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DEL.ICIO.USCould college abroad actually save you money?
Pull out your kilts, the Scottish schools are calling, along with many others. Get a top flight education for less than top private American universities. But can American helicopter parents let go?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The New York Times reports there’s been an increase in American students choosing to do all their college studies abroad. Besides getting an excellent education (sometimes when they couldn’t get into Harvard they can get into a top European school), it also often costs less than a top private university in the States. Here’s the full story.
Times writer Tamar Lewin reports: “For American students, a university like St. Andrews offers international experience and prestige, at a cost well below the tuition at a top private university in the United States. But it provides a narrower, more specialized course of studies, less individual attention from professors — and not much of an alumni network to smooth entry into the workplace when graduates return to the United States. For overseas universities, international students help diversify campuses in locations as remote as coastal Fife, home of St. Andrews. …”
“Just as important, foreigners are cash cows. While students from Scotland and England and across the European Union pay little or no tuition at St. Andrews, Americans pay about what they would as out-of-state students at leading American public universities. …”
“Expatriate education is expanding. This fall, at the National Association for College Admissions Counseling conference in Seattle, where admissions officers from American universities mingle with the counselors who help shape high school students’ college choices, there were representatives from the University of Waikato in New Zealand, Seoul National University in South Korea, Jacobs University Bremen in Germany, the University of Limerick in Ireland, as well as dozens more from Canada and Britain. …”
The story points out the Scottish schools specialize earlier so students don’t have to take classes in subjects they don’t like or aren’t good in. However, students don’t have close relationships with their professors and often receive little feedback on their work.
While it may be less expensive than a top-flight private university, there is a big adjustment to being that far away from your family as well as adjusting to the rigors of college. Also you can drink at a younger age — that could be good or bad.
I studied only a summer abroad as a junior in college and do remember being homesick and missing terribly my then boyfriend (now husband).
What do you think: Would studying abroad be a solid choice for your student? Would they do well being that far away? Would it increase their chances of a better education at a more affordable rate? Could American helicopter parents let go enough to let them go? Would you feel safe with them in Europe?
Permalink | Comments (42) | Post your comment | Categories: Education
Comments
By MILF Hunter
December 3, 2008 8:33 AM | Link to this
I loved studying broads at college.
By JJ
December 3, 2008 10:21 AM | Link to this
NO, to all questions.
By Jesse's Girl
December 3, 2008 10:29 AM | Link to this
I think it would be awesome for my kids to have this experience!! We have relatives in Ireland and Italy…so while it may not be super close, depending on where they chose to go…someone would be able to check in every now and again. I never studied abroad…but I have traveled fairly extensively. It was wonderful to get a sense of how others lived!!
By My Own Girl
December 3, 2008 10:51 AM | Link to this
What a wonderful dream. I am a part of one of “those” families who are struggling to make ends meet. So I guess I will sit back and read about people who can afford to send their kids to this sort of educational experience. My 401K is pretty shot out and there will be no equity loan on my house due to market plunge. But good luck to all you folks who can still afford this and not have to worry about being able to retire.
By Jesse's Girl
December 3, 2008 11:05 AM | Link to this
Bitter much? Its not like anyone is saying they are chartering a jet, buying new Burberry luggage and sending them off now. This is totally hypothetical..in my case anyway. I simply think it would be cool. I sincerely hope things are well and blessed for you. Besides..I think everyone’s 401k’s are taking a trip south:) I can’t do anythig about it, so I won’t worry about it. I will likely have to work until my voice just gives out….but at least I get to do something I love!
By JJ
December 3, 2008 11:13 AM | Link to this
Jessie’s Girl I’ve always wondered, what do you do for a living?
By ebaby
December 3, 2008 11:14 AM | Link to this
Out of the 4 siblings in my family, 3 of us have gone abroad at least 1 semester. I went abroad for an entire year. It was definitely a challenge, since I had gone to a state school and had been fairly close to my parents my entire life. Going far away really made me grow up and learn a different kind of responsibility.
Working abroad has also helped my resume beyond my imagination. So I not only recommend studying abroad, but getting an internship also.
As far as cost, the program that I did through GT cost the same as a year at GT. The only extras were travel costs. Housing and food were about the same. So, I only paid for 2 round-trip tickets the entire year and they are actually really cheap to the main cities in Europe.
By Jesse's Girl
December 3, 2008 11:20 AM | Link to this
Vocal coach and part owner of a recording studio/indie record company! Very..very indie.
By My Own Girl
December 3, 2008 11:27 AM | Link to this
Jesse’s Girl…you are such a Pollyanna. Get a life.
By Jesse's Girl
December 3, 2008 11:35 AM | Link to this
Thank you. You too can learn to drop the snotty…woe-is-me attitude as well!! It really does make for a healthier life.
