Expenses Studying Abroad

[russellang]

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I was just wondering from those who are currently studying vetmed overseas or have looked into it, are you finding any expenses that you would not have to account for if you studied domestically?

I have always wanted to study in australia and have looked into the programs over there. The tuition is somewhat similar to OOS tuition in the states. I thought that there might be expenses that I might not be thinking of that I would have to deal with if I studied there.

Thank you

 

[shortnsweet]

I was just wondering from those who are currently studying vetmed overseas or have looked into it, are you finding any expenses that you would not have to account for if you studied domestically?

I have always wanted to study in australia and have looked into the programs over there. The tuition is somewhat similar to OOS tuition in the states. I thought that there might be expenses that I might not be thinking of that I would have to deal with if I studied there.

Thank you

Honestly, the main one you have to deal with is airfare. Depending on the country, the visa can get kind of pricey, but that's a one time deal.

Oh and I <3 Aussie...good choice🙂

 

[jmo1012]

as someone going abroad to a caribbean school soon, i'll throw in what i've learned so far:

-SGU's tuition/fees is great for years 1-3, right now i'm looking at $26k for this first year (it gets more pricey for year 4) which is substantially less than any of the OOS schools i applied to.
-airfare: i'm looking at $800-$2000 for airfare for round trip, although i'd be hard pressed to pay the high end, i've just seen it that high with some carriers/dates. for this semester I paid ~$1300 which was more than i expected, but i have 2 really good flights, so i'm paying for no out-of-country layovers/over night stops and good departure/arrival times
-cost of housing: on campus housing is just over $4k per semester which is a lot. apparently its a bit cheaper to live off campus, but i'm not at that stage yet.
-cost of living: i think $3-5k was estimated for food/living expenses per semester
-they throw in $500 in bank fees per semester, but hopefully if you do it right you an avoid them
-$1000 for books and supplies (whee)

all in all i feel that my costs are comparable to going OOS, but in a different way. we've been told that everything costs 3-4x what it does in the US because of limited supply/imports. milk was quoted to me at $9 per gallon for example. we've also been told that you should bring as much in terms of everyday items (like shampoo, soap, etc.) as we can just because brands are limited and much more expensive.

that being said, i am thrilled to be taking on this new adventure. i think it is going to be a great learning experience for me and help me to become a better person and veterinarian. am i thrilled at the thought of $200k in loans at the end, no not really, but i think i'm gonna pay that either way at this point.

hope this helps!

adding a line about pets: there's no quatantine in grenada for incoming animals (dogs adn cats). didnt really look into animals oher than dogs and cats (i.e. piggy is staying home) to find out if they can come into the country or not. have been told that food and litter are more costly on the island. other than having to work out your flight dates more closely, it's not too big of a deal.

 

[flyhi]

If you want to take any pets over, it's very expensive to the UK (and probably Australia and some other countries).

Transportation in the UK. Cars are relatively inexpensive to buy, but the insurance, parking and taxes are quite costly. Trains can be inexpensive if you buy early, and expensive if you go last minute.

Airfare to and fro the US.

Most likely you will want to travel while you are abroad, so I consider this an extra expense.

Taxes, depending on where you go. 20% VAT in the UK (that's basically a sales tax and you pay it on all goods) Customs taxes for goods you take from the US to Grenada. Council tax (personal property) in the UK...responsible for anytime you are living in UK but not a student.

TV tax. Yes, a TV tax. To own and watch TV in the UK, you have to pay for a license. It is like 150 GBP, I believe, a year.

Shipping and moving. Shipping goods that you cannot pack in your suitcase can be a large added expense to both the UK and Grenada (only places I'm familiar with). I would imagine Australia and Ireland are the same.

That's all I can think of for now.

 

[lostbunny]

You will need a student visa, or any other type of visa that lets you study in the country. This is a few hundred dollars (not exactly sure how much, but you can check the Oz government sight).

Also, in addition to what flyhi said about pets- in Australia pets from North America must be in quarantine for an extended period (longer then in the UK). I haven't deeply looked into this, but I think its something like 6 weeks - 6 months, so consider the costs of that as well.

The Aussie schools are 5 years (aside from Melbourne, and these are AVMA accredited only!) so if you want to go back home thats another wad of cash for your flights back. But remember- the holidays in Oz are different then in North America, so you might get cheaper deals depending on when you fly (i.e. holidays coinciding with low flight prices)

Also wanted to add, more specific to Australia- the prices for food and accommodation are pretty expensive compared to North America. Minimum wage is way higher, but as a result the prices for regular every day things are pretty pricey.

 

[CurrySpice]

The only thing that I can think of to add to this thread is that you may not be able to get a job abroad to pay for unforseen expenses. In the USA, if you realize you ran out of loans then you can just pick up a side job to tide you over for the rest of the semester. This is a moot point for you if you're decent at budgeting and aren't planning on working during vet school.

I think that you will also need to be flexible with your food choices to have that expense at a reasonable level. Some items, like turkey, are expensive, while other food, like digestive biscuits, are super cheap.

I am in love with the idea of studying to be a vet in the UK... but I remain indecisive on whether it's a sensible option. The US dollar is currently in the toilet!

 

[laurafinn]

I was just wondering from those who are currently studying vetmed overseas or have looked into it, are you finding any expenses that you would not have to account for if you studied domestically?

I have always wanted to study in australia and have looked into the programs over there. The tuition is somewhat similar to OOS tuition in the states. I thought that there might be expenses that I might not be thinking of that I would have to deal with if I studied there.

Thank you

I studied in NZ and spent some time in Australia. Gas is much more expensive, food is much more expensive. If you go to school in Sydney or Melbourne, rent is not insignificant. You might look into airfare as well. It tended to be much cheaper to buy US-Australasia round trips vs. Australasia-US round trips. If you travel back and forth during your vacations, this probably won't be an issue. Baggage costs are now insane, so you have to add that on top of your airfare each time.

The one thing Australia has going for it is that part-time jobs pay a decent wage. I think this is especially true in Perth.

You might check the exchange rate too. I've been gone from Australasia for 6 months, so don't have a good idea what it is anymore. For awhile the Australian dollar was 1:1 with the US dollar (ouch!) It tends to fluctuate quite a bit.

You'll also need travel money to get to your farm practical work placements and your "seeing practice" locations. You may also need to pay for accommodation when seeing practice. I'm not sure this ends up being a lot, but it is an expense you wouldn't have in the States.

You might check too whether Australian states require warrants of fitness on cars. This is a periodic safety inspection, and older cars, like the ones students typically buy, may need costly repairs in order to pass, even if they run just fine.