HOST:
Our VOA question this week comes in an e-mail from China. A listener there asks how much it costs to attend an American university. That is the subject of our report today in our continuing series about how foreign students can attend college in the United States.
All foreign students must have enough money to pay for every year of study at an American college. You should find the costs in the catalogs or papers you receive from colleges that you are interested in attending. The costs should also be provided on the college’s Internet web site. The cost of university courses is called tuition. Other costs include a place to live, food, books, and health insurance.
Utah State University in Logan, Utah, says a foreign student must have fifteen-thousand-one-hundred dollars for each year of study. Experts say each foreign student should keep enough money in a local bank to pay the costs for at least two months of college.
More than nine-hundred foreign students are attending the Utah State University this year. These students may receive financial help only after the first year of study at the university. There is no financial help for foreign students in their first year of study. Graduate students may be able to get teaching or research positions through professors or other university officials.
Foreign students must show on university admissions documents how they plan to pay for their education. If you apply to Utah State, you must state on the document who will support you. The person paying for your education must sign the paper and send bank documents showing that he or she has the money to do this. If you will be supporting yourself, a bank official in your country must write to confirm that you have enough money to pay your costs.
Some colleges in the United States cost less than the Utah State University, and many cost more. Your government or your employer may help you pay some of your costs. It is a good idea to seek such aid at least eighteen months before you want to start your American studies.