Affordability is the foremost barrier to getting a degree overseas. Indeed, in its recent survey, ICEF Agent Voice found that 75% of international students see it as their main worry. Unless you are studying in a country with no or low tuition fees, like Germany or Argentina, tuition is going to occupy half to three-quarters of your expenses. Non-tuition-related costs that make studying abroad look unattainable are accommodation, airfare, student visas, language tests, and study materials.
Accommodation, especially the deposit for the first month, can be a source of stress
After tuition fees, the other main financial burden for international students is accommodation. Some are lucky to be able to live with a family member abroad, but most have to rent a room or apartment. Accommodation usually takes up at least half of students' cost-of-living budget. They also need to pay a deposit worth one week to one month of rent to reserve the accommodation before even flying in.
If international students don't have a guarantor who is a resident in the country, they also often need to pay a full semester's or even year's rent upfront. This can mean paying $10,000-15,000 in one go, which is difficult for many international students, especially those planning to fund their studies by working part-time.
Even international students on full scholarships struggle to pay the rent deposit, which might not be included in the scholarship money or can only be refunded later by the scholarship provider. Some have to take out small loans, borrow money from relatives or even use crowdfunding platforms to cover these initial costs before their scholarship provider can refund them.
The real estate company Savills compared the cost of accommodation for international students in various cities around the world in 2022. The most expensive cities for student housing were New York, San Francisco, Boston, London, Sydney, Toronto, Dublin and Paris. In the first two American cities, student housing can cost up to $2,000-3,000 per month, which is an entire upper-middle-class salary in many countries. In Paris, tuition fees are very low, but this advantage is canceled out by rent that can be as high as $1,000-2,000 per month.
Application, flight and visa fees can be very high for some international students
Initial costs don't end at housing deposits. International students also need to cash out for course applications, plane tickets and a student visa before even moving abroad.
In the academic journal Science, an Iranian expat in the US named Ali Khaledi-Nasab talks about how he nearly (literally) sold his kidney back home to fund his move to Ohio for a Ph.D. in Physics at Ohio State. PhDs are generally fully-funded in the US, and so was Khaledi-Nasab's degree, but the initial cost of moving was still far too high. He needed to have enough dollars for the program application fee, a month's worth of rent as a deposit, a visa and plane ticket, and for the fee to bypass compulsory military service in Iran.
Program application fees in the US generally cost $60-100, with international students often required to pay the higher end. For a student applying to four programs, this racks a total of $240-400 dollars. It's expensive even for Americans, and it is often unattainable for a foreigner earning in a less powerful currency. For example, $400 is about 32,000 Indian rupees, an entire middle-class salary in India. Thankfully, some universities accept to waive this fee if the student shows proof of financial hardship. Cornell Graduate School, for instance, says that the fee can be waived for funded international graduate students.
In his article, Khaledi-Nasab mentions an international graduate student who wasn't so lucky. A Kenyan student he knows, Gloria, was denied her application fee waiver by nearly all American universities she was interested in – despite her impressive CV and would be studying for a fully-funded Ph.D.
International students should keep in mind that if their university has denied them an application fee waiver, they can still apply for a needs-based scholarship from the Opportunity Funds Program. This is a program of EducationUSA, a branch of the US Department of State that funds up-front costs like language tests, visas and airfare.
Thankfully, there are many countries where application fees are low or even non-existent. Only a minority of British universities charge application fees, and they tend to be only the most prestigious universities. The University of Newcastle, for instance, charges a £25-40 ($30-50) application fee only for select master's programs, while its other programs have no such fee. Many top public German universities have no application fees. This includes Heidelberg University, Humboldt University Berlin and the Technical University of Munich.
The cost of airfare and a student visa will depend on your country's diplomatic situation. It's far costlier for students from countries with tricky political situations, notably Iranian, Russian and Cuban students. For instance, as an Iranian, Khaledi-Nasab had to pay a fee that very few other international students need to even think about: one for opting out of military service. Embassy closures and trade sanctions also drive up the price of visas and tickets. Being in a small country with no embassy for a certain foreign country will also require you to use the services of a neighboring country's embassy, which will be costlier and more time-consuming.
The UK and Australia have the most expensive student visas, which cost over $400. For an American, Chinese and Dutch student visa, you need to pay $150-185. Meanwhile, Germany, France and Finland have more affordable student visas. In Germany, it costs around $80, in Finland, around $90, and in France around $100.
Two ways of saving on airfare are finding student discounts and booking it very early. If you are 99% sure you'll get your student visa, you can buy your ticket even before applying. Many airlines offer tickets that are 10% off to students under the age of 30. These special tickets also let you bring more luggage, usually three suitcases instead of two. In addition, a return ticket is not required for people on a student visa. It's required only for those on a business or tourist visa.
Language test fees are an expense many students feel is unnecessary
If you plan on studying in a country where the official language isn't the same as the one in your country, you'll generally need to show proof of at least upper-intermediate (B2) proficiency in that language.
Some universities and immigration departments might accept high school grades as proof, but others require scores from standardized tests like the TOEFL, IELTS and CELPIP (Canada) for English, the DELE for Spanish, the DELF and TEF (Canada) for French, the Goethe-Institut exams for German, and the HSK for Chinese. Sometimes, programs don't care much about standardized language tests, but they still require them to protect their students from getting into trouble with the country's immigration department.