By My Own Girl
December 3, 2008 11:42 AM | Link to this
Ha ha ha ha….funny. Add comedian to your list of accomplishments.
By Jesse's Girl
December 3, 2008 11:46 AM | Link to this
I am pretty funny…
By My Own Girl
December 3, 2008 11:49 AM | Link to this
Why yes you are. In a endearing but dysfunctional kind of way.
By LM
December 3, 2008 11:50 AM | Link to this
The cost, while less than upper private college is still out of bounds for us. I was one hoping to use the equity in my house along with hope to help pay for my daughters college. Now, it seems like we have few options. We will be starting college aps after swim team and her school trip to DC. Once we get the colleges responses then we will have to work on financial assistance, thank goodness she is only a junior this year, it will give us some time to get it all figured out.
But in fantasy land. You bet I’d send her off, the experiences she would have far out weight my missing her.
By Jesse's Girl
December 3, 2008 11:52 AM | Link to this
AN endearing…..An indearing kind of way:) Off to lessons y’all!! Take care!
By My Own Girl
December 3, 2008 11:54 AM | Link to this
No such word as “indearing” Jess…check your dictionary. I feel certain you have one.
By Mr. Nice Guy
December 3, 2008 11:54 AM | Link to this
“Can Helicopter parents let go?” - if you can’t let go when they go off to college, its already too late. Either you raised them right or they are goofed up. LET YOUR CHILDREN GO AND HAVE A LIFE AWAY FROM YOU!
By ebaby
December 3, 2008 11:57 AM | Link to this
LM hope will actually go towards some study abroad programs. Don’t write it off just yet. The other thing that I did to make ends meet was NOT get a credit card until my year abroad. I came back with aprox. $5k in debt from back-packing but I quickly paid it off with my first job and it was WORTH every cent. I dont think I would have gone back to travel later. I have ended up living in Europe, but thats a different story.
By annoyed
December 3, 2008 12:21 PM | Link to this
Jessesgirl’s daily “awshucks/kissmygrits/y’all” act is wearing thin. Please mr. Jesse, since she’s YOUR girl, make her get a job, and one without internet access would be nice!
I’m just sayin…
By Active Duty Mom
December 3, 2008 12:25 PM | Link to this
Another idea for studying abroad that does not require additional funds from parents is having your kid to join the US Armed Forces and they participate in one of the many US-based university satellite campuses found at many overseas military bases. The servicemember can obtain tuition assistance (sometimes up to 100%), which means that the servicemember pays back in time served in the military. If they separate earlier than the committed time, then they would pay back the amount. One of my fellow servicemembers did this while we were stationed in Sicily and she was able to obtain her BA in Accounting. Meanwhile, the servicemember has the opportunity to live and work overseas AND is earning a salary and benefits. Something to consider!
By My Own Girl
December 3, 2008 12:29 PM | Link to this
Amen Annoyed! Big High Five on that one. If you don’t agree with “Jesse’s Girl” then there is something wrong with “you” is apparently how this rolls. And talk about advice out the wazoo! I wish I was just half as worldly as he/she claims to be.
By lakerat
December 3, 2008 12:44 PM | Link to this
I am so much better than Jessie’s Girl.
BTW I am totally sleeping with Jessie behind your back.
By JJ
December 3, 2008 12:51 PM | Link to this
Alright children, knock it off.
I happen to enjoy reading Jessie’sGirls posts. She is a regular here and if you don’t like it, then leave. That’s enough.
Anyway, LM there is a TON of money out there to help pay for college. I am learning about it now, as my daughter is a senior. We recently went down to GA. Southern, and they gave us so much information regarding financial aid. Grants, scholarships (as little as $5.00) and other financial information. Go to this web site. www.fafsa.ed.gov. You will be assigned a PIN number and there is all kinds of information there!!
There is also Pell grants; SEOG grants; LEAP, ACG, SMART & TEACH grants, all which DO NOT have to be repaid.
Good Luck!!
By DB
December 3, 2008 12:53 PM | Link to this
Funny this should come up now, as we are going through the college process with the last child. I wouldn’t mind if they wanted to go to school abroad, if they were able to scholarship it in some way, or if it was a field of study that they weren’t able to get here in the States. But neither one of my kids were interested in going to school full-time abroad — in fact, neither of them were interested in venturing much more than 500 miles from home, in spite of encouragement to look at some Northeast and West Coast schools. (“Too cold!” or “Too far away!”) But the older one is looking forward to summer abroad next summer at the London School of Economics, and the daughter is planning at least one summer in Italy and another in Switzerland studying music. A summer seems to be the edge of their comfort zone right now. And I’d feel at least as safe with them in a European school as I would here — after all, you don’t hear about too many Virginia Tech-style shootings in Geneva.
