<p>Hello all, </p>
<p>I was just wondering what some of the opinions were on direct enroll vs. going through a program. I've heard that direct enroll is often the cheaper option but is it worth it? </p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>Are you planning on studying for your whole degree abroad, or just a semester / year? What country(ies) are you considering going to?</p>
<p>My daughter direct enrolled at Edinburgh and it was thousands cheaper. I was skeptical but she said it was fine. I know programs have group flights and orientation but the college also had orientation for Internationals. She got there early (with permission) as many programs do to orient herself and although study abroad programs had tours, etc., again, in her case, so did the school (mostly free)
So overall, although I was skeptical, she said, the initial acquaintances and tee shirt that some received in programs, she felt she was glad to save the money. She went to school orientation meetings to look at clubs, etc. and found many nice friends though them. </p>
<p>It might depend where you go though and for how long. She was just a semester.</p>
<p>Direct enroll may be cheaper, but that’s because using a program comes (or should come) with plenty of support services. Lots of providers include trips around the country, orientation days, and other activities for their participants. Be sure that if you pick a provider that you pick one that is actually PROVIDING a lot. That means they should their own on-site office in the program location, with staff members who are prepared to deal with academics and students services…and, most importantly, student health and safety. A provider should provide student insurance and have staff who are on-call 24/7. They should also provide an official transcript from a U.S. university for the experience. A so-called “grade report” or a recommendation sheeet for how credits and grades should transfer back to your home school may not cut it. Be careful when you select a provider. There are good ones out there, for sure, but you have to do your homework carefully and ask questions! Don’t settle for a sales pitch.</p>
<p>My daughter did both. She did DE for the Fall semester in England, then used a program for the following semester in Spain.</p>
<p>Both were less expensive than her university, but they still let her apply her scholarship to both.
She lived on campus in England with people from England, Australia, Italy, South Africa and China.</p>
<p>In Spain she got a break because she lived with her uncle.</p>
<p>She traveled in both cases, though in England it was with friends she met.</p>
<p>In both cases her classes had been approved by her university before she left, but the grades did not transfer, though the credits did.</p>
<p>Boomting - Right now I’m either going for a semester or a full year (I’ve heard many of my friends that have studied abroad have wished they stayed for a year so we’ll see). And I’m looking at most countries in Europe, particularly France and Belgium for French. </p>
<p>Thank you for the information, everyone! It’s definitely been very helpful and informative :]</p>
<p>Are you looking to improve your language skills? If so, try to go abroad for an entire year to make the most of it.</p>
<p>One thing you need to consider is housing. In some places if you directly enroll you will be required to sort out all your accommodation by yourself. If you don’t speak much of the local language and/or are having to do this from thousands of miles away, it may be very difficult.</p>
<p>On the otherhand, if you go with a program housing will be provided. But it may be a lot more expensive than locals pay, and if you live with all Americans forget about learning any language (you will speak English all the time even if you try not to). You are unlikely to make many local friends in some programs. Some are more like a luxury vacation than anything to do with studying.</p>
<p>I can give you an example of how these things work. If you go on a study abroad program in England you might end up sharing a room. To Americans this is perfectly normal. But actually for the same price or less directly enrolled students get a single room. British students would not stand for sharing a room AT ALL! It is culturally unacceptable. For some students this would really bother them. Others not so much.</p>
<p>Like others have said above, it is all about doing your research.
Goodluck.</p>
<p>Cupcake has it right. My daughter’s on campus housing was a single with a sink, and she was in a pod of 6. There were two bathrooms and a common kitchen, as the accommodation was self-catered.</p>
<p>Hi issylyss,</p>
<p>I may have already responded to one of your (similar?) posts - but here is a site a came across - (I think it’s new - it has some content but it doesn’t seem to have a working search yet…)</p>
<p>Link: [Budget</a> Study Abroad Homepage - Budget Study Abroad](<a href=“http://www.budgetstudyabroad.com%5DBudget”>http://www.budgetstudyabroad.com)</p>
<p>One sec…will look for the article I saw…</p>
<p>Well, there’s actually a few articles that might apply to your situation, so just have a look when you can.</p>
<p>As far as saving money by going independently, from my own searching I know one thing - universities in the UK and Ireland can be really expensive for you if you are an American. Prices are high and I have seen some articles where they say more and more UK students are looking to study elsewhere in Europe because it is so much cheaper.</p>
<p>And that brings me to my other point - if you go independently to places like Germany, Spain, Italy, or France - you can save yourself enough money to buy a car - and that’s no exaggeration. But, how much you save depends on how much you pay at your home school.</p>
<p>European universities have “International Offices” within their schools - so there is an on-site program director who coordinates everything. Some have orientations, some don’t. Some have housing placement, while others only offer housing assistance. </p>
<p>But there’s staff there to help you out, same as US universities have staff to help out their income students from other countries.</p>
<p>Is it worth it! Absolutely! Saving a ton of money is not only a cool thing - it’s financially wise!</p>
<p>Being a “regular international” student abroad has other benefits - you will experience the culture a lot more and have a much more international experience than if you settle in with a group of US students (you’ll meet them anyway, but they’ll be paying $10,000 more than you!).</p>
<p>Wherever you go, have a great time!</p>