School too expensive?

I have found a school i would love to attend called University of Essex which has my degree of choice and is close to the girl i wanna be with.
I'm currently in the US and want to study abroad there for the full lenght of my degree but today i was shocked at the cost. The degree is 4 years long and very expensive to attend for just one year.
 My main goal is to get my degree and one day become a UK citizen to be with my girlfriend. I will do anything i can to get to her.

 Overseas will cost me 11,500 pounds which is almost $20,000. That is a lot of money considering i am not wealthy and have been attending school on financial aid.

My questions are as follows:
- Is it possible to raise enough money so my debt won't be crazy.
- Is there a way i can get home fees instead of overseas.(Answered)
- what should i do, what are my options for getting into the uk and attending a school.

if you have any answers or advice thank you.

EDIT:
-My girlfriend is only 17 years old, a visa for marriage is out of the picture. =[
- I currently attend a community college which offers study abroad that is only 2 weeks long. Which is not long enough.

1 - only you can answer if you should give up.

2 - there is no way you can pay resident fees. You must pay overseas fees.

3 - again, only you can answer but have you considered marrying your girlfriend? If she earns at least £18,600 per year, she can sponsor you for a spousal visa.

My questions are as follows:
- Shouls i give up on attending this school

I wouldn't discount it just yet - not before you've considered all the options.

Is there a way i can get home fees instead of overseas.

No, there isn't.

In order to qualify for home fees you must have lived in the UK or EU for at least 3 years prior to beginning the degree programme AND you must also be free from immigration restrictions, meaning you are either a UK or EU citizen, or you hold UK permanent residence.

But in order to gain permanent residence you would have to marry your girlfriend and live in the UK on a spousal visa for 5 years.

- what should i do?

Most people take out US student loans (FAFSA or Sallie Mae) or private loans to cover their tuition. Or if they're lucky they have savings or money from family members.

Have you though about other study options:

- a study abroad program with a US university... You could see about doing an exchange program to spend a semester or a year in the UK as part of a US degree. I did this with my UK university and spent a year studying in the US... And it only cost me £500 in tuition fees, which was half of UK fees for the year (but it's more now that UK home fees are much higher... £9,000 a year compared to £1,000 a year when I was a student).
(If I had been a regular out of state, international student in the US, not an exchange student, it would have cost me $18,000 in tuition for that year)

- Do an undergrad degree in the US and then do a 1-year masters degree in the UK, so that's only 1 year of tuition to worry about.

- attend a US college and then try to apply for the BUNAC Intern in Britain program... But it would only allow you to stay in the UK for 6 months and you would have to find an internship in the UK before you could apply for the visa.

Or if you really can't study your only other real option would be to visit your girlfriend when you can, then eventually marry and try to get a spousal visa for the UK (she would need to be earning £18,600 per year in the UK though).

I wouldn't discount it just yet - not before you've considered all the options.

No, there isn't.

In order to qualify for home fees you must have lived in the UK or EU for at least 3 years prior to beginning the degree programme AND you must also be free from immigration restrictions, meaning you are either a UK or EU citizen, or you hold UK permanent residence.

But in order to gain permanent residence you would have to marry your girlfriend and live in the UK on a spousal visa for 5 years.

Most people take out US student loans (FAFSA or Sallie Mae) or private loans to cover their tuition. Or if they're lucky they have savings or money from family members.

Have you though about other study options:

- a study abroad program with a US university... You could see about doing an exchange program to spend a semester or a year in the UK as part of a US degree. I did this with my UK university and spent a year studying in the US... And it only cost me £500 in tuition fees, which was half of UK fees for the year (but it's more now that UK home fees are much higher... £9,000 a year compared to £1,000 a year when I was a student).
(If I had been a regular out of state, international student in the US, not an exchange student, it would have cost me $18,000 in tuition for that year)

- Do an undergrad degree in the US and then do a 1-year masters degree in the UK, so that's only 1 year of tuition to worry about.

- attend a US college and then try to apply for the BUNAC Intern in Britain program... But it would only allow you to stay in the UK for 6 months and you would have to find an internship in the UK before you could apply for the visa.

Or if you really can't study your only other real option would be to visit your girlfriend when you can, then eventually marry and try to get a spousal visa for the UK (she would need to be earning £18,600 per year in the UK though).

