Recent proposed rises in tuition fees have provoked bitter protests, but could drive increased numbers to choose international study instead. Read mo

Increase in Students Going Abroad to Study

However, more than one article has postulated that those same rising costs for education in this country will persuade those who can afford to study abroad to investigate the likes of the Sorbonne, Harvard or Yale as an alternative option. And not just for a ‘gap year’ either, but for a complete degree course. Many US colleges offer sports scholarships or other financial incentives to make it cheaper to study there whilst universities in Germany, Spain and the Netherlands, among others, offer courses taught exclusively in English to facilitate the learning experience.

Studying Abroad May Be Cheaper and is Enriching in Other Ways

The BBC interviewed a cross-section of people studying at US universities to gain their opinions for one piece last week. This is Money website, meanwhile, suggests that allowing your child to study abroad is both cheaper due to lower rents and a generally broadening experience thanks to programmes such as the Belgian home-stay initiative where visiting international students stay with Belgian families for immersion in language and culture.

An Entire Course Learnt Overseas, Not Just a ‘Gap Year’

Not that many years ago, in the late 1980s, prospective students had to choose at A-level stage whether to opt for a university in the UK offering a year’s gap study abroad, which would add an extra year to their degree as trade-off for the chance to learn social and language skills elsewhere in the world. There was little chance to amend that decision after beginning a course and those who did ‘drop out’ for an unplanned year’s travel risked losing friends and course momentum at a vital time in their studies.

Differences in Courses Can Mean Greater Opportunities

There is no doubt that to the adventurous, the linguistically gifted or those prepared to work hard to make money to pay course fees as well as meeting essay deadlines, choosing to study abroad can offer unrivalled opportunities. Some believe that US courses are not as academically advanced as similar courses available in the UK, but to some students, that may be the difference between being able to attend college, as the undergraduate level of education is known Stateside, or missing out on a chance to gain valuable further life and career skills.
Britain has long been regarded as one of the top places for international students to study, according to a November 2010 report from UK HE International Unit Events. At the post doctoral level on courses such as metallurgy and engineering,Economics it can seem as if most of the students are on visas of one kind or another. It will be interesting to see whether this trend continues when fees are increased.