14 Nov 2019

Studying abroad is probably one of the best things you can do for yourself. Immersing yourself in a foreign culture, making lifelong friends all around the world, growing as a person and making some pretty bloody unbelievable memories.

Too many people think that studying abroad is reserved only for the super-loaded, the super-gifted, or those who are willing to work 70-hour weeks on top of a full-time study load. That isn’t true at all. There are plenty of ways you can get yourself studying overseas without it costing you an arm and a leg.

1. Do exchange through uni

If you’re planning on rocking up overseas and applying to study directly to a university or college over there, I hope you’re prepared to pay the whole thing up-front. Most countries aren’t too keen on giving foreigners a massive loan in order to study.

What you could do instead is start studying a course here in Australia, then get yourself abroad through a uni exchange program. Most universities have one, and often there will be heaps of different countries to choose from.

These programs are great because rather than paying the super-expensive fees of the foreign university, you’ll usually just pay whatever you would for a normal semester back home and most of the time, it counts towards your degree so you’re getting the best of both worlds.

2. Scholarships

Scholarships can be a life-changing way to combine studying with seeing the world. Whether you excel in one specific subject, are an all-round genius, or just an outstanding citizen of society, you could be in with a shot.

If you’re an athlete, you might also be eligible for a sports scholarship. Sports scholarships are amazing because they take off all the financial pressure of going to uni and allow you to focus on your training. Places like the US have plenty of scholarships up for grabs and getting into the college system can be the perfect way to combine your sport and study.

Applying for sports scholarships can be tricky though – from making sure your grades are good enough to pulling together a recruitment video – there’s a lot of aspects that you need to make sure you absolutely nail if you want to nab a US sports scholarship.

That’s where organisations like ASM Scholarships come in; they help with everything from working out whether you’re actually eligible, to making sure your recruitment video is top notch. Check ‘em out here and grab an info pack over here or suss out what sports they have available over here.

3. Government grants

Studying abroad is so good for you that the government has even gotten on board and started encouraging people to do it. And what’s the best form of encouragement? Money, of course.

They know that us broke uni students can barely afford to buy tuna and rice for lunch, let alone a flight. So, they’ve got this thing called an OS-HELP loan, which lets you borrow up to $9,399 in order to help fund any overseas study you might be planning (check with your uni to see how much you’re eligible for).

There are a few criteria you need to meet and you also need to be studying in Australia, so an exchange program is still probably your best bet for this one. What’s great though is that you can get up to two loans annually, so if you decide you love your new home abroad so much you wanna stay another semester, you’re in luck! Suss out all the details over here.