Ediucation in the US

Education in the USA

US is a favourite destination for students worldwide because of its world class education. A total of 582,984 international students are enrolled in various colleges and universities in the US (Source: Institute of International Education's (IIE) 2007 report on international education exchange). Around 80,000 Indian students went to the US in 2006-2007. Compared to this, only 21,000 Indian students went to the UK, the other preferred study destination. In 2008, the figure for US bound Indian students is expected to touch the 90,000 mark. Additionally, If you are considering USA as an option for higher education, your chances of scoring well professionally are very bright. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 39,000 jobs were added to the business and professional services industry from March through April, 2008.

Popular Courses

Some popular areas of interest to students are:

• IT
• Engineering
• Computer science
• Business management
• Liberal arts

Popular Institutes

The country boasts of over 3,500 colleges and universities. Colleges are usually for undergraduates; Universities concentrate more on research in addition to teaching.
America usually divides its higher education system into two classes – one comes under the public system and the other under private system.
You can take courses under the Public system or Private system. Public schools are funded by the State and the local government of the area in which they are located. You may choose to attend:

• Two-year community college (Grants Associate Degree)
• Four-year state college (Bachelor’s Degree)
• Graduate University (Master’s degree, PhD and Doctoral Degree)
• Vocational schools

Private System: The fee is much higher than that of public schools and you can attend:

• Two-year College
• Four-year College
• Graduate University

Study Expenses

The tuition fees vary from program to program and institution to institution. It could range between Rs 4 - 15 Lacs per year. Programs like MBA, Engineering Medicine and Dentistry will always be on the higher side.

A tentative guideline is as follows:

• Tuition - the cost can range from $5,000 to $25,000 per year.
• Room and board- A rough estimate is between $3,000 and $8,000 per year.
• Books and supplies- Approximate cost can range from $500 and $1,500 per year.
• Medical insurance- A comprehensive insurance policy is likely to cost between $500 and $1,000 per person.

Loans and scholarships

The flagship international educational program sponsored by the United States Government and the Fulbright Program are two major grants for Graduate Students, Scholars, Professionals, Teachers and Administrators. Others include:

• International Education Financial Aid (IEFA), Rotary International: This organization provides a few limited international student scholarships,
• AAUW: This organization provides fellowships for women international graduate students,
• American Councils for International Education: The councils provide international student grants and fellowships to international students from the former Soviet republics.

Some other scholarships and fee waivers that can be researched are:

• International Graduate Scholarships
• International Undergraduate Scholarships

There are four schools where the tuition is free, but admissions are highly competitive:

• The Cooper Union, NYC
• Olin College, Massachusetts
• The Curtis Institute of Music, Philadelphia
• The Yale School of Music, New Haven - part of Yale University

Of these, the Cooper Union offers only Art, Architecture and Engineering. Olin offers only Engineering. Curtis and Yale both offer Music. Although tuition itself is covered by the respective universities, there are various other fees that would need to be furnished by a student.

Student Visa and other Eligibility criteria

The American education system requires that students complete 12 years of primary and secondary education prior to attending a university or college. This may be accomplished either at public (or government-operated) schools, or at private schools. For higher education, the student must complete 12+ 4 years of schooling before applying for a Master’s program.

In addition to this, each school has its own admission requirements and policies. Some of the general policies include:

• personal application form;
• official records of academic achievements;
• teacher recommendations;
• proof of financial capability;
• Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) score;