Cost of Living in the USA
Even if your child has a full scholarship to the USA, knowing the cost of living in the country is useful. According to Statista, the average cost of living of a person in the USA in the year 2020 totalled $61,334.
Food and Accommodation in the USA
There are several options available to Indian students to live in the USA. The easiest and most affordable way is to take the campus accommodation if they are on a scholarship. Living on campus also entails paying the housing costs and expenditure for campus security. Generally, the accommodation cost could fall within the average consumer expenditure range of 2020 accommodation. According to Statista, this was about $21,409 in the year 2020.
Rent an apartment
It is easy to find apartments for rent near campus, but it could be expensive given the cost of living in the USA. There is a range to explore depending on your city of admission. If you are in Boston, you may have to shell out the highest apartment rent since the city’s cost of living is the highest in the USA. On the other hand, if you are in a University town, it might be around one-third the price of an apartment in Boston.
Homestay
Expat students are used to home-cooked meals back here in India. Cafeteria lunches and cold sandwiches in lunch bags could make them feel deprived of a hot Indian meal. Homestays with Non-Resident Indians might take away from the upset of change in food. This is especially when the student begins life outside India. The average expenditure on food in the USA in 2020 was $7316.
Tuition fee
In 2020-2021, the average annual charges for higher education in the U.S. were $7638 for public institutions and $32444 for private institutions. At 21 Skills, this competitive curriculum is available for much less with a down payment and installment facilities for aspiring students.
A brief overview of curricula and methodology
21 Skills imparts skill generation in the latest domains to its students. It has separate course schedules for individuals and military personnel. 21 Skills has a full-time remote learning procedure with a part-time remote learning process underway. It focuses on Data Science and software engineering workshops for companies that can be customized based on the teams’ requirements.
Your child can learn at home without dealing with the constraints of public schooling post the pandemic.
Transport
Ferrying yourself to and fro might not be a part of your paid tuition and accommodation costs in the USA. You might have to use any of the following ways to live comfortably in the city where your next college or University is housed.
Metro
If you’re living in New York, for example, the subway is the best way to navigate the financial and artistic capital of the world. Where the distances grow, you might want to take the metro or hire a cab to make the commute easier. Take the subway, and you will whizz across New York in half the time it would take you otherwise! In addition, this option is fairly easily accommodated in your overall budget.
Rent a Car
Cars are usually rented by tourists visiting the US for sightseeing. But you could also consider renting a car while your children are in the USA for school and graduate studies.
Buy a vehicle
You would see most non-resident Indians with their own cars in the USA. This is the most preferred option for people living long term, say over 2-3 years in the USA.
Walk on campus
Your child could occasionally cycle or walk on campus to stretch those leg muscles. And walking doesn’t cost you a bit! But it can be limiting if they have to go out of campus and are unfamiliar with the transport and logistics of the city they are studying in.
Miscellaneous–Books, Stationery etc.
For a student, the highest miscellaneous cost would be books and supplies after sorting budgets for food, transport, and accommodation. Comparatively, the advantage of online schools is immense, as most of the curriculum is available online to explore and read. It is also disseminated in videos and digital handouts for presentation in classrooms online.
The teachers can also check homework online that does not need bulk supplies or reading material to support the assignments. At 21k Skills, we even follow sustainable practices to avoid the cost of paper processing and felling trees to obtain hard copies of the reading material and supplies. These practices are global, but a hybrid form of teaching with reading material and supplies exists everywhere across geographies to ensure minimal damage to the ecosystem.
Cost of Living For Living Students
After analyzing your budget, don’t give up on the idea of education abroad if it seems steep. The difference between going to the USA and bearing the cost of living for an average Indian student and studying in online schools with an American curriculum back home is quite distinct from the above insights. The same expenditure is halved by enrolling for 21K School.
21K School is geared to provide a rich pedagogical experience to students who want to study abroad right in their home country at astoundingly lower rates than would be spent on the same American curriculum at a physical campus.
