Studying Abroad for Free or at a Low Cost

Studying in a foreign country is not cheap. In fact, tuition fees are constantly increasing in many parts of the world, especially in top study destinations. However, the benefits it brings to a student’s future are huge and many are still investing huge amounts to go to another country to get an education. 

Studying abroad should not be difficult to achieve. In fact, there are still many countries, even international student hotspots, where studying abroad for free is the norm. For example, Germany. Moreover, there are still many ways education can be accessible to everyone. Read on for some tips that students can follow to make studying abroad more affordable, or even free. 

Apply for Grants and Scholarship

The number one way to study for free, pay cheaper tuition fees, or get some stipend is to apply for grants or scholarships. Most top universities and rich countries offer scholarships to students from developing countries or countries where they have bilateral or multilateral agreements with. For example, many countries in Europe offer free or cheaper tuition fees to international students who are citizens of EU or EEA countries. In Australia, they have bilateral agreements with many developing countries including those located in Asia and the Pacific.  

Study Abroad, Online

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought a lot of changes to the educational system worldwide. Due to it, many educational institutions, including those that offer international education in abroad, have transitioned to online classes. In the process, it normalized it. Studying online is cheaper because students don’t have to adjust their spending to another country’s cost of living, plus there’s no need to pay extra for accommodations and plane rides. Moreover, despite being low-cost or even free, online education still brings in the international exposure and network building that one can get when traveling to another country. 

Crowdfund Your Education 

These days, many students or groups are using online crowdfunding platforms like GoFundMe, Patreon, and so on because of the following reasons: 

• Easy to set up
• Free
• Convenient 
• Has a global reach for donors

Donors of a crowdfunding campaign may include, family, friends, friends’ networks, strangers, and so on. Moreover, students only need to make sure that they are clear with their goals. Partnering a campaign with creative ideas can also help in persuading more people to support it. 

Study Outside the Capital City 

Studying abroad can be expensive, especially in the capital and big cities such as Paris, London, Canberra, and so on. This is because the cost of living is usually higher. In that case, studying in another city or in regional cities is a better option. In addition, international students who chose to study in regional cities can study the program of their choice at a cheaper price. 

Studying in regional cities does not diminish a student’s exposure to international education and possible networks. 

Take Short-Term Courses 

Traditional study programs abroad usually take one to four years and can be quite expensive especially if the student doesn’t have any scholarship to support them. Some programs offer a free or cheaper alternative through short-term courses. Moreover, despite its low-cost nature, short-term courses give students more focused exposures to their program of choice, the culture, and interaction with the locals. In addition, studies show that students tend to study more foreign languages, have a better appreciation of other cultures, and stay enrolled in higher education after taking short-term courses. 

Studying abroad for free might sound impossible. However, when you think about it, studying abroad need not be expensive or inaccessible. Check our other articles here at MSM Unify to learn more about affordable abroad programs.