Originally Posted by wolf5370 (Post 10413025)

OK as promised - just skimming the magazine (Study in the USA). Most do not list prices (or only partial - i.e. course fees) - here are a few. They are all listed as accredited, but I have done no research on any of them, so they may not be great - I list here for reference only. I am also working from a Baht to $ price (and then to Pound using Thai rates) as that is how I am affected by exchange rates etc - so may be more expensive if just going direct from pound to dollar (? - Baht is strong against both, but more so against dollar, which is weak).

Foothill+De Anza (Ca) - note this does lots of half degrees (i.e. first 2 years) and then students move over to unis like Berkeley (119 int students in 2011), UCLA (167 int. students 2011), USC, Indiana, Cornell etc. - Only lists tuition fees of $6500 per year (195k b/just under 4kGBP). This would drastically reduce the cost of a degree with such prestigious universities - but of course year 3 and 4 may be much more expensive.

Valencia College (same 1st 2 years - and includes F and J visas) - Orlando Fl. No price, but states 40% less than state prices.

Monterey Peninsula College (MPC) (Ca.) listed prices as follows: total yearly cost of $16k (broken down to : tuition $5,200, Living expenses $8,700, books $800, Health Ins $1,300) (480k baht / 9,800 GBP). Also has 2 year tranfer degrees to all major state unis (see above)

There are probably more if I had time to read every advert (like I said, most have no listed price that I could see - but imply or state low fees). There was an interesting breakdown though (artical not advert) which gives prices as follows (obviously, there is great variation as it includes community college degrees up to ivy league privates!) - These are averages or ranges:
Entrance exams: $500
Application fees: $250-600
Tuition: $5,000 - 30,000
Room+Board: $3,000 - 7,500
Travel (flights etc): $500-4,000
Book: $900
Health Insurance: $350-500
Personal Expenses: $2,500

Anyway, hope this helps and gives at least an alternative line of inquirey. Not done any research myself yet, so please check into any of what I stated above (direct from ed mag) before taking it a gospel.

Originally Posted by WEBlue (Post 10413687)

Hmm, that's quite a range in tuition costs...per year, I assume (?). Also a range in the room+board costs.

Interesting that the colleges mentioned are in states with milder climates (California, Florida, and Hawaii in previous post). Perhaps these states can get away with lower housing costs for students? :confused:

I've noticed that room+board costs for colleges here in the northeast US, with their much colder winters, start around $6K and can go as high as $10K.

Originally Posted by Sally Redux (Post 10413697)

Foothill and de Anza is not a 'prestigious college' but a community college. Room and board will be $7,500 not $3,000.
Oh OK you are talking about Berkeley - how sure are you that the student could transfer from CC to there?

Originally Posted by Mummy in the foothills (Post 10413758)

I'd be very suspicious of their figures, Junior college or Community college isn't the same as a four year University, it is possible to do a couple of years there then transfer to a 4 year Uni, but they are now over subscribed and local students are even having trouble getting the classes they need to transfer or to Graduate with an AA degree (I think that is like a foundation degree) classes are huge and overcrowded and there are wait lists for just about everything. De Anza is East bay and not a cheap place to live rent wise. As is Monterey (expensive rent) Also International students are limited to working on campus part time only, so she'd be limited in what she could earn for extras.

If they are saying 2 years at a community college and then transfer over to a 4 year Uni, you need to compare prices at UK colleges. My son was accepted as an International student for a UK college for a 2 year foundation degree cost £7,000 per year, no book costs only takes two years then one year at a Uni to get the BA at something like £9,000 for the year (this is Wales) So three years total for a BA in USA it's minimum 4 years most are taking 5 and 6 years now due to cutbacks in classes and teachers, and students unable to get needed classes for graduation.

We ran the numbers for our oldest son to go to Uni here in US as a local student and in UK at a Uni as an international student and found four years here and three years there to cost us slightly less in UK, but he wasn't ready to go so far, and went here. Second son wants UK education and has moved over already.

Originally Posted by wolf5370 (Post 10413769)

Yes, it seems to be that most of the one's giving prices are community colleges that peform a split degree - first half of the 4 year degree with them, then a guaranteed transfer (guaranteed to a state uni, not to a particular one, I would suggest). As to how sure am I? I have no evidence either way, so at this juncture not sure at all. However, one uni did state some numbers for Berkeley and UCLA as I reported.

I only know as much as I have told you guys. I thought it was something worth checking into if price was the reason that the States was being overlooked - given the fact that most of us Brit expats will get lumbered with full foreign student fees for a Brit children (without loan schemes in most cases too) backm in old Blighty. My girls are still too young for now, so it was only interest that drove me to picking up the literature and looking at the stalls, and seeing this thread, thought it was opportune and worth mentioning.

I have also heard good things about Scandanavian Uni's too (with courses in English) - but only have word of mouth on that for now.

Originally Posted by wolf5370 (Post 10413743)

They say per year in the ads. The prices were only on a few, and (coincidentally?) they happened to be warmer climate states. Honestly do not know any more than I saw in the free mag.

Originally Posted by Mummy in the foothills (Post 10413758)

I'd be very suspicious of their figures, Junior college or Community college isn't the same as a four year University, it is possible to do a couple of years there then transfer to a 4 year Uni, but they are now over subscribed and local students are even having trouble getting the classes they need to transfer or to Graduate with an AA degree (I think that is like a foundation degree) classes are huge and overcrowded and there are wait lists for just about everything. De Anza is East bay and not a cheap place to live rent wise. As is Monterey (expensive rent) Also International students are limited to working on campus part time only, so she'd be limited in what she could earn for extras.

If they are saying 2 years at a community college and then transfer over to a 4 year Uni, you need to compare prices at UK colleges. My son was accepted as an International student for a UK college for a 2 year foundation degree cost £7,000 per year, no book costs only takes two years then one year at a Uni to get the BA at something like £9,000 for the year (this is Wales) So three years total for a BA in UK. In USA it's minimum 4 years most are taking 5 and 6 years now due to cutbacks in classes and teachers, and students unable to get needed classes for graduation.

We ran the numbers for our oldest son to go to Uni here in US as a local student and in UK at a Uni as an international student and found four years here verses three years there, to cost us slightly less in UK, but he wasn't ready to go so far, and went here. Second son wants UK education and has moved over already.

Originally Posted by Sally Redux (Post 10413776)

The trouble is, there are a lot of other state universities which are far less prestigious than UCLA and Berkeley.

On price alone, I think it will still be highly competitive to pay overseas tuition in the UK.

Originally Posted by WEBlue (Post 10413783)

That makes perfect sense, since you found the free magazine at a booth organized by the American Consulate and some (?) combo of US colleges in a shopping mall in Chiang Mai. The students in Thailand are used to mild winters, and would arguabley prefer them.

Hmm, it shows that some of these smaller American colleges are perhaps actively seeking foreign students, with the help of the US Consulate. A prime example, after all, of a kind of American trade show meant to generate sales of an American product (college) abroad.

The odd thing is that they are trying to use price as a selling point. This seems very strange, since generally US colleges have the reputation as being the most expensive in the world.

Perhaps it's only the big-name private US universities that are so expensive?

Originally Posted by wolf5370 (Post 10413791)

Do we still have HE colleges in the UK? I though they were all merged into these super Unis a few years back under Labour along with Polys??? I know my old local colleges were (absorbed in to Kent Uni).

Originally Posted by unclerico (Post 10417982)

Send her to Norway, Uni is free for everyone :)