The cost of these tests can be high for international students from countries that have relatively weak currencies on a global level. This is because, like visa fees, the test fees are calculated in dollars, pounds, euros and yuans wherever you might be located. The fee can vary only slightly between countries. For instance, the IELTS Academic Test to study in an English-speaking country costs between £175-195 ($220-245).
TOEFL, the American equivalent of the IELTS, is more affordable: it costs $160-200. As previously mentioned, if you plan on studying in the US, you might also be eligible for a scholarship from EducationUSA to cover the cost of a language test. Fortunately, TOEFL is also accepted by most British universities in lieu of the pricier IELTS.
DELE, the Spanish test of the Instituto Cervantes, costs less: the B2 (upper intermediate) test required for most degrees costs €150-180 ($165-195). The DELF B2 test from the French Ministry of Education is also more affordable at €142 (around $150). The HSK 4 and 5 test from the Chinese Ministry of Education required for degrees costs 350 and 450 yuans, respectively, or $50-65. Unfortunately, the German B2 test from the Goethe-Institut is pricier: €285 (around $300). Public universities are tuition-free in Germany, though, so international students are likely to have more savings left for this language test.
The cost of these tests feels even more unfair to international students whose education or work history already vouch for their language level. For example, students from former colonies of the United Kingdom often see the necessity of taking the IELTS as a postcolonial absurdity. Owing to their country's history, English is already the primary language of education there, even if the native language that they speak at home might be different. This is the case for the hundreds of thousands of Indians and Nigerians studying in the UK, for instance.
Thankfully, some universities have removed the language testing requirement for international students, even if it remains the general norm. After the lobbying of a Nigerian academic, the University of Alberta in Canada waived it for students from Nigeria in 2022. Some Australian universities, such as the University of Adelaide, the University of New South Wales and Swinburne University of Technology, exempt international students from language tests if they meet some criteria. Indian students can be exempted if they obtained a high English score on their All India Senior School Certificate Examination (AISSCE). Those who have at least 3 years of part-time work experience where they had to use English can also be exempted.
Some international students aren't advocating for the complete cancellation of language testing requirements but simply want universities to accept more affordable tests. As a result, an increasing number of institutions have been accepting Duolingo's English Test. This test is 100% free, and Duolingo will send your results directly to the universities you've listed. This at-home testing method proved to be especially practical during the lockdowns of the Covid pandemic.
Among the +3,500 institutions which accept Duolingo's free test are many community colleges and technical schools, but the app's website also lists many degree-granting universities. Some examples are Acadia University in Canada, Anglia Ruskin University in the UK and Arizona State in the US.
Textbooks in the US can cost nearly $1,500 per year
University textbooks can cost as little as $200 per year in some countries, but unfortunately, in the US, buying first-hand textbooks for your college classes usually costs $1,200-1,500 per year. It's expensive even for domestic students, so it can be even more of a financial stress for international students.
Education Data Initiative says that the average college textbook costs slightly over $100 in the US in 2023, and some books for subjects like economics and the biomedical sciences can even cost around $400. Since the 1970s, textbook prices in that country have gone up by a stunning 1000%, reports NBC after analyzing data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics data by NBC.
How can international students in the US access these textbooks more affordably? If they are receiving financial aid, they should check if this aid can subsidize the cost of study materials. They can also check with their professor if the latter is willing to email them a scanned copy of the book or the link to an open-access version. Many professors will be very understanding if students explain their financial constraints. If they find the textbook in a campus or public library, they can photocopy some of the pages or chapters needed for the course – as long as it's only for their use and they don't intend on selling these.
Buying a digital or secondhand copy is also a good option. EBay, AbeBooks, ThriftBooks and Alibris are all popular and reliable websites for getting bargains on secondhand books. Best Colleges says that first-hand digital copies often cost 40-50% less than paper copies, and secondhand books can cost as little as $3-5. The websites mentioned above are US-based, which means that if you're already in the US, your shipping fees will also be low.
If you're in a college town, there are likely brick-and-mortar secondhand bookstores around where you live, in which you can find these textbooks if you look well. Explore the town when you've just moved there to find these secondhand bookshops that can be a lifesaver during the academic year.
Some students also choose to download textbooks from the dark web and shadow libraries. This is the less ethical choice, as these websites are violating piracy laws and are often full of viruses, but cash-strapped students sometimes feel that they have no other option but to go down that route.
Another more ethical choice is swapping textbooks with other students. Joining student groups on social media puts you in contact with fellow college students who are often glad to give away the textbooks they no longer need. They might sell them for a low price, give them away for free to declutter their room or exchange them for other textbooks that they need.
Some degrees require more study materials beyond textbooks. International students studying art or design, for example, need to spend $100-200 on supplies every semester. Some occasional expenses, like buying a camera for a photography class, can cost as much as $500. Many art stores offer student discounts if you present your student ID, and buying supplies in bulk at the beginning of each semester is also a way to get bargains. Unfortunately, it's impossible to buy secondhand material in this case, and buying material that is too cheap will affect the quality of your art/design coursework.
