Student tuition fees (& visa) question

[Emma]

I am a university student in England and want to study another degree in Florida. However, tuition fees are $22,000 per year (for a 4 year course) for non-florida residents, but for residents, tuition fees are just $3,000 per year!!! does anybody know how i can study in florida without paying these ridiculously high fees??

i dont have any family in the US either?

ive searched and searched but i cant seem to find an answer.

any help will be much appreciated!

[Ron]

Hi Emma

Have you thought about becoming an Au Pair ?

I think there is a special visa for this and this way you could study in the evenings and or day release.

In otherwords help to support yourself

I do know you can get a sudent visa which does allow some work autho in it but not sure if this would be enough to support yourself

What are you studying for now? and is it your masters degree or a different type of degree you would like to do in the USA?

[Ray10]

You get a loan like most American have to do ..

[Emma]

Ray10 = as far as i understand it, american loans dont apply to international students. if you know different, could you please point me in the direction of one!

Ron = i am studying bachelor of science psychology degree in england and want to study a forensic biology degree in florida where i then plan to live.

i would intend to work while studying to help support myself but an Au Pair would not interest me.

i personally cant afford $22,000 per year for 4 years. if there are any students out there, how did you manage to do it??

[JulieC]

If you are on F1 you will pay the higher fees as you say. Resident aliens and those on a visa who have not yet turned 21 pay the lower fee. You do get a work authorisation but can only work on campus. You cant get loans or financial aid. And you have to show you have the money to support yourself before they will give you the F1. Most people either get a scholarship, if they are good at sport or whatever, or are funded by their parents.

An alternative would be to do a masters rather than another first degree though I obviously dont know if the course you want is available as a graduate study. A masters is only 2 years and they are alloting a number of H1bs for masters graduates for after you finish, these are not subject to the usual cap.

[etmerian]

My best friend was here in college on a student visa and she was told internationals are not eligible for any kind of financial aid in any form. Unless you were to take out student loans from a major bank (all of them offer them), I doubt you can fix this. In order to establish residency in the state of Florida to get the Florida resident tuition, check with the university - most of the time you have to prove you've lived in the state for at least two years. It varies state by state, based on the popularity of the state's universities (i.e. California is almost impossible). Sorry for the bad news, but good luck!

[JulieC]

Its a year for Florida, but you have to have lived here on the correct status. As I said green card holder, some universities accept dependants of visa holders until they are 21, my son got two years at residents rates . If he has to change to F1 that will finish even though he has been physically resident for over three years.