Today we are going to look at the total costs of studying abroad for international students. I will take into account your expenses from the time of application for admission till the time you either graduate and go back home or start sourcing for a job abroad.There are so many factors to consider when you are talking of cost of studying abroad, they include; application fee if applicable, visa processing and ticket fare, documents for admission processing, health insurance, cost of living, tuition fees and other school dues.

Breakdown of Cost of Studying Abroad

1). Cost of Acquiring Documents

First thing to consider is the cost of getting all necessary and required documents ready before even trying to apply for admission. In my own case, I had to get my transcript, letter of attestations, English proficiency certificate, international passport etc.

If your first language is not English and you want to study in an English speaking countries like USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand etc, you need to write and pass an English exam very well.

In most cases, you will need medical fitness report from a government hospital in your country, police clearance report, two letters of attestation from your lecturers (professors or doctors) or tutors for undergraduates.

The cost of getting some of those documents depends largely on your country of previous study and the standard of living there. It took about US$150 for me to get mine. I didn’t write an English language examination, I used an English proficiency attestation letter gotten from my registrar.

2). Cost of Applying for Admission if Applicable

Now I assume you are ready to apply for admission and even scholarship if need be. Some universities or colleges charge application fees from international applicants but it shouldn’t be above US$100 ; it is usually between US$70 to US$100.

I have a list of the universities and colleges that charge application fees from international students and the list of universities and colleges that do not charge application fee.

3). Cost of Study Visa Processing and Ticket Fare

When you are offered admission, either your school will process and send your visa or you will do it yourself; but the funding is on you or your sponsor. Find out from the embassy in your country how much it will cost to process the visa to your study abroad destination or country.

Ask also about the ticket fare to and fro, it is compulsory to buy a two-way ticket if you are going to that country for the first time. You can as well visit the website of the embassy to find out this information. It should be made available there.

4). Cost of Medical Insurance

This is one of the most vital travel provisions because there is no guarantee that you will not fall sick during your study period abroad. The cost of taking care of your health is the health or medical insurance cost.

If you are on scholarship, your sponsors will see to this, but if you it is a self-funded study trip, you will be required to make provision for it by your international school. Find out from your school how much it will take to secure a good health insurance policy for you.

5). Cost of Living Abroad

If you are looking for countries with affordable cost of living, you can study in Germany. Most cities in Germany are very affordable to live and study in for international students. Cost of living in Germany ranges from 200 to 850 Euros including cost of accommodation, transportation and feeding.

Other cheap study abroad countries are Hungary, Netherlands, Georgia, Latvia, Belgium, Italy; they are mainly European countries but China, South Korea and Japan are also very affordable. Countries like USA, Canada, Australia, Ghana, Finland and Poland, their costs of living are very high.

6). Tuition Cost and Other School Charges

There are so many affordable schools or cheap universities in almost every country. Most public European Universities and colleges are tuition free. There are also tuition free universities in USA and even affordable universities.

Just choose an option best suited for your study abroad needs and is pocket friendly. Aside from tuition fees, you will have departmental dues to worry about, cost of your research project, books, home tuition if need be etc.

You need to estimate and see if you can afford to study abroad without running out of funds. You can apply for a scholarship or grant if you can’t fund your studies abroad. Some international students apply and get student loans to fund their education. They let you pay back with interest after graduation and when you start working.

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