dan379

Hello all,

My kids are considering university in USA, particularly California. USC, Stanford or CIT particularly appeal. As we'll both be retired (at 54) when they finish A Levels in 2017 we're thinking of following them or moving as a family on a temporary or permanent basis. Anyone done this?

Any comments or advice welcome.

I've registered with Fulbright who can help, apparently. Anyone used them?

Thanks,

Dan

Bob

If you're not a US citizen, then no you can't just move as a family.

The wiki up top has a list of the ways in and it consists of education, investment or work being the common ones outside of having US family/marriage.

As for colleges, there's been a few threads and some general info in the wiki to get you going, but it'll be expensive paying international rates.

lansbury

Out of State tuition rates at Stanford might well count for a financial investment visa.

HDWill

Stanford is a private university, so there isn't an in-state/out-of-state tuition difference AFAIK. Tuition is sky high regardless.

Sally Redux

Those are all private universities. USC is 'University of Spoilt Children'

Noorah101

As parents, you cannot get F-2 visas from the childrens' F-1 visas, so that eliminates moving over as a family. The best you can do is have the kids get F-1 visas, and then you visit them using the VWP for up to 90 days per visit (without making back to back trips...spend more time outside the USA than inside).

Edit to add: If you are retired by that time, you might have a chance to get a B-2 visa which would allow you to stay 6 months in the USA per trip...but again, no back to back visits.

Doubtful, as there's no mechanism for making it happen.

Perhaps one of the kids will fall in love with a USC while at school in the USA. Perhaps they'll get married and your child will become a US PR based on that marriage. About 4 years later, that child might become a USC, at which point they can sponsor both parents for Immigrant Visas, and you can both then permanently move to the USA about a year after that.

So basically, short term, no...you can't move to the USA as a family. But long term...maybe, if the chips fall in the right direction.

Rene

lansbury

Yes you are right, I thought they gave financial help to California residents. Costs for a year:-

Tuition and fees $42,690

Room and board $13,166

Books and supplies $1,500

Estimated personal expenses $2,400

Transportation expenses $665

Estimated Total $60,421

robin1234

Yup, colleges and universities in California are usually a good bit lower than here in the northeast!

christmasoompa

I've clearly been reading this forum too long, that seems very low to me for a highly regarded uni. I was expecting the usual figure of about $100k a year!

robin1234

And, why do they always put in those meaningless numbers like "books and supplies" and "estimated personal expenses?"

Seems to me, folks can figure out their incidentals for themselves. Just tell us the tuition & fees, and the room & board!!

lansbury

Oregon State is about $23,500 for an Oregon resident per year. So even as low as $62,000 Stanford is a big jump in cost.

Must be why the Stanford football team is so good. The players are going to lose a huge scholarship if they get dropped, so they play harder.

S Folinsky

As an aside, no one here uses the acronym of "CIT" -- it is "CalTech." I can see the confusion due to the use of "MIT" for the school in Massachusetts.

As a long standing UCLA fan, I am aware of the jokes about University of Spoiled Children and Figueroa Tech. However, SC is an excellent school.

Do note that CalTech is not only highly selective, it is small. MIT is five times bigger, but is still not that large.

Do look at the various campuses of the University of California.

[BTW, a few years back, a group of students from MIT traveled to CalTech to steal its artillery -- http://hacks.mit.edu/Hacks/by_year/2006/mitcannon/ See also http://www.howeandser.com/ At CalTech graduations, they fire the bloody thing when they call the name of every Fleming graduate, but I digress].

bewildering

Your children they may find the Universities over here a bit of a culture shock. Getting into a California University is very competitive. The UK has excellent Universities, why not use them? They could always do an exchange year at a California University - I believe that can save many dollars on tuition. Check which British universities offer an exchange with California Universities. I had a student from Bristol University volunteer in my lab during his year in the US.

A better option for your children may be post-graduate education at a California university. For instance, a Masters in whatever subject takes their fancy.

penguinsix

Hi,

The schools you listed, USC, Stanford and CalTech, are amongst some of the most selective in the US, and also amongst some of the most expensive. They will need to show the financial capabilities to attend these schools, and while they might obtain some scholarships it is likely it will not cover more than a small percentage of the cost.

If you really wanted to be near, have you considered some of the schools toward the US-Canadian border? It might be easier for you to get into Canada, and then have your kids attend a school nearby so that you could see each other on the weekends and whatnot. University of Washington, University of Michigan, Dartmouth University are a couple hours from the border and relatively highly ranked.

Jerseygirl

Costs are always greater than first thought. As you know our daughter went to uni in Canada...our costs increased greatly with the change in exchange rates. Then there are emergency visits...plane tickets cost an arm and a leg when booked at short notice. Flights home at holiday times like Christmas, Easter and in the summer are also expensive. Hotel and air fares when you go to visit your child. As the student will be limited as to when and where they can works...they will need spending money. Almost forgot US uni courses are usually longer than in the UK. That brings the actual cost nearer to your figure.