Americans Studying in UK

[Unimpressed3D]

How did you fund it? I got into Exeter and King's College London (so far), but my funding seems much better for the US schools I was accepted into. (This is for MA programs.) I'm still weighing my options, but I'd like to at least see if the UK schools are financially feasible options. I'm probably going to pass on King's just because London is so damn expensive, but I also applied to Southampton, Kent, and East Anglia, and I want to make sure I consider each program carefully before making such an important decision.

[Paper Moon]

I'm in the same boat as you are. I was accepted into London School of Economics, Leeds, and Edinburgh, but I have no funding... I would MUCH rather be in the UK than the US, but I was offered full funding in the US.

I have a friend in the UK now who is paying for her MPH with student loans.  She's really happy with her decision, she lives the university and her course, and I respect her greatly. But my family isn't as financially well-off as hers. I saved a lot of money for school and then gave it all to my family instead because they needed it. If I took out a loan, they wouldn't be able to help me if I were in a tough spot and I don't think I'd be able to help them either. I'm really upset, because LSE has a support scheme for needy students, but they told me I'm not sufficiently needy. It seems like all schools in the UK are only accessible to students who are independently wealthy or who can afford to take out loans, because they'll have family to support them if they can't pay it back immediately. 

The US doesn't even let you declare bankruptcy to get rid of student loans. They follow you forever and seem like a kind of indentured servitude (most of my friends are drowning in student debt, I was lucky to be able to get a scholarship for undergrad or I'd be in the same situation). The US will bail out car companies who use the money to give raises to their CEOs, but god forbid we give students who are just starting out in the world and trying to make a better life for themselves some slack.

The other choice is the Chevenning Scholarship (it's called something else for US students, but it's the same) and the Fullbright, but these are both ridiculously competitive and the deadline to apply has passed. 

If you work, you can ask your job to sponsor you.

But, like you, I would love to hear if anyone knows of alternative funding!

[SunshineLolipops]

I was able to do my study at Glasgow through the GI Bill, so I can't speak to funding opportunities, but I can't say enough about how glad I was to do my masters there.  The academic culture is very different, and it gave me a lot of perspective upon returning stateside.  You might look into work study programs though.  If PhD applications don't pan out, I'll definitely be applying to programmes in the UK again.

Edited April 2, 2016 by SunshineLolipops

[namarie]

I went to London for my undergrad, and I transferred back to the US after my first year. At first I thought it was a good idea; the university I went to gave my a $9,000 scholarship and the rest in loans. So everything was funded and I didn't have to come up with money through private loans, like I would have had to do for my U.S. schools. 

I can tell you that studying overseas is incredibly expensive. I spent $500 on a visa (which you absolutely have to have, and the application can be quite confusing), $1,500 on a round trip plane ticket (for one semester); the exchange rate is killer, and it is cold. I loved the atmosphere, the city, and the academic culture. It's very different from the U.S. model of education. But overseas funding for U.S. students is very restricted. If you don't get scholarships through your uni, the rest is in loans. There is no work-study, no grants, nothing. I didn't want to leave, but it was too expensive to stay. 

I was accepted to King's College London for a MSc program. I'm seriously considering going, but my program wants a $3,000 deposit. 

Definitely weigh your options. I learned a lot from studying overseas, and I would recommend it to anyone who asks. But I would also tell everyone who asks to seriously think about the cost. It's not just London that's expensive, although I'm sure the costs aren't as bad in other parts of the country. 

Good luck! 

[SunshineLolipops]

I guess work study opportunities vary from uni to uni, because they were certainly available at Glasgow, but I would add in the new higher (WELL over $500) price of visas into your calculations.