For any student, getting a chance to study abroad is a life-changing experience and an experience anyone would hope to have. Imagining what opportunities may arise with a diploma from a respected university abroad seems promising. Students also find this once in a lifetime opportunity as a great way to learn more about their respective fields as universities abroad, especially in the United States. But there is a setback into this due to the expensive and sometimes outrageously priced fees foreign universities asks to its international students. To reduce the possibilities of losing talented students and creating valuable losses in each sector, there must be a change in the educational system and allow international students to have the same privileges with local students for them to study in the country.
If one looks closely at the data on how much tuition fee and college expenses increased over the past few decades, there is a distinguishable gap between how much local students have to pay as compared to its international students. In tuition fee alone, international students who have been accepted in US universities and colleges would have to pay an average of $7,000-$40,000 annually compared to $2,500-$25,000 for local students. For other expenses, not only would it depend on the student’s capacity to budget his or her expenses but it also depends on the state the university is in as they vary in terms of living and economic status . International students have it rough as they are charged double and sometimes they lack the money to pay the uncovered fees. They either opt to transfer to a smaller university or college or opt to drop out of the grant to find a cheaper university back in their home countries.
In some universities, international students are required to handle the additional operation costs for the school’s international student centers and facilities. In the article “MU introduces new international student fee”, Megan Hager wrote that “Increasing numbers of international students at MU (University of Missouri) and the need for more staff to work with them prompted the creation of a new fee specifically for international students this week. Effective this summer, MU will charge international students an extra $80 per regular semester and $40 per summer session to cover costs incurred by the second phase of the Student Exchange Visitor Information System”. Hager was also able to point out that despite the university was able to connect its importance in the federal government’s requirements, international students, like the one she interviewed, are not completely informed as to where exactly the money would go to. This causes some confusion and misunderstanding at times as students may be surprised with the sudden increase and additional fee.
The last argument is through the quality of education international students are getting in the university. There are some universities and colleges who request a lot of requirements, special exams, and legal documents from their students and once the student provides the information, the quality of teaching and education is not that good. That includes the quality of the books, materials and mediums used in classes. There are instances where students do not learn the necessary skills and knowledge on their chosen fields because the school only gave them theories and not practical applications and classes. There are cases where a particular semester only concentrated on history which may not be that accurate today. This makes students feel as if they have wasted the money to enroll in the university and wasted away all those times because they believed the university or college would be able to provide them with the knowledge to stick out. Some also argue that to get decent quality education from US universities, a lot of money is needed to acquire it.
On the one hand, the fees may seem to be a little high for international students but if one looks closely, the money doesn’t just go to the school alone as it goes to other important parts while living in the US. According to the analysis made by EduPASS in calculating the annual cost of studying in a college or university in the US, international students must add at least $6,000 to the estimated tuition fee and lodging to sustain living in the US while they are studying. These additional fees vary per state thus can be quite unpredictable. EduPASS also included a summary of expected fees international students must consider in making their budget. Additional fees such as application fees ($50-$70), entrance exams ($100-$200 per exam), books and study materials ($500-$1,000 per year), travel cost (outside the US $500-$1000; within the US: $300-$700), off-campus lodging ($300-$600 per month), meals ($2,500 a year), clothing ($500), health insurances ($300-$500 for one year per person) and personal expenses ($2,000) should be considered in understanding the fees.
It is true that some universities charge their international students to maintain special offices and services specialized for them, but these fees actually help in improving the services and provide more assistance and security to the international student during their duration of stay in the country and in the university. Every year, the federal government creates new programs to document each international student and their current residences and should there be any problem or accident that would fall on the student, the government would be able to provide legal assistance and support for the student. It also helps universities to monitor their student’s current living conditions and help them in a variety of ways to assist them with their legal and current problems that they can help in some way. These fees are also important so that the university or college would be able to hire professionals that could understand the point of view of the international student which normal American professionals not understand.
Whether the fees are overpriced or reasonably estimated to fit the duration of the stay, there is still the issue that the amount is too much for international students, both rich and poor. It may take a little time but given that all necessary papers and data are procured to analyze the problem, there can be a way to enable some changes to happen in the current US international student application procedures. I have come up with some proposals as to how international students have the same privileges as local students.
The first proposal is for the government to reduce the fees placed on international students, causing their fees to double the amount as compared to local students. It may be so that the fees may vary from state to state or even on the type of college or university the student is currently enrolled at; but they are still the ones deciding how many percent the increase must be. The universities only follow the percent in an extent both reasonable and appropriate to lessen the losses it may cause them. The federal government, along the education sector of the government and heads of university associations, must also be able to create a system to study the current list of expenses international students are required to pay and eliminate those that they do not really need. Universities and colleges must also be able determine properly how much increases they would make that would be affordable for all and explain to students where exactly these additional fees and increases go.
Another possible solution is by giving international students the same privileges as to local students in availing government-funded scholarships, loans and extra credit in reducing at least the fees they need to pay. Should the students ask their own governments to help them, they can only help in such extent but it won’t fully cover all the expenses and fees, which may still be quite a sum for some financially unstable international students who hold on to the scholarship to pay for most of the fees. If the system is changed, they can get assistance in full amount and can even pay them off in a variety of ways. In the US, students may opt to request for financial assistance directly to the country’s federal education branch or opt to request student loans. To help students to pay off their loans, the federal government may allow students to undergo “loan forgiveness programs” to help pay off their fees by working for the government. The pay then goes directly to the university and students may be able to receive extra money for their hard work and dedication. Some students may even get job opportunities for the sectors they are working at. There are some international student loans open in the US but it is very limited . International students would greatly benefit from these programs and financial assistance offered in the United States as it would allow them to save money and earn.
Studying in the US or in any country is always a beneficial and fulfilling experience for any student who desires a greater future and a firm grasp of their chosen field. Despite the fact that the costs can be quite outrageous and sometimes unfair to international students, it is still justifiable in the extent that the fees don’t just revolve on school fees and processing applications. There is still a need to find a solution to this problem to prevent more talented and bright international students from dropping out of their dreams and achieving the jobs they deserve. I believe that given the time, the attention and the effort, a solution to creating equality with both local and international students will be achieved.
Works Cited
Alberecht, Douglas and Adrian Ziderman. "Student loans and their alternatives: improving the
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"Calculating College Costs". eduPASS.org. eduPASS, n.d. Web. 5 Aug. 2011
<http://www.edupass.org/finaid/costs.phtml>.
Hager, Megan. "MU introduces new international student fee." The Maneater - The Student
Voice of the University of Missouri since 1955. 22 April. 2011. 6 August. 2011. <http://www.themaneater.com/stories/2011/4/22/mu-introduces-new-international-student-fee/>.
Rao, Renuka Raja. Study in America: The Definitive Guide for Aspiring Students. New Delhi:
Pearson Education India, 2009. Print.
