Studying at university, a dream for many Americans, almost a necessary step to obtain certain jobs. For millions of them, this ideal turns into a nightmare. At Uncle Sam’s, the situation of students has been worrying for years, with the latter finding themselves in debt very early in their lives. Faced with increasingly high tuition fees, loans are increasing. Tuition costs at American universities and colleges vary widely depending on the type of institution, its location, and its prestige. According to le College Board, the average cost of tuition and fees for a year at a public university for in-state resident students was approximately $10,740 for the 2021-2022 academic year. For non-resident students, this average cost reached approximately $27,560.
At private colleges, the average annual cost of tuition has been estimated at approximately $38,070 for the 2021-2022 academic year. Prestigious universities can have even higher tuition fees, like Harvard University where the annual fee was around $69,607.
Housing, supplies, big extra fees for students
In addition to tuition fees, students must also consider the costs of room and board. At American colleges and universities, it is common for students to live on campus for at least part of their education. The price of dormitories at US universities varies widely depending on several factors, including the location of the university, the type of accommodation (single room, shared room, apartment), amenities offered, and demand. Prices may fluctuate each year due to inflation, renovations or other factors.
To give you a general overview, here are some examples of average dormitory prices at some American universities:
- University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA): In 2021-2022, the annual cost of a dormitory on the UCLA campus ranged between $15,000 and $19,000. These costs include room, board and associated fees.
- New York University (NYU): In 2021-2022, the annual cost of a dormitory on NYU campus ranged between $15,000 and $20,000.
- Ohio State University (OSU): In 2021-2022, the annual cost of a dormitory on OSU’s campus ranged from approximately $11,000 to $13,000 for a shared room, and between approximately $13,000 to $15,000 for a single room.
Students should contact the specific university for recent prices. Schools offer different housing options with varying prices, but more students are also looking for off-campus housing which can be less expensive than dorms.
In addition to tuition, room and board, students must also purchase books and supplies for their classes. The cost of books and supplies changes depending on the curriculum and specific courses, but is often substantial. Students purchase or rent books, as well as additional course materials such as lab accessories or software.
New textbooks are quite expensive, often between $100 and $300 per book or more, depending on the subject and its complexity. According to the California Student Aid Commissionon average a student spends 630 dollars, just for the books necessary for their education for the year 2022-2023.
The labyrinth of financial aid and scholarships to study in the United States
There are several options to help cover the costs of higher education in the United States. Students may be eligible for scholarships, student loans and other forms of financial aid. Scholarships may be offered by educational institutions, non-profit organizations, private businesses and government agencies. Organizations like Global Scholarsallow first-year students to receive a sum of $5,000 per year, or $20,000 for four years depending on the renewal conditions.
A new trend is developing: that of offering tuition fees in certain American universities, offering tuition fees. This is the case of Wayne State University (WSU), but only for students who reside in the state of Michigan and whose family income is less than $70,000.
For others, student loans, which must be repaid with interest, may also be an option for financing higher education. Students can apply for federal loans, which generally have lower interest rates and more favorable repayment terms than private loans. But it is these student loans that are generating a new problem in the United States: graduates are entering working life with heavy debts.
Student debt in the United States: a growing burden for young people
On average, university debt in the United States is $30,000 per student. For the year 2022, approximately 61% of American graduates borrowed money to pay for their education. According to statistics from Data Education Initiativein 2023 the total student debt of Americans is 1.727 billion dollars.
This is the case of Krystal, a 24-year-old American from Virginia. She completed a Master’s degree in human sciences at the University of Virginia (UVA). Present for two years on campus, the young woman had to take out a loan of 45,600 dollars: “My parents are middle class, they clearly could not afford to pay for these studies. We took out a loan from a bank and now that I’m working, I’ll repay it every month for the next 8 years” she declares. The young woman considers herself lucky to work in an environment where she earns a good enough living not to be in the red each month after repaying part of the amount: “I create content on YouTube, I have quite a few subscribers and thanks to sponsors, I am not to be pitied financially, but I have friends for whom the situation is extremely complicated”.
Starting today, the first round of folks who are enrolled in our SAVE student loan repayment plan who have paid their loans for 10 years and borrowed $12,000 or less will have their debt cancelled.
That’s 150,000 Americans and counting.
And we’re pushing to relieve more.
— President Biden (@POTUS) February 21, 2024
In order to alleviate the distress of these graduates, President Joe Biden announced an action which should concern several hundred thousand people. He wants to put in place a new measure to erase student debt, for any borrower who has already repaid for 10 years and who has borrowed a maximum of $12,000. According to White House figures, this measure should cancel $1.2 billion in debt for around 150,000 Americans.
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Costs of education in the United States: Choosing to study elsewhere?
The cost of education in the United States is significantly higher than that in France. Average spending per student in higher education oscillates between 15,000 and 35,000 dollars in the USA and between 8,000 and 10,050 dollars in France. Compared to the USA, France has an education system more focused on access to education for all with more affordable tuition fees in public universities.
If you still want to study in an English-speaking country, also think about destinations such as New Zealand, Canada or Australia, where educational establishments have slightly more attractive registration fees than those in other countries. UNITED STATES.
The Australian university system is more expensive than that of France. Allow at least 15,000 euros for a single year on average. Concerning tuition fees in New Zealand, count between 12,000 and 35,000 euros for a bachelor’s year depending on the specialization. University tuition fees for international undergraduate students average around 24,520 euros per year in Canada.
2024-03-12 17:04:24
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