Financing your studies abroad is one of the least fun parts of your application to study abroad, especially when there are no enough funds to do so. Although, there are some means of getting financial help to study abroad such as; been awarded scholarships, student grants and other financial aids but the major problem is that not everyone gets the opportunity to access these options and so they continue to search for other means of fulfilling their dreams of studying abroad.
Thanks to some countries abroad that permits international students to work and study at the same time, this enables many students to support themselves and not end their education half way due to financial troubles. Even when you have saved up funds from home, but with the continuous spending on living expenses and tuition, the money soon runs out and many students are left with the option of working or going back to their home country. In countries where the tuition is low or almost zero, it gives international students the opportunity to have less financial problems as they are just focused on their living expenses.
Adequate planning and structure is needed for one to follow in order to be able to study abroad hitch free, even when you come from a wealthy household and you have enough funds to support yourself, you still need to plan on what type of lifestyle and basic amenities you would need if not you get carried away with the ambience and extravagant lifestyle of the country you are studying at. In this article, we have tries to enumerate the different ways you can save up for your study abroad program even when the scholarship may not seem possible.
10 Ways to Save Money for Study and Work Abroad
Financing your studies abroad can be very challenging and almost difficult, most especially when you don’t have the right resources and financial backing you need and you don’t intend going through student loans which may take years before you ever pay it all up with its incessant increase in interest rates. Not everyone gets the privilege of applying for scholarships and been awarded, some are lucky to get theses scholarships which funds part of their expenses abroad. In here, we are trying to outline 10 ways by which you can save for your study abroad without going through the student loans.
Open a savings account: you can save up money for your study abroad program by cutting back on some of the cost of things you buy and spend money on. You can develop and cultivate the savings culture and it would go a long way in helping you finance your study abroad, at least to a reasonable extent.
Ask family members and friends: another way which you can save up for your program abroad is to seek financial help from your family and friends who are well to do. Maybe an uncle or aunt or a rich friend can sponsor your trip abroad, provided you know how to meet and place your needs in front of such persons. The person may decide to pay your tuition which leaves you with funding your other living expenses, either way; you are making great progress in your dream of studying abroad.
Open a crowdfunding account: this type of account is created online either through the Gofund me or Kickstarter platform where you can invite people you know to contribute to your cause. There are other numerous types of crowdfunding platforms that you can make use of depending on what you want. With the money realized in this account, your dream of studying abroad is sure looking positive provided you get enough people to make their contributions.
Search for cheap flights and other student discounts: you can travel in some of the affordable airlines and also search for student discounts where you are not going to spend so much money. Also, some countries offer student discounts on transportation and food, you can make your researches and get to enjoy some of these benefits.
Countries that grant work permits: in going abroad, a lot of money would be required for you to spend, so if you are planning on traveling abroad, you can search for countries that permit its students to get part-time jobs and this would also assist your living expenses while in the country. You need to search for countries with not so expensive living standards and they are student-friendly.
Find a job: pending your travel abroad, you can search and get jobs which you can take up that would allow you to save some of what you get as your wages. Doing simple tasks for your neighbor or friend can get you extra cash which adds up to your savings for your program abroad.
Create a budget: this may look or sound weird, but budgeting is a fundamental tool in planning your financial status. A good budget enables you to know what to spend on and what to save. Making a budget of your income and expenditure would also go a long way in cutting back the cost of some unnecessary things and allow you to save money more which can be used for other good things such as your study abroad program.
Sell what you do not need: look around you, there may be things that you do not need but they are still in good shape and you can gather these things and sell them to earn extra cash. They may be your old shoes, clothes, or books whatever it is you do not make use of can be sold to get money.
Search for affordable programs: to study abroad at low cost or at almost free, search for courses abroad that are low cost and institutions which offers some forms of discounts or no tuition fees to enable you to use the money for your living expenses. Countries like Norway and Germany, offer no tuition fees in some of its states for public institutions you can make researches about these countries and apply.
Record your income: if you have a job whether part-time or full-time, you can record your income and your expenses in a way to find a balance between the two. Finding a balance allows you to save more money and lets you desist from splurging. If you are planning on studying abroad, you need to save all the money you can before you commence your journey.
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How to Prepare for Your Study Abroad
In preparing to study abroad, there are many preparations and requirements which you need to consider and plan to be able to have a smooth and hitch free stay. So many things to remember and do and without adequate planning, it could all be overwhelming and challenging. If you are preparing to study abroad, here is a list of things to crosscheck and prepare for your journey.
Check visa requirements: if you are going through your host university, they may already have all these sorted out for you but it does no harm when you also check if all is set. The visa is like the main ticket you need to gain entry into the country and without it, you can’t even leave your home country. It is important to check your visa and passport check the date and prepare yourself.
Read about your host country: if you are planning on leaving your country to another for studies, it is wise you do a little research about the way of life of the country you are moving into. You can check the weather and other necessary things which may interest you. Since it’s a new country which you have never been to, checking up the culture, food and another lifestyle of the citizens can be very helpful to you.
Accommodation: this is very important because it is where you would live once you get into the country, therefore, you must sort the issues concerning your accommodation even before you leave your home country. It wouldn’t be nice when you get to your destination and you are stranded with no roof over your head. There are many agencies or you could also go through your host institution to get an accommodation suitable for you.
Take enough money: since you would be moving to another country, you can take enough money to be changed into the accepted currency of the country you are moving to. Since it may take a while before you open your bank account, going with enough cash would assist you in making purchases or paying for transportation and food for the first few days of your stay.
Get your health insurance: most study abroad destinations required international students to get health insurance before they are allowed to study. If you can sort out your health insurance scheme from your host country, it is advisable to do it before you enter your host country. It would save you the stress of running around and looking for how to get things done.
Since everyone knows that studying abroad is no child’s play when it comes to its financial aspect, getting enough funds or means of supporting yourself is very important. Even if you saved up money to study, you can still take up part time jobs in countries that permit the student o work in order to support yourself and your needs. Studying abroad can be life changing and so, we hope this article encourages you on your path and show you ways to save up for you study abroad program.