“Cheap Thrills: Traveling London on a Budget”

For the Thousands of Students Heading off abroad to London

“Cheap Thrills: Traveling London on a Budget”

via “Traveler’s Today“

“London is one of the most expensive cities in Europe and in the world. While many travelers believe the city can easily burn the pockets, there are now more ways to enjoy it even when on a budget.

Whether it’s a good meal or some of the most unique souvenirs to take back home, here are a few budget-friendly tips when traveling London.

1. Consider fare-hotel bundle discounts

Typically, airfares to London range from $1,000 to $2,500 and accommodations can be as cheap as $12 a night to well over a luxurious stay of $300 per night. A practical advise is to book these early and consider consulting various and accredited travel agencies. . . . .”

 

Tools: FAFSA School Code List

As most of you know, your average college student can’t survive without good old government school loans, and that means the dreaded FAFSA.  That horrid form you have to fill out every year just to prove what you already know, you’re broke. 😛  

For those of you studying abroad, you probably are aware that you can get federal loans to cover these classes if your school transfers them in or is in charge of the program.  Usually, this means you have to study via a US college’s program, either through your own university or as a visiting student at another college.  I have studied abroad several times, but only once through my own college.  All my law school classes abroad have been through programs offered by other US law schools who agreed to take me in.

But did you know that the FAFSA doesn’t just cover US schools?  Sometimes, your college is unwilling to transfer in credits.  Or you want to take more classes than is allowed for transfer purposes.  Or a program just isn’t offered through a US school in that country or area you wanted for that specialization you’ve been dying to research.   

For those situations, you might want to turn to the FAFSA School Code List available here.  You probably haven’t looked at this since your first semester when you had them send the forms to your college, but try taking a look at the bottom of the list.  That’s right, the FAFSA program may cover a program you’re interested in at a foreign school.  The list starts on page 147 of the form, and it includes numerous school in all sorts of countries.  So if you’ve always been interested in studying in Australia, but no US college offers a program at that university/city, check out this list.  If it’s on the list, it is covered by FAFSA and you can apply for US government school loans to cover that program of study the same as you would any US program.  This is how many US students are affording to get their entire degrees abroad. Technically, you can have an entire undergraduate or graduate degree covered with school loans in these schools via the FAFSA program, the same as if you studied in the US. Or even just a summer program.  It’s worth looking into!  Also remember, if it isn’t on this list then FAFSA won’t cover it.  So unless it’s on this list or you’re traveling there via a US college, you may  have to pay out-of-pocket.

“Prioritizing Student Safety Abroad”

by Daily Editorial Board via “Minnesota Daily”

“Studying abroad is one of the best experiences a student can have during college. With the ability to earn credit while living in another country and learning about different cultures, college students in the U.S. are more frequently choosing to study abroad. According to the Institute for International Education, three times as many students are studying abroad than two decades ago. That amounts to about 270,000 students annually. However, while many students come home unscathed, incidents do happen.  .  .  .”

Just remember: Never Go Anywhere Alone, Especially at Night. And if someone asks you, regardless if it’s a lie, tell them you are rooming with some other people who you are best friends with.  It suggests that people will come looking if something happens.  The worst thing to do is to let strangers know that it might take a while for people to notice you missing.

Also, avoid places where wars are going on unless you are studying warfare. It’s just simple logic.  You can always learn what you need to know someplace safer than a country under attack from within or without.

“How to Rent an Apartment in Paris”

by Kate Betts via “Travel + Leisure”

“Last fall I was struggling to finish writing a book about Paris, a memoir recalling five years in the early 1990’s when I lived and worked in the great city on the Seine as a reporter for Women’s Wear Daily, the fashion trade publication. My editor was kind enough to give me an extension when my deadline whizzed by in September. “Go to Paris,” she said. “It will put you in the mood.” Paris is always a good idea, of course. . . . “

Don’t forget that there are other ways to find housing than relying on that which the school supplies such as finding a local apartment; and often schools are overcharged for rooms so it is frequently cheaper to make other arrangements. Just something to keep in mind 🙂