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Archive for the ‘college’ Category

“Mother! Look! I’ve got it! Look, Mother, look! The last Golden Ticket! It’s mine!”
- Charlie, from ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’

Just as Charlie needed the sought-after golden ticket to enter the chocolate factory, one who wants to study in the United States needs a student visa to enter ‘the land of the free and the home of the brave…[play ball!]’

What is a student visa and how does it differ from other kinds of visas, such as a tourist visa?

There are two types of U.S. visas – the immigrant visa and the non-immigrant visa.

A student visa falls under the category of ‘non-immigrant,’ meaning one is temporarily staying in the United States in order to pursue one’s studies.

How then does it differ from the usual ‘tourist visa’?

By having a ‘tourist visa,’ the holder is assumed to be in the United States for the purpose of sightseeing and visiting family and/or friends. Someone who holds this type of visa can not do other activities inconsistent with being a visitor, such as working or studying. Meaning, a trip to Disneyland is perfectly fine – but getting a job dressing up like Mickey Mouse is a no-no.

However, one can change his status if he qualifies.

There are three different types of student visas : F, M and J.

Check out which one applies to you.

1. F-Visa – this visa is applicable for individuals who have already been accepted into study or research programs in U.S. colleges or universities

Benefits of an F-Visa
(*taken from VisaProm)

A. You can enter the U.S. as a fulltime academic or language student

B. You can legally work part-time on-campus. You may also work off-campus if necessary

C. You are eligible to take up employment as a part of your optional practical training

D. You can travel in and out of the U.S. or remain in the U.S. till the completion of your studies

E. You can bring your dependents (spouse and unmarried children under the age of 21) to live with you in the U.S.

F. F1 visas are issued quickly

Requirements for an F-Visa :
(*taken from VisaProm)

A. You have successfully completed a course of study normally required for enrollment

B. You have been accepted for a full course of study by an educational institution approved by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). The institution must send you a USCIS Form I-20A-B, Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant F-1 Student Status for Academic and Language Students

C. You are sufficiently proficient in English to pursue the intended course of study, or the school you intend to attend has made special arrangements to teach you the English language or conduct the course in your native language

Note: You may be exempt from this requirement if you intend to come to the U.S. to participate exclusively in an English language-training program

D. You have sufficient funds to cover the first year of study, and access to sufficient funds to cover subsequent years

E. You have a permanent residence in your home country, which you do not intend to abandon

F. You intend to depart the U.S. upon completion of the course of study. You may establish this by presenting evidence of economic, social and/or family ties in your homeland sufficient to induce you to leave the U.S. upon completion of studies

G. Your proposed education in the U.S. would be useful in your homeland, and therefore induce you to leave the U.S. upon completion of studies

~ * ~

2. M-Visa – applicable for individuals who have been accepted in programs in non-academic U.S. institutions

Benefits of an M-Visa
(*taken from VisaProm)

A. You can enter the U.S. as a fulltime vocational student

B. You can legally work part-time on campus. You may also work off campus if necessary (with prior approval from the USCIS)

C. You can freely travel in and out of the U.S. while on a valid visa

D. Your dependents can live with you as long as you maintain your M1 status

E. M1 visas are issued quickly

Requirements for an M-Visa :
(*taken from VisaProm)

A. You have successfully completed a course of study normally required for enrollment

B. You have been accepted for a full course of study by a vocational institution approved by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). The institution must send you a Form I-20M-N, certificate of eligibility for nonimmigrant (M1) student status for vocational students

C. You are sufficiently proficient in English to pursue the intended course of study, or the school you intend to attend has made special arrangements to teach you the English language

D. You have sufficient funds to cover the first year of study, and access to sufficient funds to cover subsequent years

E. You have a permanent residence in your home country, which you do not intend to abandon

F. You intend to depart the U.S. upon completion of the course of study. You may establish this by presenting evidence of economic, social and/or family ties in your homeland sufficient to induce you to leave the U.S. upon completion of studies

