EDUCATION SUPPLEMENT 72 JUNE 2025 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL the Netherlands, where students far outnumber the available beds, the government has begun to restrict international student admissions and visas if the student cannot demonstrate that they will have housing upon enrollment. 4. “I want a simple, easy-tounderstand admissions process and cost transparency.” Application for postsecondary study in the U.S. has become astonishingly difficult. The Common Application and its various supplements—e.g., additional essays, self-reported (SRAR) transcripts, InitialView interviews, and Glimpse videos—as well as the seemingly incomprehensible financial aid process have made applying onerous. But if you’ve already filled out the Common App, keep in mind that it is accepted at some foreign universities. National applications in many countries are straightforward, and the costs are clearly stated. Consider trying something like Concourse or Cialfo’s Direct Apply, which allow you to apply to nearly every university in the world simultaneously. Concourse acts as a promoter, showing the student’s profile to schools interested in attracting students like them and offering admissions and scholarships directly, with no requirements beyond submitting final grades or AP/IB scores after graduation. International students applying to host nation universities may find it hard to understand how to apply, or what deadlines and requirements they need to meet. Websites at host nation universities are often much less informative than those of U.S. schools. Schools may have individual admissions offices for each degree program, or they may list only their domestic requirements. In some cases, students will need to call individual offices at the school to discuss support options or confirm arrangements. The expectation in Australia, for example, is that international applicants will work with a recruitment and visa agent to navigate admissions, arrival, and enrollment, but this is not a requirement for U.S. citizens. U.S. federal loans, 529 plans, and GI Bill funds can all be used abroad, but not universally. Different schools, courses of study, student types, and funding sources will affect whether these can be used. Search the current list of federal loan–eligible institutions abroad to confirm whether this is a viable payment option. Life as a student abroad is different from life as a dependent of someone under chief-of-mission authority. Students need to secure local bank accounts, access local health systems, and navigate the oddities of cell phone plans and online payment-sharing apps when multiple currencies and nationalities are involved. Universities with a high number of international students are more likely to offer significant support for these startup hurdles. They may even offer orientation programs or special international students’ support offices. Once enrolled, students must be fully prepared to take care of their paperwork, payments, health care, and financial arrangements. Finally, the most significant difference between an American-style university education and one outside the U.S. is that persistence—the likelihood that a student will return for the second year— at most global universities is lower than the persistence rate in the U.S. Lower tuition, larger and more impersonal classes, student realizations that their chosen degree isn’t a great fit, and testing and performance cut-offs mean that each year the cohort of peers shrinks significantly. While most Foreign Service kids are used to saying goodbye, they might struggle with the “survival of the fittest” mentality that marks the student experience at some institutions. Before choosing a university education abroad, learn more about the different possibilities for obtaining a degree that will provide the most likelihood of transferability and recognition. You’ll find American-recognized degrees at universities around the world, at all levels of cost and global prestige, and in almost every possible field. n Enrolling at a host nation university comes with some cultural differences.
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