by Jane Rutherford

Created on: January 02, 2010   Last Updated: January 03, 2010

While studying abroad can make for an amazing experience a decision to spend an extended period of time far from home is not one to be made lightly. A semester abroad or even an entire degree earned in a foreign University can provide you with a invaluable life lessons and will be a great asset for your future employers. Learning a language among the native speakers, gaining extra credits while on internships in international companies, being immersed in a completely different culture; all that is something you wouldn't be able to experience aside from study abroad programs.

But studying abroad isn't for everybody and there are many things you should consider before packing your bags and traveling on the other side of the world.

First of all, you need to consider whether or nor you can afford to study abroad.

It might not be the most pleasant topic, as money rarely is, it's one of the most important ones that can make or break your study abroad adventure.

Studying in a foreign country can turn out to be quite an expensive choice. Not only are tuition fees for international students usually very high, but you will also need to pay for accommodation, food, public transport, books, and other things. Before making a final decision as to where you want to study, you might want to research scholarships available to you.

There are various scholarships for international students. Some are offered at host Universities, though not all of them are available to students who hadn't finished their first year. But even if the University of your choice doesn't offer scholarships to international students, you can still inquire about financial aid. In most cases, based on your academic achievements so far, the host University may choose to lower the tuition fee for you.

It's worth remembering that financial aid offered at the University of your choice isn't the only help you can get. Sometimes foreign countries offer scholarships for international students to encourage them to study there (France, for example), at the same time there are various foundations offering scholarships for students wishing to study abroad (like the Kosciuszko Foundation offering scholarships for students wanting to study in Poland).

At the same time as looking at the financial side of studying abroad, you should look into the programs offered as well.

Depending on what you're looking for, you should either look into summer semesters abroad, student exchange programs or full programs ending with you getting

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