- I have thought about a another option to study abroad, my school does offer it which i'm in community college atm. The legnth of the trip is only 2 weeks long. Not long enough for me to actually enjoy it.

- Getting married is not an option if she has to be making a certain amount a year. She is only 17 and in school.

Looks like i have only 2 options:
- Raise enough funds through loans, scholarships and saving money
- Or only visit her for 6 months, but then i would not see her again for another 6 months after that =/

She's 17 and how old are you?

She's 17 and how old are you?

we are off subject, i want to everything in my power to get to the uk. ANd the only way is schooling

I want to add that federal grants, like pell grants, do not contribute to tuition when you're an international student studying abroad. You're studying at a community college. If and when you transfer to a four year, you will probably have better study abroad options (semester, full year, etc) and since it will be through an American uni, you could use federal grants which would lessen your debt. Your second option of just visiting your girlfriend might be the better option because I wouldn't recommend taking on so much debt at a young age. If you're going to take on a massive amount of debt, do it with your education as the top priority and main reason instead of just being near your girlfriend. Also, I'm compelled to ask if you have visited the UK and met your girlfriend?

I want to add that federal grants, like pell grants, do not contribute to tuition when you're an international student studying abroad. You're studying at a community college. If and when you transfer to a four year, you will probably have better study abroad options (semester, full year, etc) and since it will be through an American uni, you could use federal grants which would lessen your debt. Your second option of just visiting your girlfriend might be the better option because I wouldn't recommend taking on so much debt at a young age. If you're going to take on a massive amount of debt, do it with your education as the top priority and main reason instead of just being near your girlfriend. Also, I'm compelled to ask if you have visited the UK and met your girlfriend?

Wow i did not know that, well that sucks.
My education is my priority because i need a good job in order to provide for my wife, which my girlfriend and me have already discussed as a possiblity in the future. We both want to get married eventually just not any time soon.
 I do agree with you about taking on so much debt. But anywhere i go, i will get debt.

 I have accepted the fact if i can find a school elsewhere that is cheaper i will take it even if i'm not anywhere near her, being in england is more than enough. I was just hoping i could find a school that is close to her, but if the price is to high i must find something else. Or if im forced to stay in america and finish my schooling that way i guess i have to take that route. =/

 I still have another year of community college to complete before i can transfer to a 4 year. I just finished my first semester of my first year this week. I was thinking of starting over when i moved to englad because i have only two classes under my belt at school right now.

I have never been to england nor met my girlfriend in person. It has been my dream to move to england for many years, i constantly stay in touch with their customs, and everything about the country. I love it there and will be more happy than i am here in america. My girfriend and me constantly talk everyday, and skype eachother when we get the chance too. And we both know it will not be any different when we finally meet. She is the most amazing girl i have ever been with.
 
 

Oh man.. you need to slow down before you incur $80K in debt just for tuition.  Before you plan to relocate your whole life, you need to meet this girl in person.  Regardless of how much you've chatted, skyped or emailed, you need to spend time face to face. 

Regarding tuition and school, my MA cost me £11K for a year, plus living expenses in zone 2.  I borrowed approximately $34,000 and lived on additional savings.  Let me just say.. this was in 04-05 and cost is higher now.  I was also 30 when I moved, had worked for 7 years and sold my house before moving. 

It sounds as if you are approximately 18 or even 17 yourself and just started college. Do the community college thing, figure out what you want to study.  If your girlfriend is the right girl for you, you'll make it work over the distance.  It won't be easy but it's worth it if she's the right one. 

Before you do any planning, meet this girl and figure out how you are together.  She may drive you nuts and then what?

I still have another year of community college to complete before i can transfer to a 4 year. I just finished my first semester of my first year this week. I was thinking of starting over when i moved to englad because i have only two classes under my belt at school right now.

Have you checked the Entry Requirements for the UK university? The education system is completely different here and many universities in the UK require that international students from the US have at least AP classes (level 5.0) in the subject they wish to study, college courses, or an Associates Degree under their belt before they begin a UK undergraduate degree.

I have never been to england nor met my girlfriend in person. It has been my dream to move to england for many years, i constantly stay in touch with their customs, and everything about the country. I love it there and will be more happy than i am here in america. My girfriend and me constantly talk everyday, and skype eachother when we get the chance too. And we both know it will not be any different when we finally meet. She is the most amazing girl i have ever been with.

