This is the VOA Special English Education Report.
This week in our Foreign Student Series: the cost of higher education in the
United States.
Students who want to attend an American college or university must explain
how they will pay for their education. They have to show that they will be able
to pay for each year of study.
Students have to consider not only the tuition, the cost of classes, but also
meals and a place to live, known as room-and-board. They also need money for
books and supplies. And they need money to spend for social activities and other
things.
Educational advisers say foreign students should keep enough money in a local
bank to pay for at least two months of spending.
So how much will a year at an American school cost? Generally speaking, the
answer is: a lot.
A leading state university in the Pacific Northwest will serve as our
example. The University of Washington says foreign students are paying more than
36,000 dollars this year.
This major research university currently has two thousand six hundred foreign
students from more than 100 countries. There are many schools that cost
less, but also others that cost more.
Its Web site says the University of Washington does not offer financial
assistance to international students. This is generally true of American
schools, especially at the undergraduate level.
The international application for the university includes a Statement of
Financial Responsibility that must be signed. Students must also provide a bank
letter or statement from within the past six months. And they have to name
anyone who will help with payments. These people must send proof from a bank to
show that they have the money.
Your government or employer may be able to help you pay all or some college
costs. A good idea is to ask at least eighteen months before you want to start
classes in the United States.
To learn more about higher education in
America, the State Department has a special Web site: educationusa.state.gov.
Next time we will discuss another cost that should be considered: health
insurance. Our e-mail address is special@voanews.com.
And that's the VOA Special English Education Report, written by Nancy
Steinbach. I'm Barbara Klein.
tuition : a fee for
instruction, especially at a formal institution of learning（学费）
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