By Ah, the lakerat imposter...
December 3, 2008 12:56 PM | Link to this
…has reared his ugly head. And he is admitting he is a queer - but we already knew he was “not like the rest of us”.!
By JJ is your name Teresa NO!! Then shut up
December 3, 2008 1:10 PM | Link to this
nuff said
By JJ is your name Theresa NO!! Then shut up
December 3, 2008 1:11 PM | Link to this
nuff said
By FCM
December 3, 2008 1:34 PM | Link to this
Actually I have disagreed with most any of the ‘regulars’ on the board and not been told I am ‘wrong’….First you have to contribute in a respectful way…JJ, MJG, JG, NewMom, myslef and others perfer to behave like grown ups or behave like grown-ups having fun…depending on the circumstances.
You can woe is me all you want to. The American people voted for change…and change is what we the American people are going to get…..nobody promised change for the better, change in the short term, or change you would agree with. Now we all get to live the change dream together.
Part of this change includes figuring out (perferably w/o bailouts/handouts) we get the American people working and growing again. if that means sending Jr. overseas to educate him, the way so many ‘other’ people have done for decades sending their kids here then so be it.
If it means my degree(s) are suddendly worth something again because an education is harder to get THEN I AM ALL FOR IT. Nobody should have promised Jr an education, or proposperity….that comes from inside oneself.
Side note to New Mom: I was in the storage room and noticed I had several toys from last Christmas that were redundant to items the kids actually kept. I am giving them to Toys for Tots. IF your families decide to send gifts despite your requests, why don’t you pack them up (baby is too little to notice anyway) and then put them in the T4T box next year?
By motherjanegoose
December 3, 2008 2:54 PM | Link to this
WOW…I missed a busy morning.
I am with FCM on this one…we do not all need to agree and there are times when each of us may act a little superior as the topic may be something one or the other knows more about BUT there is no reason to get rude.
Remember this all about opinions…nothing says anyone has to agree with you. Obviously there is no criteria to join in, no one has a secret password …as long as everyone is civil things will be fine. Curt remarks are like barking dogs…It encourages some to bark louder…including me ( at times)!
Here is one thing I know: YOUR ATTITUDE AFFECTS YOUR ALTITUDE…if you walk around in a woe is me outfit then that is exactly the chair you may end up sitting in.
I do not always agree with Jesse’s Girl and would never call myself __’s Girl…but that is me. If she feels comfortable doing it…then it is NONE of my business. She also appears to be a success at what she does…it takes nerve to travel and work for yourself…I personally know this to be true. So, she has nerve…it works for her! There are plenty of times I do not agree with her and my life is not falling apart. Probably plenty of times she does not agree with me.
I am also an adult and realize that it is ludicrous to insult someone in the manner that has been displayed today.
JJ glad you found a ton of money…we did not seem to qualify for any of it…who knows? Maybe we did not look hard enough.
Back to to topic…I love to travel but have not been abroad…I have been in 49 of 50 states and will visit Montana sometime in 2009. Just going places is an education in itself. I would love for my children to go overseas but this is not something my son wanted to do. I do not see my daughter doing it as she is nervous in strange environments…( I was at a meeting) we stayed in downtown Jacksonville. FL and she tells me that she does like like being in the city. I laughed and told her Jacksonville was NOT the city. I have plans to take her to NYC in the spring. She is a suburban girl from the word go.
to each his own,,,I know Gwinnettians who would not think of getting on the interstate to drive and also worked with those inside the Perimeter who never came outside of the Perimeter.. To each his own!
By Becky
December 3, 2008 2:56 PM | Link to this
Jesse’s girl, do you live in Douglasville? I (like JJ) happen to like reading what JG has to say..If she can make a good enough living doing what she does, great..Sounds like she enjoy’s it & is good at it, so get off of your upity stool..
As for going away to school, I would of loved it, if I had been given the chance…
Mr. Nice Guy is right all the way..
JJ, glad that you are back with us on some topics..As I have said before, I enjoy (& learn) from reading that you, JG, FCM Mr. Nice Guy, newmom & other regulars have to say..
By JJ
December 3, 2008 3:04 PM | Link to this
MommaJane We haven’t “Found” the money yet, we have only just begun our quest. I was just telling LM what I had learned at Ga. Southern about financial aid. We are in the “baby” steps process right now.
Becky Thank you, it’s nice to be back. I missed my blog “fam”. I can’t seem to stay away. ;)
By LM
December 3, 2008 3:21 PM | Link to this
Thanks for the web address and information. Since this in my only child and our first steps into the world of college and financial assistance I know I have a lot to learn and look at before she and I make a decission.