G. Your proposed education in the U.S. would be useful in your homeland, and therefore induce you to leave the U.S. upon completion of studies

~ * ~

3. J-Visa – particularly for “educational and cultural exchange programs,” these visas are applicable for individuals accepted in programs wherein they are sponsored by organizations through “exchange visitor programs”

Benefits of a J-Visa
(*taken from VisaProm)

A. You can enter the U.S. as an exchange visitor

B. Your dependents can stay with you as long as you maintain your J1 status. They can also attend school while on the J-2 dependent visa

C. You are exempt from Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA) tax withholdings

D. Your dependents are eligible to apply for employment authorization, and may work in the U.S. However, they cannot get work authorization if the money earned is needed to support you

Requirements for a J-Visa :
(*taken from VisaProm)

A. You are sponsored by an organization approved by the Department of State (DOS), and granted authority to issue a Form DS-2019 to prospective J1 applicants

B. You have sufficient funds to cover all expenses, or funds must be provided by the sponsoring organization in the form of a scholarship or other stipend

C. You have sufficient scholastic preparation to participate in the designated program

D. You are sufficiently proficient in English to participate in the designated program, or the sponsoring organization has made special arrangements to teach you the English language or conduct the course in your native language. You may be exempt from this requirement if you intend to come to the U.S. to participate exclusively in an English language training program

E. You have a permanent residence in your home country, which you do not intend to abandon

F. You intend to depart the U.S. upon completion of the course of study. You may establish this by presenting evidence of economic, social and/or family ties in your homeland sufficient to induce you to leave the U.S. upon completion of studies

G. Your proposed education in the U.S. would be useful in your homeland, and therefore induce you to leave the U.S. upon completion of studies

If you are coming to the U.S. to receive graduate medical education or training:

H. You have passed the Foreign Medical Graduate Examination in Medical Sciences

I. The program does not include patient care

Well the weekend has come and gone, and I still have no students seeking advice. Please email me your questions, I’m begging you! It’s partly my fault because I’m still slacking on advertising this blog. There’s a lesson for all the students out there. Don’t slack. I slacked a lot of my way through college. It works for the time being, but later on it will come back to haunt you. Try to instill solid work methods now while you still have a chance, or else when you’re twenty-something and working a full-time job, you will only think about ways to get you work done without actually working.

On to today’s topic: Paying for College. Getting the funds for college and living expenses is one of the biggest challenges you will face, perhaps even tougher than getting into college. If you slacked your way through high school and ended up with poor grades, your chances of a scholarship are not as high. But hopefully you listened to your teachers and parents and did well in school.

In Florida we have what is called a Florida Bright Futures Scholarship. Based on your grades, SAT/ACT scores, and community service, every graduating senior attending college can receive a 75% tuition scholarship or a 100% + books scholarship. Florida is awesome when it comes to providing every student the means to attend college. I am not sure how other states work, but I would imagine each state has similar scholarship programs.

Scholarships are what every student needs. Tuition can be very expensive depending on where you go to school and how many classes you take. Out of state schools will cost a student more money. Private schools will also be more expensive. Scholarships give students the ability to attend colleges on someone else’s dime. Pretty sweet deal huh?

Not all scholarships are based on financial situation like most people think. Generally, students who are in need of financial aid will be given a high priority when it comes to winning a scholarship; however, this is not always the case. Don’t be shy when asking about scholarships. Consult your school counselors, parents, teachers, and friends. You’d be surprised that the company your parents work for probably offer scholarships. Even if it is only for $1000, that is still free money you can’t pass up.

Scholarships are not limited to incoming freshman either. Current sophomores, juniors, and seniors are eligible for scholarships. Often upper level students are awarded scholarships to further their study in their specific major, such as Education majors. Visit your school’s financial aid office for more information.

