clarity1971

Hello, there is a possibility that we may relocate to California within the next few years.

One of our concerns is that our twin daughters will be due to start University (they are currently in their last year at Secondary school, so in the UK still have another 2.5 years before Uni)

We haven't saved for tuition fees because we have been anticipating the UK system meaning that they pay back their fees/loans once they start work.

If we move to California however, then (assuming they are granted a place), we are going to have to find this money upfront (gulp)

Can anyone share their experiences of the financial implications for this? Aside from tuition fees of course, there will be living costs and other associated costs.

How easy will be for them to find evening/holiday work? Is this common?

Also (and this is the BIG question) how are the fees paid? Can we pay in installments? Is there assitence available for families who have not saved up in advance?

Thank you

lisa67

For a start it will depend on many things. If you come over, what visa will you be on and therefore will the girls need to be on their own student visa once they are 21?
Each state has different qualifying rules for in state tuition. Where I live you have to have lived and gone to high school here for a year to qualify for it nd it's a lot cheaper (about $20,000 a year cheaper) than going to a uni out of state.
I doubt if you will receive financial aid and you'll be expected to take out a bank loan, they have special interest rates for students.
You can click on a university web site and find their tuition rates.
Most unis expect you to pay upfront each semester (there are 2 semesters each year) and most unis, unless you live within 50 miles and want to travel every day will insist on a freshman student (1st year) living in and therefore you'll need to find those fees too.
Many students go to the local community college for the first year or 2 out of a 4 year course to get their basic college credits in math, English and science and then transfer to a bigger university just because the costs are so high and community colleges charge a fraction of those costs.

clarity1971

Thank you for your reply, we are hoping that we will all be on a Permanent Resident Visa - not 100% sure if this only covers our children until they are 21? Waiting to speak to an immigration lawyer in the States.

Had no idea re the Community College so thank you for pointing that out

So am I right in thinking that the degree course is 4 years in the states and that students can complete the first 2 years at community college.

What age do they start Community College (I think I may be confusing this with college in the UK but I think you call that High School?)

lisa67

Yes, they can complete the first two year of a 4 year bachelor degree at community college.
They usually go after high school (which finishes at 12th grade when they are about 17 or 18)
High school is the equivalent of UK secondary school.

clarity1971

Thank you

Have been looking at Community Colleges as yes the fees are a lot cheaper. Many thanks for your help

ian-mstm

There's no such thing as a "permanent resident visa". You describe an "immigrant visa" but if your employer is sending you across the pond, it's more likely that it'll be an H-1B or L-1A/B visa. Either way, unless you actually get a green card prior to them turning 21, they will be compelled to leave the US unless they are able to stay in the US on their own merits... and their own visa.

Ian

clarity1971

Thank you for your input Ian. The visa that we are considering applying for is the E1 Visa - we are just waiting for an appointment with a US based immigration lawyer. I have started another thread about this on the Visa Board.

I think though that this it only covers our children until they reach the age of 21?

JAJ

You asked about EB1 Immigrant visa. There is a fundamental difference between this and the E1 non-immigrant visa.

Perhaps clarify which one you mean rather than getting confusing answers which will be very different for the two categories.

Sheepdip

Completing High School in the US is the same as finishing 6th form in the UK

clarity1971

My mistake - it is the EB1 Visa not the E1. Too late to edit my post!

A poster on another thread has already been able to clarify the situation regarding the children.

Sheepdip - thankyou

fatbrit

If it's EB1 immigrant visa (which is decidedly unusual!), then all your problems go away. On arrival in the US, they become permenant residents.

Although it varies between areas, they will likely become eligible for in-state tuition rates a year after living in the locality.

They will be eligible for government-backed student loans from day one. (For other families in similar situations reading this who have sons rather than daughters, make sure they sign-up for SSS on the day of arrival -- failure to do this might compromise their eligibility.)

The plan of community college first is a good one. Even at out-of-state rates, the bill will not be too bad.

lisa67

Sorry, I thought the OP would have worked that one out when I mentioned the age of finishing HS. I was just helping her to not get too confused between HS and community college.

clarity1971

Thank you - in my husbands line of work is it apparently not that unusual although this is all news to us. We only discovered that this was a potential option 2 weeks ago. Still - there are no guarantees

Thank you for the information on the in-state tuition fees aswell. I didn't realise that they might have to wait for a year before being classed as 'resident' for college fees purposes.

Can I ask why there is a difference between boys/girls regarding SSS?

We have 2 younger sons

clarity1971

Thanks Lisa - I need all the clarification I can get right now. I feel as if my poor old lady brain is about to implode

Really appreciate your help

fatbrit

Although it sounds worrying, it's really just a paperwork exercise. Certain categories of male immigrants (surprisingly including those who just jumped the fence!) and, of course, citizens are required to register for the draft. The last time the draft was used was the Vietnam war, BTW. Your sons will presumably be in school, and the school will remind you and them. However, if your daughters were sons, they might miss high school all together. Failure to register makes you ineligible for a whole host of federal programs.