Cost before Admission

This constitutes detailed information on the cost of filing your application at selected universities.  This includes the cost of registering for standardized tests and sending official score reports, the application fees as required by the respective colleges and the costs of mailing your application packages.  

There are other hidden costs such as the use of Internet time to research your schools or to send applications online.  This may work out to approximately 3 hours per University.

Cost of Application:
The process of filling an application form is a lengthy procedure. The entire process has to be done in an informed and systematic manner. Every university demands an application fee to process the student’s application form, to evaluate an applicant’s application and take the final decision on admission status.

Generally each student should apply to approximately 10 universities.  The average application fee per university could vary in the range of US$ 25 to US$100 for universities in USA.

The application fee can be remitted by including it in the application package as a demand draft in dollars. If the application is being sent online, it can be remitted by use of International Credit Card.

Cost of Mailing:
Appropriate mailing of application package is also very important. Important because, not only does the student have to adhere to the application deadline dates of various universities, but he must also have all the necessary documentation in place.

Application forms are normally couriered to the respective universities. But the charge of mailing the applications is quite an expense in itself. Refer to DHL couriers. For further information on mailing check out our cost-savers deals

Costs after Admission

Includes the cost of tuition, living expenses and other miscellaneous expenses that you will incur during the duration of your degree.

The fee structure differs from one university to another.  Generally the tuition fee at State universities are lower as compared to private universities. 

Annual tuition fees vary depending on the program. For instance, at the graduate level a Business program will cost more in compared to a degree in History.  The total cost of education, which includes the cost of tuition and room and board, books and supplies, insurance and miscellaneous expenses range from $11,000 to $ 45,000 annually.

Madhavi Desai recommends that you can look around bookstores for second hand books.  Talk to some seniors in the department, who keep their text books for further reference they might allow you to borrow them.  Besides most of these text books are available at the university library for reference. 

Cost of Living
Living in cities and urban areas is more expensive than living in small towns and rural areas because of the higher costs of living. Not only is the rent high but also other related living expense like food, clothing and entertainment are affected by the state taxes which differ from state to state. The cost of renting an apartment varies considerably depending on the part of country and the local demands and supplies situation. The rental cost for a one-bedroom apartment could vary from $200 to $1,200. The university’s housing office or financial aid office provides a student with an estimate of the annual cost or renting an off-campus apartment. Most of the universities have an off-campus housing office to help students find an apartment.

Living on-campus is most productive as you save on travel time and cost of travel.  Besides when you study till late at library going back to your room is only a few minutes walk.  Possessing is very expensive, one has to count not only the cost of the vehicle and gasoline but also insurance and repairs.   

Meal Plans: on an average you may require a minimum of 2 meals a day.  On weekends you may opt to eat out with friends.  

Health Insurance: is compulsory for international students, as the cost of medical expenses is very high as detailed in our next section.

Telephone Number: call your local phone company and within a week you will have your own telephone.  The major long distance service providers are AT&T, MCI and Sprint. Most of these service providers have discount plans, which add up to considerable savings.

Renter's Insurance: most students in order to insure their possessions against theft and fire obtain Renter’s insurance. Renter’s insurance policies also protect you if someone is injured in your apartment or if significant damage has been done to the apartment. The cost for renter’s insurance is between $100 to $300 per year.

Bicycles are the most popular mode of transportation for those staying near the campus.  Bicycles cost anywhere from US$ 80 to 800 for a new one, the latter price is for serious cyclists who do cross country and all terrain riding. You can buy a used one for even US$10.  

Travel within the US: there are four options to travel from one city to another within USA- by air, driving one’s own car or in a taxi, taking an inter-city bus and riding the train. Taking a bus or a train is much cheaper than taking a plane and less stressful as well though it takes much longer. One hour of air travel is equivalent to about five hours of travel by road. 

Ride Boards: are very popular way of getting around the country.  Most all campuses have what is called a "ride board" where students post their holiday travel plans.  For instance:

Beverly Johns:
Driving to Houston -Texas
Departure: Early 18th Dec
Return: 8th Jan
Needs someone to share driving and gasoline
Please call: 742-6715

Shopping: there are many departmental stores, which frequently sell merchandise at discount prices, you can expect typically anywhere from 5% to 25% less of the normal price. There are also large discount stores where one can shop at discount price at any time. International students are advised to buy their daily requirements and personal items from any of these stores, as savings one gets from these is substantial.

On an average, the living expenses can run up to US$ 8,000 US$ 12,000 per year.

Health: in USA, the medical facilities are the best in the world and most expensive as well. Quality healthcare is available everywhere in the country from various sources. Knowing the proper procedure and the place to go for specific kinds of care is what is important. Because medical care can be very expensive, it is advisable to have health insurance. In fact the US law requires universities to verify that international students have health insurance before allowing them to enroll. Many universities have their own healthcare insurance for the International Students. Typically the insurance will cover hospital care and doctor’s fees. Details of insurance policies offered by different universities vary from one another. It is advisable to contact the university authorities for details on their health insurance programs and requirements.

General medical care is available within the campus and is least expensive. Specialized services that are available outside the campus are extremely expensive. Because health care for major accidents or illnesses can cost thousands of dollars, hence the necessity and importance to have health / medical insurance to minimize the costs.

Visa: once a student gets admitted to a college or university in USA, he needs to get the student visa to enter USA. The student needs to apply for a visa at the US embassy or consulate, using the I-20 or IAP-66 that a student gets from your US college, university or sponsoring agency for the visa purpose. The cost to get a visa to enter USA varies from country to country.

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