To think about emigrating to the USA? 🇺🇸

[Rainbow1234]

I have posted in living overseas but don’t get much of a response so thought I would look for some opinions here.

So my dh is originally from Texas but moved to London 15 years ago when he was 16. We have 2 dc aged 4 and 7 (both have dual nationality). He assured me when we got married that he wasn’t bothered about ever moving back to the US and that he preferred England. Now he has been offered a really good job in California where his family live and wants me to think about us all moving out there but I’m so unsure, the job pays almost double what he is earning here but the area we would need to live in is more expensive than where we are now so financially we would be about the same. I was born and brought up in London, my mum dad and sister all live within 30 minutes of me and they are the only family I have in the whole world and I would feel so guilty about leaving them especially my mum, she’s 70 this year and in very good health (works full time) but I know she won’t be around forever but I can’t help thinking life could be better for my kids out there, anyone?

Shesalady's son isn't even in school yet.
Yet she already KNOWs he will have almost 100% of his Uni fees paid for by scholarships.
(what if he didn't want to go to Uni?)
Does that mean that almost No Maine college student ever pays fees?
Not making sense.

I had a couple scholarships, they sure didn't cover all my fees (much less living costs).

My best friend from high school in California, her daughter had top grades but declined college b/c of the expense. They are Mexican so probably could have tapped some special minority funds, but still couldn't make the numbers work (maybe too debt adverse). Her daughter is doing well in business, home owner by about 25, before her mother actually, so happy with her choices.

"Maine students leave college with an average of nearly $30,000 of debt, report finds". Lowest in New England, 14th highest in the USA which is a fall from 7th place.

I guess that could all be mere living costs, and the state tuition of $8000 might be covered like Shesalady said.

Average annual university tuition cost in my state is $6500 and I believe UK unis charge up to GBP 9250 for the same (UK / EU students). Study out of state is more expensive.

There is financial aid (FAFSA) available to lower income US students to study in state or out of state and scholarships are huge here, whether based on academic or sporting ability, special circumstance etc. There are 3.7 million scholarships online here and colleges offer their own scholarships and bursaries too. It's not unheard of for students to get a "full ride" ie 100% sponsored and I know many who have. I work for an organization that offers college scholarships in Texas and often students will have several scholarships making up the cost of their their tuition at any one time.

Does that mean that almost No Maine college student ever pays fees

No, shesalady hasn't said that all Maine students have their education paid for by scholarships. She's talking about her specific area and her specific neighbours.

That's an interesting report from the BDN. I'd assumed students on average graduated with more debt than that. There's more help available out there than I'd realised.

There is financial aid (FAFSA) available to lower income US students to study in state or out of state and scholarships are huge here, whether based on academic or sporting ability, special circumstance etc.

And there are also public community colleges in most states where tuition is even lower than the state universities, and in some cases free of charge.

...and you can get college credits at a lot of high schools now. DD1 has been getting them since freshman year. We pay $15 per credit.

I know some people who did almost their entire first year of college while still at high school. The program was through the local community college. The community colleges like it because these students are often the most academically motivated.

Go for it.
Your reasons for not doing so are completely negative and small-minded.

In most cases, students entering college with an IB will be fast tracked to the second year of college too.

What about APs? Do they count for credits? DD will have 6 or 7 by the end of senior year.

What about APs? Do they count for credits? DD will have 6 or 7 by the end of senior year.

Yes. And that is an impressive load of APs.

It isn't so much that you get fast-tracked into the second year of college but that you get credit for the work you have done so you have to take less core or 101 courses - so you can graduate faster. You'll still be a freshman starting off. Unless you transfer in from a community college.

Your reasons for not doing so are completely negative and small-minded.

First time I've heard a desire to be closer to family and worry about being stranded in a foreign country unable to bring your children back to the UK characterised as "negative and small-minded"

My cousin is an out-of-state student (AZ, she went there to be with boyfriend). $38k/yr tuition, but I heard cousin got a scholarship to reduce that a bit, for at least one year. Only child of parents now almost 60. Cousin is working & her parents pinch pennies to make it happen, I presume remortgaged. Sadly, it helps that my grandmother died last year.

In my family, in my circles, nobody ever got full ride. Everyone had to think long & hard about the finances & some just said "No way!" about taking it all on. My parents express shock at the modern expense. I suspect that they expect to fund my nephew & are grateful they don't have to fund my DC, too. They talked about starting college funds for mine while still in nappies, until I explained how generous the tuition fee system is in England. They say even the JCC are expensive, now. Then again, I've only met one person who went to Oxbridge as an undergraduate.

That's Not my Bubble, my bubble has people who can't find money to go to college in it.

