Tens of millions of people enroll in college every year. Among those people, many go on to receive degrees in their field of study which then leads them into a career that they hold down for the next 40+ years until retirement.
If that linear timeline sounds like a snooze-fest to you, we don’t blame you. Coming from those of us that did the whole college, career, get married, buy a house, have kids trajectory – We agree.
Here’s the thing though… Being in college doesn’t need to be 4 to 5 years of mundaneness. It could be 4 to 5 years of you learning while exploring the world.
If you’re interested in figuring out how you can pay to study abroad, this guide is for you! Below, we disclose a few tried-and-true money getting strategies for travel-hungry students.
1. Take Out Additional Financial Aid
Many people that are going through college pay to study via financial aid that they receive from the government.
In a perfect world, you’re collecting free money via college grants. In a less than perfect world, you’re collecting loans from the government which feature low-interest rates.
If you want to study abroad, chances are you could opt into more government loan options or higher amounts in order to fund your adventures.
Talk to your financial aid office to see what’s possible for you.
2. Seek Study Abroad Scholarships
Many schools give out scholarships that are specifically for those that want to participate in their study abroad programs. These scholarships could either be offered through the school or through your specific academic department.
The best thing to do to see what’s out there is to talk to your financial aid office. If they don’t have any leads on study abroad scholarships, shift your focus to the academic advisor you have in your department.
They may know of department scholarships that are available or may even be willing to put you in contact with school donors to see if they can’t set something special up for you.
3. Look Into Private Loans
If you’ve exhausted your government or school-offered financial options, turn to the private sector.
Sure, the private sector tends to offer more self-favoring loan products. That’s not to say though that the products they offer aren’t useful or worth your time to consider.
Student loans bad credit offers are constantly being thrown around by private lenders to attract students that have little or negative credit history. If you have good credit, you’ll qualify for even better student loan products.
Shop around to see what’s out there.
4. Ask Friends and Family
If you have friends and family that love you, maybe they’d love to help you achieve your dreams of seeing the world while learning.
That might seem like a stretch but you never know unless you ask, right?
Try sending out an email to friends and family members letting them know what you’d like to do for school and how much it’s going to cost. Have a Go Fund Me page set up that they can donate to in order to help you transfer money towards your cause.
If you’re feeling really brave, you can share your Go Fund Me page on social media to get additional exposure.
5. Take on a Side Hustle and Save
Sometimes, the best strategy when it comes to paying to study abroad is to get a job (or a second one).
There are plenty of opportunities for students to make extra side cash. They can get hired at a flexible minimum wage job, they can drive UBER and embark on a number of other side-hustle ventures.
Never feel like you’re above working physically for your dreams. If you want something, sometimes you have to get your hands a little dirty to get it.
6. Seek Our Free Study Abroad Programs
Many international schools are trying to build up their reputation as premiere destinations for foreign students. In order to achieve that end, some offer full scholarships to students from affluent countries to study with them.
Finding programs like this is as easy as running a Google search.
You’ll want to be careful when seeking out free study abroad programs. As with most things in life that are free, you may run into scams that could jeopardize your wallet or even your safety.
Talk to a local academic advisor and get their advice before getting official with an international school that’s offering you a deal.
7. See If Your Job Offers Tuition Help
Many workplaces like Disney, Starbucks and even McDonald’s offer college tuition payment programs for their full-time and part-time workers. Inquire with your manager to see what kinds of programs might exist at your job.
If your manager doesn’t have anything to share, information about tuition programs should be available online through your company’s website. HR is also a great resource.
Wrapping Up Ways to Pay to Study Abroad
There are many ways to pay to study abroad. Per that fact, our advice to you is to never get discouraged when you run into a steep price tag on your educational dreams.
With a little bit of creativity and asking around, you should be able to find what you need to make your travel abroad dreams your reality.
Want more financial inspiration? No problem!
Our website is chock-full of great ideas on how to meet your financial goals. All you need to do to absorb our insight is to dive deeper into our content pool!
