One of the most important factors when considering whether or not to study abroad in the US is the cost. In this article, I will be discussing the cost associated with study abroad in the US.
I will focus on the initial costs which include testing, admission and other fees. This is because tuition, boarding, feeding and other fees vary widely, and can be covered with financial aid and scholarships. Click to learn more about Financial Aid and Scholarships.
Please note that this article is for undergraduate students. A guide for graduate students is coming soon.
Passport Fees
Since you want to study outside your country, you need an international passport. Fees vary based on your country, so visit an immigration office to know the associated fees, and get a passport.
Testing Fees
Most international students have to take two exams. The SAT® (Scholastic Aptitude Test) and a test for English language proficiency such as the TOEFL®.
Currently, SAT® registration goes for $55 and costs nothing to make College Board® send your score to four of your desired schools. These are called score reports (click to learn more about score reports). Each additional score report (aside the first four) costs $12.
TOEFL® registration costs $182 as at the time of writing this article. You can also add four free score reports. Each additional one costs $20.
Please note that most testing fees can be waived i.e you do not have to pay if you cannot afford it. Learn more about this by searching “waive x fees” on Google where x is the test for which you want to waive its fees. An example search query is “waive SAT fees”.
Visa and SEVIS Fees
International students wanting to study in the United States need a visa for entry. The visa class required is F-1 student and currently, it costs $160 to apply for one.
International students also have to pay SEVIS (Student and Exchange Visitor Information System) fees which is currently $350.
Application Fees
Most universities require students to pay a one time application fee during the application period. These fees are usually between $45 and $100.
If a university uses the Common Application system to accept admission applications, you can waive the application fees. This means you do not have to pay application fees for any school that uses Common App for admissions. Click here to learn more about waiving Common App fees.
Transportation
International students generally have to travel to their university locations by flight. A good website to check flight prices and/or book flights is https://justfly.com. The link is not sponsored.
Others
Other costs such as tuition, boarding, feeding and other fees vary widely based on your university and its location. Visit the university’s website to learn more. Make sure to check for fees for international students as they are sometimes very different from the fees for domestic US residents (citizens and permanent residents). Also, as mentioned earlier, you can get financial aid and/or scholarships to cover all or part of these costs.
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