Financing Your Study Abroad Experience

Most international students are extremely excited upon discovering that they have been accepted into their respective study abroad programs before asking the question of, “how am I going to pay for this?”  If your parents are paying for your study abroad expenses then more power to you, but this blog post is intended to assist those who seek additional funds.  Personally, I believe the greatest amount of success in making money will come from putting in grunt work by picking up a summer job, and applying for as many scholarships as you can unearth.  If you take five minutes out of your day to visit your high school or universities International Studies Department, and Dean’s Office then you will typically find that they have a listing of available study abroad scholarships or grants through the school.  All you need to do is write down the scholarships in which you qualify for and apply with the required materials before the deadline.  Making money is that simple!  There are also many private companies and institutions which offer study abroad scholarships and grants for students in case you discover that there are not many scholarships available through your school.  One such example is discussed in my previous blog post of www.amerispan.net, and other similar websites in which I have found success include: www.gooverseas.com, www.studyabroad.com/scholarships, www.internationalscholarships.com, and www.studyabroaduniversities.com/Study-Abroad-Scholarships just to name a few.  A quick Google search with the proper keywords will give provide you with a search engine results page which has many other scholarship opportunities.  If you are finding little success with scholarships then you might be able to receive a government loan, such as FAFSA, or a financial institution loan if you qualify.  I would discourage taking out a loan unless it is a measure of last resort because there is no need to pile interest on top of your current debt.  If your parents or a close family member are in a stable financial situation then I would recommend asking them for a loan before consulting a financial or government entity to avoid interest.  Regardless of how you finance your money, studying abroad will pay itself off in the end because of the once in a lifetime experience you get to encounter.  I hope this blog post will lead you in the right direction and if you have any questions please post a comment below and I will be more than happy to answer it for you.