FINANCING YOUR STUDY

General information
Studying at a foreign university might be quite expensive for you. The expenses may consist of different fees, such as for the admission tests, applications, membership in the student union; you also have to pay for your health insurance, visas, travel costs, tuition, study materials and living expenses. Don't get scared. Smart and eager students are able to cover at least a part of these expenses from studentships and scholarships, assistantships, and grants, or they study abroad through an exchange program.

The first step should be visiting the international department of your university. Most of the universities will participate in exchange programs such as TEMPUS or SOCRATES, which are offered by the European Union. These programs support the international mobility of university students and teachers. Credits gained at the foreign university are automatically included in the student's study program at the home-university.

The other possibility is getting a government studentship. You should ask about them at your university or directly at the government-office of your country.

If you decide to search for the money on your own, there are generally two ways to do this: from the university to which you are applying or from a foundation. Financial assistance - should it be from the school* or the foundation - is largely targeted for postgraduate studies (postgraduate studies are often meant the post-bachelor studies). It is difficult to get financial assistance for your undergraduate studies. Don't rely on finding a job in a foreign country so that you earn money for your tuition and living expenses. In most cases you are allowed to work only for a limited number of hours a week; in addition, the school will want you to demonstrate you have enough money for the whole time of study before you will be accepted.

Getting financial assistance is usually based on your excellent merit at your home-school, a great knowledge of a foreign language (an international language exam is required), a high score on the other required tests and references from your teachers or employers.

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Financial aid offered by universities abroad:

UNDERGRADUATE STUDIES

* merit-based scholarship - based on special academic, personal, or extra-curricular talent
* need-based scholarship - based on demonstrated financial need

Note: In most cases these scholarships do not cover all the expenses

* athletic scholarship - partial or full grants, given most often in the USA
* cooperative programs - offered by the US universities, in such programs theory is merged with practical work experience related to the major. Some of these programs are offered to international students, too. The work is paid, but study will likely take more time.

POSTGRADUATE STUDIES
* tuition waiver
* fellowship - offered after one year of study, covers tuition fees, sometimes tuition fees and living expenses
* assistantship - much graduate support is given in the form of assistantships. It is usually a half-time appointment, with a commitment of up to 20 hours per week. In most cases the student receives a stipend, and additionally partial or full tuition waiver or reduction.
** teaching assistantship - the student may assist with lectures, correct papers, or teach a section of a class at the undergraduate level
** research assistantship - financial support in return for assisting faculty with research projects
** administrative assistantship - students perform tasks in administrative and support services

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