~For Focus Issue: International Education<\/p>\n
Studying abroad -- Big costs, big rewards<\/p>\n
Sudibyo M. Wiradji
\nThe Jakarta Post\/Jakarta<\/p>\n
Studying abroad may not only enrich your academic experience
\nand give you some international experience, an overseas education
\ncan also be the key to a good career.<\/p>\n
In this ever-increasingly borderless world, major companies
\nnot only want employees with good skills but also a good command
\nof the English language, in addition to a good knowledge of
\ninternational affairs.<\/p>\n
This might be the reason why English speaking countries such
\nas the United States, Great Britain, Australia and New Zealand,
\nor even the Netherlands, where is English is widely spoken, have
\nbecome the main destinations for Indonesian students studying
\nabroad.<\/p>\n
If you are thinking about pursuing your studies in one of
\nthese countries, one of the most important things you can do is
\ncarefully consider the costs.<\/p>\n
Total education costs vary widely from one university to
\nanother. In the United States, which is home to thousands of good
\nuniversities, study costs, which include tuition and living
\nexpenses, can range between US$25,000 (about Rp 237.5 million)
\nand $70,000 a year.<\/p>\n
The average annual tuition at private universities in the low-
\ncost category is $15,000, while it is about $25,000 in the high-
\ncost category. Annual tuition at state institutions in the low-
\ncost category is $10,000, and $20,000 in the high-cost category.<\/p>\n
The approximate annual living expense in the U.S. is $10,000,
\nwhich includes accommodation and daily expenses.<\/p>\n
At Princeton University, for example, the annual estimated
\ntotal cost of study is US$41,380 (about Rp 393 million). This
\nincludes $29,910 for tuition, $8,387 for room and board and
\n$3,083 for \"miscellaneous expenses\" like books, said Erica
\nSyarif, education advice service coordinator at the American-
\nIndonesian Exchange Foundation (AMINEF).<\/p>\n
\"However, studying at the State University of New York will
\ncost you about $20,000 a year,\" she added.<\/p>\n
In Canada, total study expenses, including tuition and living
\nexpenses, range from C$20,000 (about Rp 160 million) to C$25,000.<\/p>\n
According to the Canadian Education Center (CEE), studying in
\nCanada costs less than studying in other Commonwealth countries
\nlike the UK, Australia and New Zealand, because the government
\nsubsidizes education.<\/p>\n
\"With the government's high subsidy for national education,
\nautomatically study costs at universities are relatively low for
\ninternational students,\" said Ade, a spokesperson for the CEE.<\/p>\n
While the government subsidy for national education in Canada
\nalso benefits international students, many universities in the
\nUnited Kingdom offer competitive study prices because the UK
\ndegree programs are generally shorter than in other countries. A
\nfull-time master's degree course in the UK is only one year
\ncompared to two in most other countries.<\/p>\n
Tuition for international students in the UK ranges from
\n8,050 pounds sterling (about Rp 145 million) to 19,100 pounds
\nsterling a year, depending on the program.<\/p>\n
Living costs in the UK depend on the city and the lifestyle,
\nbut are roughly between 7,725 pounds sterling and 8,240 pounds
\nsterling per year, according an information provided by
\nwww.man.ac.uk, a website specializing in study in the UK.<\/p>\n
International students studying in the Netherlands can benefit
\nfrom the government's education subsidy, which will be valid
\nuntil 2006.<\/p>\n
\"The subsidized tuition fee in the country can reach as high
\nas 75 percent,\" said the director of the Netherlands Education
\nCenter (NEC), Ad de Leeuw.<\/p>\n
With the subsidy, annual tuition at universities in Holland
\nrange from 1,450 euros (about Rp 17.4 million) to 8,150 euros,
\ndepending on the field of study. For example, annual tuition for
\nthe Media Entertainment Management program at NHTV University in
\nBreda is 1,445 euros, compared with the 8,150 euros charged by TU
\nDelft University for an engineering program.<\/p>\n
Living costs in the Netherlands are between 700 euros and 800
\neuros per month, or about 9,000 euros per year. \"The amount of
\nthe living costs can cover housing and daily expenses, such as
\nfor meals and transportation,\" Leeuw said.<\/p>\n
In cosmopolitan cities like Amsterdam and Rotterdam, students
\nspend more on their living costs compared to small cities like
\nWageningen and Arnhem.<\/p>\n
He said most international students, including Indonesians
\nstudying for less than a year, lived in fully furnished student
\nflats. \"That is more beneficial for them and costs between 300
\neuros and 450 euros a month. But for students who will be
\nstudying for longer than one year, it is more cost-efficient to
\nlive in a non-furnished student apartment. This will cost an
\naverage of 250 euros a month.\"<\/p>\n
Students can buy furniture from other students who have just
\ngraduated and are going back to their countries, or from second-
\nhand shops, he said.<\/p>\n
Students interested in pursuing their studies in Australia
\nshould be prepared to pay at least A$33,500 (about Rp 250
\nmillion) in tuition and living costs per year.<\/p>\n
The average monthly living cost in Australia is A$1,600 (about
\nRp 12 million), which will afford students a standard lifestyle.
\n\"Big cities obviously have higher living standards than smaller
\ntowns,\" said IDP Indonesia's International Student Unit manager
\nRichard F. Papilaya.<\/p>\n
Tuition varies depending on the type of courses and the
\npopularity of the courses taken.<\/p>\n
Tuition at New Zealand's universities also vary from one
\ninstitution to another. A student studying for an undergraduate
\ndegree in engineering will have to pay about NZ$17,000 (about Rp
\n119 million) in tuition a year. Another student in a non-
\nengineering undergraduate field will pay about NZ$15,000 per
\nyear, said the acting post manager of New Zealand Trade and
\nEnterprise at the New Zealand Embassy in Jakarta<\/p>\n
Despite the different types of accommodation available in
\nvarious countries, most Indonesian students prefer to live in a
\nstudent dormitory or to share a room in an apartment to save on
\nliving expenses, said Lily Hasan, head of business development at
\nEdlink-Connex, an international education consultancy.<\/p>\n
Many Indonesian students in the Netherlands and the UK take
\npart-time jobs to earn extra money. In the Netherlands,
\ninternational students are allowed to work for up to 10 hours per
\nweek during school holidays, while during the summer holiday they
\ncan work full-time, or 40 hours per week.<\/p>\n
According to the work regulations in the United Kingdom,
\ninternational students can work up to 20 hours a week when school
\nis in session and full-time during the holidays.<\/p>\n
The cost of studying abroad can be extremely high by
\nIndonesian standards, but compared with the benefits of an
\noverseas education the price is rather fair.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/for-focus-issue-international-education-1447893297",
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