One thing to consider as well is whether or not you will actually be happy in England. If you haven't visited the UK before, then you won't know yet if you will be able to cope with things like the weather, the food, the politics, the way people are, the way things are done in the UK compared to the US, etc.

The best thing to do would be to spend the next year or two (until you have finished your community college course) meeting in person, visiting each other's countries, seeing if living in England is something you could actually do in reality and be happy with... then you can make bigger decisions about moving to the UK for a longer period of time.

What happens if you take out all those loans and move to the UK for your studies, but then you find you absolutely hate England? Or what happens if you and your girlfriend split up at some point and you're left stuck living in a country you don't like, with no support system, none of your family or friends, and thousands of dollars of debt?

I always wanted to live in the US - I grew up watching US TV shows and as soon as I visited my relatives in the US at age 12, I vowed I would move there some day.

It took me 8 years, but as I said, I studied abroad in the US for a year as an undergrad (I had also already spent 4 months there on vacation since the age of 12) - I was 20, and it was the best year of my life. I had some great friends (although they were all international students, not American), I went travelling, I embraced the US college life. When I returned to the UK, I was miserable - I was homesick for the US.

I ended up completing my degree, taking a year to work and save money, doing a masters degree in the UK and then I decided to go back to the US (same college) for a PhD at age 24. I had a student visa that was valid for 4 years, I had all my funding taken care of, and I moved there for the long-term in 2008.

Problem was, this time I hated it - because it wasn't a 'fun study abroad year' any more, I was actually, seriously living in the US and doing real research. I didn't have the same friends there, I was 5,000 miles from my family and all my friends, the workload was much more intense, the people weren't as friendly as I was expecting, I wasn't enjoying my research... I was just generally miserable. I didn't like the food, the TV was getting on my nerves, the politics were frustrating (it was during Obama's first campaign), the 'live to work' ethic and the lack of vacation time in the US was horrible (I felt guilty just asking for 3 weeks off in the summer to go back to the UK for my masters degree graduation)...everything just annoyed me. If I'd had someone there with me who was the reason for staying (i.e. family member or a partner), it might have been easier and I might have tolerated it better, but I was on my own and it was horrible.

So, after just 8 months in the US, and a lot of decision-making, I bit the bullet and moved home, and I haven't regretted it since.... despite the fact that the recession hit right after I returned and I got stuck working in retail because I couldn't find a graduate job for 2 years.

Now, it's been over 5 years and I'm happy in the UK and have no desire to live in the US again. I work for the UK government, my job allows me to travel (I've just spent 5 months living and working in the South Atlantic and next week I'm off to work on a tropical island in the middle of the Atlantic for 3 months) and I'm saving to buy a house.

I have been back to the US to visit, and those visits are great, but I don't really want to actually live there again... because living somewhere and just visiting really are two very different things.

If you do end up marrying your girlfriend, after 5 years of living here you could qualify for home fees and then not have to get anything but student loans (more like a tax than a loan in reality for most people).

These are exactly the kind of ideas I was thinking about.

Have you though about other study options:

- a study abroad program with a US university... You could see about doing an exchange program to spend a semester or a year in the UK as part of a US degree. I did this with my UK university and spent a year studying in the US... And it only cost me £500 in tuition fees, which was half of UK fees for the year (but it's more now that UK home fees are much higher... £9,000 a year compared to £1,000 a year when I was a student).
(If I had been a regular out of state, international student in the US, not an exchange student, it would have cost me $18,000 in tuition for that year)

- Do an undergrad degree in the US and then do a 1-year masters degree in the UK, so that's only 1 year of tuition to worry about.

- attend a US college and then try to apply for the BUNAC Intern in Britain program... But it would only allow you to stay in the UK for 6 months and you would have to find an internship in the UK before you could apply for the visa.

Or if you really can't study your only other real option would be to visit your girlfriend when you can, then eventually marry and try to get a spousal visa for the UK (she would need to be earning £18,600 per year in the UK though).

My other idea, if not already mentioned, is to get the education in the US, mainly, as suggested above by ksand and then look at a working holiday in Ireland, as you can be nearer / live together with this person in Ireland for a while to see how it goes:

https://www.dfa.ie/travel/visas/working-holiday-visas/

I know everyone has given you a lot of food for thought, but just make sure that you are looking at long-term solutions to problems that may creep up along the way.

