Should My Teen Go to College Abroad?

The cost to attend a four-year college has gone up 25% in the last 10 years, and the Department of Education estimates that the average price tag for a public university will be $200,000 in 2030.

Some students have discovered a novel way to do it cheaper: by attending college outside the US.

Aimee Giese’s son is one of them. “As we started looking into it, we realized that the costs for art school, even as a student from another country, are much cheaper than the United States,” the Colorado mom told Mom.com. “There will be the added costs of travel, and the added headaches of getting a visa — but right now, his number one choice school is in Vancouver, Canada.”

Sending your child to study abroad

Giese’s son is not alone. The Institute of International Education reports that more than 46,500 US students are enrolled in degree programs abroad, and that number is growing, as parents and teens learn about the options available.

“In non-Anglophone countries in Europe, there are more than 350 schools offering more than 1,700 full degree programs conducted entirely in English — no foreign language skills needed,” writes Jennifer Viemont in her book, College Beyond the States: European Schools That Will Change Your Life Without Breaking the Bank.

“On average, international students would pay $7,000 per year to attend one of these schools. There are almost 400 programs with tuition less than $4,000 per year and fifty options that are tuition-free — even for international students. The savings are further increased when you factor in that most bachelor's programs take three to three and a half years to complete. In many cases, it costs less to obtain a full bachelor's degree in Europe, including cost of travel, than ONE year of US out-of-state or private school tuition,” Viemont said.

Pros and Cons of Studying Abroad

Studyportals.com is a resource for students who are interested in attending college outside their home countries. According to their experts, the pros of studying abroad include:

• Cost
• Life experience
• Value to future employers

There are also cons to enrolling in college overseas:

• Unfamiliarity of process: requires a lot of research about universities and programs to make sure you’re applying to the right one
• Red tape: You’ll probably need to apply for a student visa and demonstrate to the host country that you have the means to pay your expenses
• Travel and living expenses: These may be higher than in the States

Ciaran Blumenfeld’s 19-year-old daughter is currently enrolled at University College of London. Ciaran told us that Ani is thriving there now, but had a rough beginning because she arrived in the UK last year with a bad cold that turned out to be mononucleosis.

“It was scary to leave her so far from home and so sick without familiar healthcare and support systems in place,” Ciaran told Mom.com. “I’m proud of her for sticking it out and as it turned out, she has excellent health care there. Possibly better than home.”

Ciaran’s advice for parents who are considering this option: Plan ahead and do your research. “Figure out things like cellphones, health care, and how you will communicate and send money first. Set up flight alerts. Go visit, if you can. The world is a smaller place than when we were in school,” she cautioned.

A student’s perspective

Maya Elisa Williams, 23, told Mom.com about her experience as a student at NYU’s campus in Shanghai.

“I wanted to meet people different from me,” Williams said. “I also just really wanted to get away from everything that was familiar and known to me. Going out of state would have accomplished this in theory, but going abroad just sounded more satisfying.”

Williams says she absolutely loved living and studying abroad, but points out that it’s not easy. “There's no real guidebook on how to juggle classes and grades with the additional burden of adjusting to a brand new culture,” she said. “It can be really draining, so I would recommend just making sure you have a support system in place that you can reach out to when you need to recharge.

“This could mean looking into what mental health resources would be available to you while you're abroad and connecting with them as soon as you get there or prepping your family and friends back home for video chats at really odd hours since you'll be in different time zones,” she added.

Her advice to parents whose teens make this decision is to plan at least one visit with your child during their time abroad.

“My mom has visited me in every city I've lived in — two times in Shanghai, once to Accra, and once to Washington, DC. She says I'm her excuse to travel,” Williams shared. “It can help quell many of the concerns you may have about where your child is living, and it makes for a very unique and memorable experience for both of you.”