Calculating Costs

CALCULATING COSTS Note that the yearly costs given below are rough estimates. Costs such as tuition and fees will vary between different schools. Costs such as travel and room and board will vary between different cities in the US. Also, you should assume about a 5% increase per year for each cost. This is due to inflation. Tuition Tuition will be the largest component of your education cost. It will vary widely between different schools, so it is best for you to refer to the schools where you are planning to apply to get a realistic amount. As a very rough guideline, the cost for tuition can range from $5,000 to $25,000 per year. Public schools will typically charge lower tuition than private schools, and community colleges usually have the lowest tuition costs of all public schools. For an explanation of the differences between public and private schools, refer to Bachelor’s degree. Room and board This is normally the second largest component of your education cost. The cost for room and board can also vary widely between schools, so you should check with the schools where you are planning to apply to get the right estimate. A rough guideline is between $3,000 and $8,000. If you are considering living off campus and getting your own apartment, you will also need to calculate the cost of furnishing that apartment, paying your monthly utilities (such as electricity), and the cost of transportation to and from school. The most practical and economical choice for a fist year international student is often to live on campus with a roommate. You should note that residence halls will often close during the summer. If you will not be returning to your home country during that time, you will have to find alternate housing. Fees In addition to tuition, most colleges and universities will also charge fees, such as student activity fees. These help to support student clubs and organizations on campus. They are usually relatively small, only a few hundred dollars per year. Books and supplies Students must pay for all their text books, as well as supplies such as notebooks, paper, pens, etc. You can sometimes lower this cost by buying used books from the school’s bookstore. A good estimate for this cost is between $500 and $1,500. Medical insurance Because the cost of healthcare in the US is very high, many schools require international students to purchase medical insurance. It is a very good idea to buy insurance even if your school does not require it to protect yourself from extremely high medical bills should you become ill or have an accident. A comprehensive insurance policy (which covers doctor’s visits, medication, hospitalization, and surgery) will cost between $500 and $1,000 for one person. Travel You should calculate how much it will cost you to travel between your school and your home country. You will need to determine how many times during the length of your education you will go home and multiply that by the cost of airplane fare between the two locations. Personal expenses These expenses include clothing, entertainment, and telephone bills. This will vary depending on where you will live and on your personal lifestyle; therefore, it is difficult to provide an estimate. When calculating the annual cost of a US education at a particular college or university, add at least $6,000 to the published cost of tuition, fees, and room and board. The College Board publishes college costs, required admissions tests, and other useful information in The International Student Handbook of US Colleges.

When preparing a budget, you will need to account for the following costs: Application fees average $50 to $75 per school. Academic entrance examinations will cost you about $100 to $200 per examination, and most students take at least two tests. Assume that you will be spending at least $500 on tests. Tuition and fees will cost between $5,000 and $30,000 per academic year (nine months), depending on the type and quality of institution. Books and study materials will cost $500 to $1,000 per academic year. Travel costs to the US vary, but will be between $500 and $2,000. Travel costs within the US will be between $300 and $700. Room and Board will cost between $3,000 and $7,500 per academic year. Allow an extra $1,000 to $2,000 for vacation periods when the dormitory might be closed. If you will be living off campus, the cost of renting an apartment will be between $300 and $600 a month, but could be substantially higher depending on the location of the school. Meals should cost about $2,500 a year, assuming that you do not eat in restaurants too frequently. Clothing will cost $500 or more a year. Health insurance will cost $300 to $500 a year for one person, $2,000 to $3,500 for a family. Personal expenses will cost about $2,000 a year. If you bring other family members with you, assume that your annual expenses will increase by about 15% or $5,000 for each additional family member. If you intend to buy a car, assume that it will cost you about $4,000 a year. If you will be traveling during the summer, assume a cost of $50 to $75 a day for tourist activities. If you will be continuing your education during the summer, add half the figure you calculated for the academic year. Assume that your costs will increase by about 5% per year due to inflation. Don't forget to include an allowance of about 10% to account for fluctuations in exchange rates. Use the financial planning worksheet to estimate your costs for a year of study in the US. Be realistic when estimating costs for personal expenses. Financial Planning Worksheet Expense Estimated Cost Application and Test Fees Tuition and Fees Books Travel to US Room and Board Expenses when school is closed