One of the best, if not the best, resources for scholarship information is FastWeb. Every student needs to visit them. Yes, even you seniors. There are thousands of scholarships that go un-awarded every year. So get off this web page (when you’re done reading of course) and go get one.

http://www.fastweb.com

Another method of getting money for college is from Uncle Sam himself. No, not your mom’s half brother that you only see on Memorial Day barbeques. I’m talking about the United States Government. The federal government gives out free money to college students. It’s called FAFSA, which stands for Free Application for Federal Student Aid. FAFSA grants are determined by how much money your parents make. You have to fill out a form in your school’s financial aid department or online via their website, www.fafsa.ed.gov. Every student needs to do this. Even if your parents make $500,000 a year, there is still a chance you are eligible for a free grant. A grant is money you do not have to pay back. Ever.

Let’s say your parents give you $2000 a year for college. You use this for tuition, books, rent, and food (and with all these expenses plus more, $2000 does not go that far). Let’s say you have filled out your FAFSA forms and are given $1000. This is awesome! But wait, it’s been two years and now your little sister is going to college and your parents can’t afford to give you $2,000 each. So they split it up and you each get $1000. What a bummer!! Or is it? FAFSA adjusts your grant according to not only what your parents make, but how many siblings you have in college. The more brothers and sisters you have going to college, the more money you get.

The most dreaded, but probably most popular, method of paying for college are student loans. Almost all students have them, so don’t feel bad if you are forced to get one. If you’ve taken a finance or economic class you’ve probably heard the terms “good debt” and “bad debt”. Victoria’s Secret credit card debt is “bad debt”, while student loans are “good debt”. Student loans offer the lowest interest rates of any type of loans. Often they give you a grace period after graduation where not a single cent is due. Student loans can be paid off over a long period of time with fixed interest rates.

Subsidized student loans are loans you get through your school’s financial aid department that the government pays the interest for. Not a bad option either if you are in need of tuition money. Visit your bank or financial aid office for more information on student loans. All banks offer them, so go ask today.

Finally, the last method of paying for college I’m going to discuss is through good old hard labor. Getting a job can help pay the bills. Waitressing, bartending, retail, and tutoring are all prime examples of college jobs. If you aren’t into working at a restaurant or mall, visit your student career resource center. Jobs on campus are given out to students who are financially needy. The best thing about working on campus is they will fit your work schedule around your classes and tests. You will never have to miss class or work. One of the disadvantages of working on campus is the pay is generally low. You will make a lot more money working at Chili’s than you will your school’s bookstore.

It is not at all surprising that numerous business schools and universities have established online degree programs.  Acquiring your first degree or advancing your education has become very popular for a diverse group of people.

Studying for your degree online has numerous advantages.  Some of these advantages are:

1.    The classes can be scheduled as you like.  Studying can be scheduled at a convenient time for you.  If you are a daytime worker, you can take classes at night or on the weekend .

If you have a family in addition to a hectic work schedule, it is tough to combine a working life with a learning life-especially if you have to commute to campus for scheduled classes and meetings.

Online degree programs let you study on your own terms, develop your presentations, or take exams when you have the time and energy to do so.

2.    Over enrollment of students in classes is a common problem encountered at universities and colleges.  Over enrollment in classes is usually not a problem when you pursue an online degree.

3.    Students enrolled in an online degree program do not worry about being bumped out of classes.

4.    Since you can take all your classes at home, there is no need for a costly commute to campus.  The student never has to sit in traffic, wait at a bus stop, or contend with foul weather.

5.    An online degree program is adjusted to your needs, as opposed to campus-based programs, in which classes are organized around the schedules of staff and faculty.

One of the best ways to enhance your career opportunities is to enroll in an online degree program.  Online degree programs offer great flexibility; they combine online lectures from qualified business leaders with routine class meetings.

More than ever, companies are paying part or all of tuitions for employees who pursue graduate degrees in their field.  From a cost-benefit perspective, online learning looks like a wise choice.