One of the biggest concerns that any student who wishes to study abroad faces is that of the huge amount of expenses involved. We keep thinking how to tackle the expenses of studying abroad. Along with the tuition fees, which form a major part of the expenses, a student has to fund himself for various daily needs be it his food, lodging and day to day expenses for a span of at least 3 to 4 years if not more.
However, you should not give up your dreams of studying abroad simply because it is expensive and you feel you will not be able to cover the expenses. There are several ways in which you can tackle such expenses and live and study abroad comfortably. Here are some ways to do so.
- Apply for financial aid – Many countries offer financial aid to international students in some of their reputed universities and colleges simply because they need more and more such students in their country. The amount of aid granted to you will differ from country to country and may also differ from one university to another in the same country. Such aids help cover a large part of your tuition fees allowing you to easily bear your basic day to day expenses in a foreign country.
- Apply for scholarships – Students who excel in their studies, sports or are extremely artistic are often given scholarships from certain universities and colleges abroad. Such scholarships are known as merit-based scholarships which can be extremely competitive, but help cover a large part of your tuition fees or make it completely free! Other types of scholarships are destination-specific, student-specific, subject-specific and program-specific.
- Duration of the course matters – Many universities have shorter duration courses which covers almost the entire syllabus which a university with a longer course does. Try to opt for the shorter ones which are teamed with on-campus coursework and internships after the main course is over.
- Be careful when choosing your destination – One of the best ways to tackle expenses for your study abroad is to first select a few countries where you wish to study and analyze its cost of living statistics and exchange rates as compared to your own country. Talk to people who have previously studied in the same locations and ask them for on-the-ground and practical information about the same. Study abroad destinations such as Italy, Spain and United States of America can prove to be much expensive than destinations such as Canada, New Zealand or Peru.
- Get a part-time job – Though you might be left completely exhausted, a great way to tackle your expenses is to get a part-time job while studying abroad. You will have to manage the work timings in accordance to your university timings but working for even a couple of hours a week will allow you to cover a lot of basic expenses which would prove difficult otherwise. Choose countries which allow international students to work while studying over those that do not.
Use these ways to fulfil your dream of studying abroad without having to worry about the expenses involved!
