Student finance for study in USA

[Purplecarpet]

Ds has been offered a place to study in the USA for his third year. His uni have connections with uni's over there but what happens about student finance? Do you apply in the usual way? I can't seem to find anything on the student finance website but I know plenty of students study outside of Europe.
Any advice appreciated.

Yes apply in the usual way. There'll also still be fees to pay at his current uni but much much lower than the standard fee.

Is it an exchange organised by his UK university? If so, you'll only pay normal UK fees (CONSIDERABLY lower than US college tuition fees). He's still technically a student of his UK university, simply doing an exchange year at another university.

Thanks. Yes its an exchange organised by his uni. Ds is so laid back and last minute and I'm panicking about everything.

Presently helping my elder DC with arrangements for exchange staring Aug 17 - May18. Has applied for normal funding at UK uni but now in the throws of applying for US accommodation which I believe has to be paid up front as does health insurance.

Accommodation is circa $7000 and health insurance $2000.

Also just had to send copies of bank statements/ funding arrangements to show that we have funds set aside/ in place.

Thanks. Is the accommodation on the university campus? I will get ds to get the ball rolling with everything. I might even contact the international office at his university myself to check out what and when everything needs doing.
What about visas?

Can I suggest caution around contacting the international office yourself. His university in the UK will be giving him all the information about this - via talks, websites, VLE space or whatever. And if he goes to live in another country he is going to have to handle things on his own - things that you may not be able to help with because you don't understand the system. He really ought to be able to handle the practicalities himself, without parental intervention - if he genuinely can't, he probably shouldn't be going to study abroad, and the international office will know that. They will be concerned about him and his suitability if they get a call from a parent and that might affect how they engage with him in the future - a bit of a black mark, if you like, which he may not deserve. In addition, in my dealings with study abroad in the past I have on several occasions dealt with situations where a student's parent, with the best of intentions, has caused the student not to follow our advice, leading to delays or, in one case, real difficulty finding accommodation - he needs to do what his university is advising him to do. They will have a schedule of information giving - they may not have done all the talks yet. I"ve also had cases where I have been accused by parents of not giving clear information, when the problem is that the student either didn't listen/read properly or didn't act on the advice. I'm not saying that this is what you are doing - but it may be what the international office will perceive is happening and if you ring them, you will come over as 'overinvolved parent' and they will be wary of you.
If you are anxious, you need to sit him down, find out from him what he's been told and what he is doing and when - that's between you and him, not you and the university. If he misses accommodation deadlines, or doesn't get a visa in time, that's his problem.

The university in the US is very likely to have a Study Abroad section on its website for 'incoming' students. Many of them also have a financial breakdown of what the costs might be although sometimes the list of costs is not just specific to international entrants

Mine is going for live-in accommodation on campus. International students are not given priority so have to wait until all the new and existing US undergrad students are allocated dorms and then get what's left, although apparently those staying for the whole of the year get prioritised ahead of those only staying for a semester.

I think she has to sign up to a mandatory meal plan, although there are different types from which to choose.

Yes to visa. Factor in a trip to US embassy in London.

Mine had to submit a financial page on the original application so that's why I know so much...

I might even contact the international office at his university myself to check out what and when everything needs doing

No, please don't do that! As Gannet says, he needs to do it himself. It's a big thing to adjust to study abroad, and if he can't organise himself now he won't adjust well in the US.

The best parenting you can do at the moment is to step back. Honestly.

Yes good advice. I'll keep my nose out and stop interfering. He is more than capable of sorting things out, I know that, just get carried away coz I'm a dreadful worrier.

Just wondering. Obviously the tuition fees for the US uni are going to be a lot more than the UK £9000 annual fee, so on the student finance application, do you just put this amount on? Or do you have to contact the other uni to find out their fees? I know ds should ask student finance but he wants to make a start in things this weekend while he's home. Thanks.

You only pay the standard UK fee. Part of the exchange agreement between universities is that either the UK university pays the difference, or the US university sucks up the cost.

Thanks. So you only apply for £9000? Hope you folks don't mind me asking all these stupid questions. Its a bit mind boggling when you haven't done it before

You'll need to check this with the info he's been given, but at my institution the fee for a year abroad is substantially lower than 9000 and I think this is fairly standard - it works out as about 15% of the normal fee. You also need to check whether he has completed change of programme requirements to include the year abroad - if he hasn't been issued with guidance/ a study abroad handbook or similar then he should check with his university's international office/study abroad office to get advice.

My DC downloaded a form called 2017-2018 INTERNATIONAL STUDENT FINANCIAL CERTIFICATE EXCHANGE STUDENTS which has to be uploaded prior so that the partner university can process the application prior to visa application.

It says "Exchange students coming from partner universities do not pay fees directly to this university and are only responsible to pay for room, board, health insurance and living expenses while at this university. Students coming to this university as part of the Global Visiting Students Program are responsible to pay full tuition fees, and all living expenses.'

Once she uploads this form and scans of the paperwork her US university then will take four weeks to process this and then after that she can apply for visa etc.

Hope that helps.

If the university offers accommodation you could remind him to apply by the deadline. My DD didn't need reminding for her Year abroad but someone she knew quite well put it off and didn't get anything as a late applicant. She had to find her own accommodation and it was in a not so good area and way more expensive than DDs rent! Meeting deadlines is vital so just ask him to update you on progress.

Thanks everyone. All these tips are a great help.
Student loan application done and it automatically came up as £1000 tuition ( ds did say that's how much it was) when he indicated the study abroad bit.
He has now registered with the US university so needs to complete their application. Needs to ask them a few questions so will email them tomorrow. I'll remind him about the accommodation as well.
Do you have to purchase the health insurance before everything is confirmed?

I suspect each of the US unis have their own way of doing things.

My DC has to agree to buy the University's health insurance as it is mandatory but they bill her student account for the fee of $1222 per semester I think in August then again in January.

She is a bit stuck with the next bit and has passed it to me to consider as she has exams in a coupe of weeks but I suspect insurance will have to wait as it needs more input from her ...

On her original application she put down that she would in addition to health insurance also buy her own private travel insurance policy which she got a ball park estimate figure of £380 from a broker which covered her as if she was a gap year student travelling around the world. This would cover her for her 'trips' she wants to make to other parts of the US. (She has budgeted £1k for trips). However, it also covers her for iPhone and laptop loss for a year and other things. She described it as an annual travel insurance policy.

However last week her home university gave her a link which suggests to her that she is partially covered under the home university's business travel policy. From what I can gather she has to fill out form and send it to her home university insurance policy administrator with her travel dates and they will get back to her.

She is hoping that she then doesn't need to spend that £380 but I don't know how she will insure her iPhone and her laptop (total £1800) for the duration...

Yes be aware of the high cost of the mandatory health insurance which is between 2k and 2.5k US dollars

Oh crikey. That sounds a lot 😳

Also, US universities are operating today if you want to e-mail, no pubic holiday there.

Depending on your income your son may qualify for financial aid

Just an update. Ds finally submitted his application to the university in the US on saturday and had confirmation today that he's been accepted . I will no doubt be back with more questions soon but thanks for all your help so far

Great news! He will just love it. I am sure everything will become clear as he gets info from the university.