By JJ
December 3, 2008 3:27 PM | Link to this
LM I’m in the same position.
Attend some “Open Houses” at college campuses. You can go on-line to each site and they will have open house information.
Like I said we drove down to Statesboro for an Open House and I learned so much in less than 4 hours there. The campus is beautiful, HUGE, and the dorms are pretty cool. The experience really opened my daughter’s eyes about college and leaving home……she is getting very excited. We have a couple more colleges to visit. This is alot of fun for the two of us. Lots of Mother-Daughter time.
By Mr. Nice Guy
December 3, 2008 3:54 PM | Link to this
There is also nothing wrong with having your child attend a Community College and live and home. Very afordable, with Georgia State and Kennesaw State in the area.
Objective: child earns degree in anything, the major does not matter. If money is tight the child can work part time while living at home going to school at a Community College.
By LM
December 3, 2008 4:03 PM | Link to this
JJ
I am in way over my head right now, not sure how I am going find time to visit colleges along with everyting on our plate. But fine time I will, just hope we don’t get anymore outside demands on our time. I hope we are past the hurdle by the end of the year and our lives will get back to some semblance of “normal”.
What grade is your daughter, I seem to think I remember her being a year ahead of mine. Are you ready?
Last year really opened my eyes. A dear friend had a college bound student and I got to see many aspects to “college” I had never thought about. I hope and pray our experience is not similar my friends.
By motherjanegoose
December 3, 2008 4:07 PM | Link to this
Mr. Nice Guy….you are correct! My son wanted to go to UGA but he has worked at a job every semester. There are more students not working than those who are and many parents who do not think their children should work BUT that is a topic for another day!
We are SO lucky in Ga as the HOPE will allow any child to attend college if they can keep their grades up….they may have to live at home but they are allowed an education nonetheless! Moral…if you want something bad enough you will do whatever you need to and make sacrifices if necessary.
By new mom
December 3, 2008 4:27 PM | Link to this
Hi everyone—boy, I missed a busy day!
FCM—thanks for the advice on the donations. I don’t know how it will ultimately play out, but I am still reluctant to give away toys that people specifically picked out for our daughter. Hopefully it won’t be a big deal, and our house won’t look like a toysRus on dec. 26th. ;)
Back to the topic: I can see myself encouraging our daughter to travel overseas to college, but I honestly think I’d be worried to death. Not that I don’t think she’ll be a responsible young adult by then, but there are a lot of governments that aren’t as ‘friendly’ as ours, and I’d hate to see her become a target. I, of course don’t know if that girl who was accused of murder (in Spain I think?) is guilty or not, but it’s just an example of sending them away to another country that might not welcome them, and they might not be strong enough or mature enough to handle it. I still like the idea in theory, but I just think there are more issues to think about and explore then just the financial side.
I agree that community colleges can offer opportunities that many overlook. And working through school, even if it’s just for your own spending money, is a great way to teach the value of a dollar, and of hard work. (but I think that was another topic a while ago…)
By Elizabeth
December 3, 2008 4:30 PM | Link to this
I have dual Irish citizenship and went to school abroad. Loved it, awesome experience!
By fk
December 3, 2008 6:32 PM | Link to this
My son is a senior in high school this year. We’ve checked out a few schools and he’s applied early decision to his “reach” choice…in the midwest…brrrr. It will be expensive and he’ll have to take out loans as we just don’t have that kind of money. He’s looking into scholarships, grants, etc. Have stressed to him that low debt upon graduation is a major consideration. I do feel that going away and not living at home is all part of the college experience. So long as we can afford it, he’s going away to college, although the school he attends just might not be his first choice. I would not discourage him if he wanted to study abroad.
By shaggy
December 4, 2008 6:49 AM | Link to this
“My Own Girl”
Face it, you, like most of the dumba$$es that took on too much debt, so they could have the lifestyle, made bad choices, and now you want to cry a river.
It’s not struggling. It’s payback.
By missnadine
December 4, 2008 7:09 AM | Link to this
There is another option that is very cost effective, and would lower the fears of parents. Consider sending your kids to college in Canada, especially Montreal, where a first-rate school like McGill can be very affordable. Given the current exchange rate, it is a bargain. Plus, while Canada is another country, it is much closer to the US in terms of rules and regulations.
By Mike
December 4, 2008 1:08 PM | Link to this
This is a very hot topic right now. Unfortunately, there are so many variables, that this broad sweeping conclusion that abroad versus domestic education can be extremely misleading. There are a million things that go into the college search in order to determine where, what school, what kind of school, what the financial constraints are, etc…
There are also professionals to help with this type of stuff. Check out www.triviumec.com
This is a college planning firm here in Atlanta.
Good luck!