I’ve been offered a place to study at the university of tennessee and they have given me an estimated budget of $19000 (about £14000) for the whole year, not inc tuition fees but everything else. This seems like alot and if it is accurate I wont be able to afford to go. I was wondering if anyone has any experience and can tell me if this is about right or not? Thanks!!!
It’s hard to say without seeing the actual letter/numbers, but it appears you are getting $19,000 in financial aid – meaning you have to cover the rest.
Another thing to confirm: will you be getting this same amount every year, or is this an award for your first year only? Do you have to maintain a specific GPA to receive this same amount every year?
Sorry for the confusion but i meant that UTK thinks that this is how much I will spend over 1 years study there (accommodation, food, books, medical insurance, everything except tuition fees). I will have to prove that I have access to that much money in order to get a visa but i was trying to find out if i will actually end up spending around this much money over the year or if $19k is an over estimate. Its ALOT more than what i would spend over a year living in the UK!
You might be able to save a bit here and there – but the first year you probably won’t spend a lot less than that. It will be easier once you move off campus.
How much is tuition? Did you get a grant to cover it? Go to the college website and add up all the direct costs (room & board). Make sure you add in health insurance costs. That’s the minimum you have to pay.
Are you an exchange student coming over through a program with your university? Would you be open to living off campus and cooking your own meals in a “flatshare” type arrangement or would your university require you live on campus? 19K for R&B + books sounds high, frankly. In their COA, they estimate 10K for Room and board (Knoxville is not very expensive and those are dorm costs, a room in a standard shared apartment will typically cost less), 1,500 for books (rent or buy used! And depending on your major, it may be far less), and over $5,000 for personal expenses (how much pizza/beer/toothpaste do they expect you to consume?)
I suspect that the second largest item next to room and board is health insurance. Their student insurance plan costs a minimum of $1700 - if you don’t need any health care. Maximum out of pocket cost (in network) is $6350. Did the budget break down the costs?
There are two separate issues:
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You will need to demonstrate that you can cover the full Cost of Attendance at UTK (that $19,000 plus tuition and fees), or you will not get your student visa.
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Once you do get here, you might find that your actual costs are lower. Look carefully at the breakdown of the costs, and see where there are less expensive options.