Studying overseas

STUDYING overseas may be a student's most enriching experience, but it could also be the most expensive.

For those setting their sights on foreign shores, here is a rough guide to how much you can expect to pay for your education overseas.

By far, studying in the US is more expensive than going to the UK and Australia.

Between Australia and the UK though, which is the more costly really depends on what course you are pursuing and where you are studying.

About 10 to 15 years ago, studying in Australia cost much less than the UK.

But that is no longer the case.

Going by the latest exchange rates and tuition fees, pursuing a university education in Australia may be even more expensive than in the UK.

Generally, an honours degree takes four years in Australia. It takes only three years in the UK.

Mr Alex Lee, who has been advising students heading abroad for over 10 years, said: "Australia is not cheap anymore. The tuition fees have gone up over the last seven years."

A four-year degree course in Australia - not including specialised courses like medicine and architecture - can add up to over A$150,000 ($188,000).

Mr Kelvin Mok, marketing manager and education counsellor at placement agency AusEd-UniEd, said: "Living costs in Australia is about A$16,000 a year. But Melbourne and Sydney are more expensive than Perth."

In the UK, London is more expensive than towns like Leeds, Sheffield and Exeter.

Mr Mok said: "If you are in London, living costs will be about £7,000 ($19,600) a year, as opposed to Sheffield or Leeds where it will be about £5,000."

So, over a three-year period in the UK, he said, you will need at least £42,000.

If you are considering going overseas immediately after your O levels, there are one-year foundation programmes available in Australia and the US.

Tuition fees for a foundation programme in Australia range between A$15,000 to A$19,000, depending on the chosen college.

In the UK, you will likely have to take your A levels in order to get into a good university. Fees vary too.

In the US, you are faced with a wide variety of choices. How much you must fork out depends on which state or city you are in.

Mr Lee said: "There are more than 4,000 universities in the US."

If you are looking at the Ivy League schools and private universities, it can be expensive studying there, he added.

"You need at least US$40,000 ($57,200) a year for tuition fees and living costs, depending on where you are."

New York and California are more expensive and living costs can range anywhere between US$8,000 and US$12,000 a year, he said.

This means that for a general degree course, you have to be prepared to fork out at least US$200,000.

Going by these figures, far away places definitely come with a hefty price tag.

But, as many will tell you, the experience is likely to be well worth it.

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