of $15-20 thousand. That is almost the price of a bachelor's degree abroad!
There are no fixed “tariffs” for admission, but it should be expected that boys who face the army will be charged more than girls, out-of-towners more than capital residents, and children of wealthy parents more than the “poor”...
It would be fine if it all came down to a one-time payment. However, students often complain like: “They took $15,000 for admission and keep taking!” For exams. For tests. For term papers... One can imagine the quality of such education. Wouldn't it be easier to just buy a diploma?
Studying to become a lawyer, economist, or doctor will most likely cost a pretty penny - that is, the most prestigious specialties. And the cheapest, paradoxically, will be a commercial (private) university: on average, $1-1.5 thousand per year. Or some kind of “watermelon-casting” institute, whose diploma is essentially needed by no one.
Perhaps there is an element of exaggeration in the above. In the sense that not all domestic universities are like this. But everyone should know this. In order to be able to calculate everything, compare, and make a balanced decision - how best to invest money in the future of one's offspring.
Marat SKOROBOGATOV,
Olesya NISHCHENKO