I know people who have been together since they were 15, so just because you guys are young, that doesn't mean you won't be absolutely perfect together, so let's go with that assumption.

What program are you considering studying in the UK?  Is it an education that will set you up for a lucrative career/job when you graduate?  $80k is a HUGE amount of debt.  My parents live in Florida and you can buy houses out right for $80k.  Remember federal loans are the only loans that cannot be discharged under any circumstances.  This IS debt that you will carry for the rest of your life.  The only way it will go away is to pay it all back plus interest.

Salaries in the UK are significantly lower than in the US.  The cost of living is substantially higher than in the US (of course this does depend on where you are moving from.  If moving from NYC or California, the cost may be comperable).  My husband has a mechanical engineering degree from the UK.  His starting salary in the US would have been about $55k when he graduated.  His starting salary in the UK was £16k when he graduated (less than half of a US starting salary).

If you are fortunate enough to obtain sponsorship for a position in the UK after graduation (as you won't be allowed to stay without a new visa), keep in mind what your potential salary will be, the monthly repayment for your student loan, as well as living expenses.

If you and your girlfriend live together for more than 2 years before you graduate(in a relationship akin to marriage, shared financial responsibilities, etc.), you would be able to apply for an unmarried partner visa (meaning you wouldn't have to get married straight away) and you would be allowed to stay without needing a company to sponsor you (unfortunately company sponsorship is a VERY big hurdle.  It costs the company a lot of money and hassle that they wouldn't need by hiring the next person in line who already has a right to live and work in the UK).

Currently the requirements for an unmarried partner visa (or a spouse visa if you married) are £18,600/year income to qualify.  If you already are in the UK (on your student visa) you can contribute to the £18,600/year requirement meaning you and your girlfriend can combine your earnings to qualify.  However a student visa will only allow you to work up to 20 hours a week, so your earnings will be pretty low.  Your girlfriend will need to make up the shortfall and if she is not in an established career, this is a huge amount of money to make.

If you were unable to meet the £18,600 requirement and unable to obtain a job with sponsorship, you would have to leave the UK and go back to the US.  Then your path back would be for your girlfriend to make over £18,600/year for more than 6 months or you would have to return on another student visa.  This requirement is likely to change over the next 4 years and could be higher (or possibly lower) than it is now.

I think it's great that you guys are looking at all your options and that you are setting up a plan for the future.  

Do come over and experience the UK for at least a couple of weeks.  The cost of the flight is a fraction of the cost of moving here for school.  I loved the UK when I visited.  I then accepted a job here and moved on my own.  I met my now husband and that is 100% the ONLY reason why I stayed in the UK.  My first two years here were HARD.  It was only after I accepted that to be with the man I loved, I needed to accept my life is here now.  Now that I only look forward and don't look back, I'm happy.  But it took a long time to get to this point.  Again - I LOVED IT HERE when I visited...  living here is a big adjustment!

it took a long time to get to this point.  Again - I LOVED IT HERE when I visited...  living here is a big adjustment!

I'm not trying to rain on the parade, but this is a really important point.

I always loved what I thought of as British & Irish culture-- history, literature, music, art.  When I was a teenager, it was my dream to live over here.  15 years later, and in a completely round-about way, I met my husband. 

I visited Scotland several times before I moved, and thought it was great.  I was really looking forward to moving, and expected that I'd settle right in.

The past 2 1/2 years have been some of the hardest in my life.  While I still think there are some great things about Scotland, and the U.K., and although I've accepted that this is where my husband and I need to be for the foreseeable future, I would move home in a heartbeat if it were possible.

There are lots of places in the world, even within the U.S. (Florida and Chicago, I'm looking at you!) that are great places to visit, but I wouldn't ever want to live there.

Only you can decide how you feel about it, and you likely won't really know unless you do move here.  But it's important to go into these things with your eyes as open as possible.

But it took a long time to get to this point.  Again - I LOVED IT HERE when I visited...  living here is a big adjustment!

Another angle on this might be down to where in the UK you live, and whether you prefer urban to rural. I can't say I was crazy about living down south, in London and the Southeast, when I did it, but I am happy living in Yorkshire. Same goes for Canada - I have loved living in certain places over others - sometimes it's the micro geography and culture, not the macro culture.