But how generous is the tuition fee system in the UK? Tuition fees are charged and students take out loans to cover them .... same as the USA.

Things are always changing to I am happy to be corrected. afaik...

USA: The loans are never written off until paid off Although there is a forgiveness program if you know how to apply for it.
UK: Debt definitely written off after 35 (?) yrs, even if never paid a penny.

USA: fixed repayment amounts are the norm, regardless of income.
UK: the repayment amounts are scaled to income.

USA: Only some people are eligible for tuition loan (may be only partial amount).
UK: Everyone is eligible for full tuition loan.

USA: has a patchwork system of (multi-level) govt & private loan agencies. They have many different regulatory structures, eligibility & repayment terms. Lots of different forms to fill in.
UK: seems to overwhelmingly have a single loan agency. One assessment form.

USA: Always assumes some earnings contribution by the student in calculating their aid package. Student must work.
UK: Does not assume you will have employment.

UK don't seem to yet have articles about student loan debt "ricocheting" thru the economy. Maybe that will come in future.

Only some people are eligible for tuition loan

Yes, because the programs are, for the most part, need based. I think the policy that tax-payer subsidized programs not provide loans for rich people is defensible.

Always assumes some earnings contribution by the student in calculating their aid package. Student must work.

That depends on the program; some do and some don't. And many that do provide for or encourage education-based employment, like working in the university library or serving as a professor's assistant.

Also, many programs have loan forgiveness programs to encourage social service employment, for example, teaching in deprived areas or working as a legal aid attorney.

Of course people like DH and I are expected to pony up the money for our DCs college education. Between the two of us we make about $1 million a year and have assets now of over $5m. I wouldn't be crass enough to allow my DC to apply for a scholarship when the time comes if our financial situation is similar to what we have now. If I wanted to teach my DC a lesson I'd be loaning them the money similar to a student loan.

There are quite a few loan forgiveness programs. Government workers get loan forgiveness after 10 years of working for the government. There is also a public health group that covers all of the tuition of medical school after 10 years of service in an underrepresented area.

Personally I hate the U.K. System. The earning threshold is so low and doesn't consider the cost of working. Making £40k a year sounds great until you pay for childcare of £15k from post tax income.

Then again, I've only met one person who went to Oxbridge as an undergraduate.
If you hung around the applying to Oxbridge threads you would see that it can be cheaper than other Universities. Exactlyvthe same tuition fee, and often College accommodation for all three years and only having to pay rent for the weeks there, so 3x8 weeks (with maybe a couple of extra weeks at the beginning and end of terms = 24 or so weeks rent compared to 52 weeks). And there are hardship grants, research opportunities, travel grants etc.
No work during term but longer holidays, and lots of people work in them.

I lived in mid California. There were no other Uk expats there. Amazing weather.
Too much driving for me, I really missed Uk tv and radio, we never went to la as DH hated the traffic, except we did stay on queen Mary. It’s probably different if you have kids but it was hard getting to know people. We don’t go to church which ime Americans do. Beautiful places but hours of driving to get to them. Here they are on my doorstep. As you are so close to your family I would stay here.

I wouldn't be crass enough to allow my DC to apply for a scholarship when the time comes if our financial situation is similar to what we have now.

You are going to find that when your dc apply to colleges and don't tick the financial aid box, several schools will give them "merit" money on acceptance - no application necessary. It is another way the system is skewed for the wealthy. The schools want your full payment (and possibly donations) so they want your child to accept and so will sweeten the deal with "academic merit money".

pallisers We wouldn't accept an academic merit award either. As things stand now we don't need the assistance. I think it's an important lesson for our DC to know that you don't accept help when you don't need it, especially when there are others who really need the help.

We wouldn't accept an academic merit award either.

It wouldn't be your choice. The offer will be made to the student. Your child may or may not accept the offer. If you go back to the school and say "well we'll take the place but please take back the 10 grand of merit money" they will want the student to agree - not you.

You can always make donations to a college as a way of mitigating such an award....

The strong anti-US sentiment on MN always depresses me. Particularly as so much of it is driven by ignorance and stereotypes

Would I go in the OP's circumstances? Maybe not - I would find it hard to leave a small family behind.

But we don't regret living in the US one bit. Where we were (New England) we had brilliant public schools (certainly not anti-intellectual....), great food (even if $$$), amazing cultural opportunities, phenomenal outdoors activities, and great health care.

No, it's not perfect, and there are such vast differences between the states - or parts of the states - that it's impossible to generalise. But some of the statements on this thread are breathtakingly ignorant and small minded

My DC wouldn't dare. DH and I would skin them alive!