$____________ $____________ $____________ $____________ $____________ $____________

Clothing $____________ Personal expenses $____________ Health insurance $____________ Summer study or travel $____________ Additional family members $____________ Other $____________ TOTAL FOR ONE YEAR $____________ Multiply the total by the number of years in your program (___)

$____________

U.S.A. Cost/AID Facts The cost of Study(Tuition and fees) in USA varies from $5000 to $30000 per year.The cost of living depends on location.For example States like Washington,California and area around New York is costly.In general Students from countries like India, Bangladesh, China, Taiwan the cost of living may vary from $4000 to $9000.It is assumed that students will live in shared Apartments,Live out of Campus and have less Telephone bills and other expenses are at bay.Most of (nearly) all expenses can be met while working on Campus Jobs.The hourly pay for on Campus jobs Pay from $5.15 to $12 per hour.Foreign Students can work for 20 hrs per week and 40 hrs per week during summer.Students may be allowed to work out Campus after nine months of their arrival at USA.Students receiving any type of AID Like TA/RA/Fellowship or GA need not have to worry about costs.But Students not receiving any AID must come prepared for Tuition fees and Living cost for initial 2-3 months.Also note that in some universities like Texas at Dallas and University of Texas Arlington there is huge shortage of P/T jobs.So students Planning to go to these universities must either have Scholarships or adequate Funds.Its better to contact current students via email for latest information. See where money goes GRE+TOEFL Application Fees varies Tuition Fees will cost Health Insurance may Cost Books may cost Traveling to USA may Cost Cost of Living will vary Traveling cost within US may be

$250 (May change) from $20 to $75 between $5000 to $35000 up to $500 up to $1000 up to $800 between $350 to $700 (Assuming Simple Life) up to $500.

University

Tuition

University Of Texas at Dallas University of Texas at Arlington NJIT Texas A&M University Arizona State University University of Arizona Illinois Institute of Technology SUNY-Buffalo 9500 Ohio State University University of South California University of Cincinnati University of Illinois,Chicago University of Florida Clemson University University of Missouri-Rolla Wayne State University Washington State University University of Wisconsin- Madison Portland State University University of Dayton North Carolina State University Drexel University University of Utah University of Houston University of N. Carolina Charlotte

9000 Very Few P/T jobs are available. Normal cost of Living. 9000 Very Few P/T jobs are available.Normal living costs. 12000 Few AID opportunities.Cost of living little higher. 9000 Normal cost of Living.AID generally after one sem. 12000 Less AID. 12000 Good AID after one Sem. 12000 Few AID Opportunities Less AID.AID for Ph.D. 22000 AID generally after one sem. 15500 Very Few aid opportunities.Get AID in Beginning 12000 Good aid Scene.Good Location.Most MS Students supported. 12000 Aid requires good GRE/GPA.Good Location. 13000 Less aid.Good Placements. 12000 No AID for VLSI in 2002.Fair aid Scene.Respected. 11000 Excellent in Electromagnetics.Fair aid Scene. Respected. 8000 Cheap.P/T available easily. 15000 Good aid Scene.Respected.Excellent Location 21000 Top Ranked University. 8000 Good for VLSI.Good location. 8000 Good for Aerospace.No application fee. 13000 Excellent location.Ranked University. 18000 Good location. 8500 good foe EE/CS.Cheap.Respected 8000 Good for Telecom.Excellent Location. 11000 Fair AID scene.

The Cost is in US$ and Includes Tuition and Fees for 2 semester(one yr.)