It’s no secret rising tuition costs are making a college education tremendously expensive in the United States. Recent student loan debt numbers continue to make the dream of college without the burden of student debt seem unattainable. Many students take on debt with their undergraduate degrees then continue to take on more debt to secure a masters level degree, seeing it as their only option to achieve their ambition.
Maybe there is another option. Maybe American students should consider attending a University abroad. Think I am crazy to even suggest it? It has to be expensive to earn a degree abroad, right? Think again.
Believe it or not, some top international universities charge no tuition. Germany recently did away with public university tuition for undergraduates. This includes globally ranked Universities like the University of Munich, Ruprecht Karl University of Heidelberg and the University of Hamburg.
Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson recently reported, on National Public Radio (NPR), about Americans looking for affordable degrees heading to Germany to complete their educations. It was surprising to hear that many classes are taught in English and so it is unnecessary in some cases for students to speak German. It seems fairly apparent that this may be the way for adventurous students to get a great education from a globally ranked University, experience another culture, create a global network of peers, and maintain affordable living expenses as a student. All without needing to take on large amounts of student loan debt.
Another tuition-free European destination to investigate is Norway, which is home to globally ranked universities such as the University of Oslo and University of Bergen. The catch here is that students must be proficient in Norwegian to be accepted.
Finland is another country that doesn’t charge tuition to international students, but these students, as is the case with Germany and Norway, still need to pay for living expenses.
Attending a university in another country, that is tuition free, seems to be a real option to explore for American students seeking alternatives to the rising costs of education in the United States.
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