International Student News - Issue 150, August 2011

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Issue 150 - August 2011

An InternationalStudent.com Publication

Welcome to the 150th issue of the International Student News!

August is student orientation month at schools across the USA, as students arrive from all over the world! As always, InternationalStudent.com is here to help you along the way. We have lots of ways to make life easier for you and to help you save money - like our just-released iPhone app (download it free from iTunes)!

Please also take two minutes to vote for our app and help support us in speading the word about international education!

Ross Mason

Editor, InternationalStudent.com

In this issue:

School Insurance
iPhone App
Financial Aid
Student News
From the Mailbag
Fun Site of the Month
Sharing Options
Final Word

Forward to a Friend

> International Student Insurance

It's back to school time already for many international students, and what better way to start off the new school semester than by saving money on your international student health insurance plan? School plans are the easy option, however they are often way more costly or insufficient for international students and can set you back $1,500 per year or more for coverage!

The Student Secure plan from International Student Insurance will not only save you money, but also still meet your school's insurance requirements. Benefits of the plan include:

Up to $300,000 in coverage
Coverage for pre-existing conditions/ mental health
Monthly payment options
Quick and easy waiver process
and much more...

For students under 19, the plan in the USA will cost:

Smart

$33/month

Budget

$47/month

Select

$70/month

Apply online today and save!

> Study in the USA iPhone App

We are proud to launch our new iPhone app, aimed at students from all around the world who are looking to study in the USA. The new app includes features such as:

Listing of Featured Schools
Study in the USA Help/Advice Centers
State-by-State Guide for International Students
Mobile Concierge Service

Please also spare two minutes to vote for our app and help us support international education!

> Finance your Education

After the global recession, the availability of international student loans dropped off pretty significantly and many students who had relied on them in the past were left without any options. Over the last 12-24 months, loans for international students have started to appear and they are continuing to do so as the recession eases around the world.

InternationalStudent.com now has a loan comparison tool, where you can enter your information and you will be presented with all the loan options that are available to you - taking much of the leg work out of searching for loan providers. Start searching today and find out what loans are available to you!

> Student News From Around the World

Estonia Tops for International Students

The Erasmus Student Network (ESN) conducts an annual poll of students that study abroad, primarily European students or students studying in the the Erasmus countries (35 European countries). Estonia topped the latest survey for overall level of satisfaction with your studies abroad, scoring 4.74 out of 5, followed by Austria and Portugal. Over 8,000 students responded to the poll.

The popularity of Estonia is likely from its low cost of living, strong language skills by Estonians, and good support from universities and local organizations. Read more about the poll and about international education in Estonia in the story on the ESN website:

http://news.err.ee/education/estonia tops

Also, read more about visa and insurance requirements for international students in Estonia in the International Student Insurance Blog

> From the Mailbag

This month we feature a question from one of our forum members - they ask:

I am a US citizen recently got accepted as an international student into a 4 year medical school program at Imperial College London. I'll be spending the next 4 years of my life in London.What are my options as far as financing my education goes? the tuition is on par with American medical schools. I know that I can still apply for FAFSA and will get Federal loans, but not sure if that will be enough. Also, I know that in US med schools are considered a graduate school entity, but in the UK it's actually bachelors. Can I say in my FAFSA that I'm doing my bachelors? Would that enable me for some Federal grants? I have quite a bit of personal savings. Is that bad if you want to get good aid/loans from the Government? I was thinking of applying my personal savings towards everyday expenses and using the aid/loan money for tuition. Any insight/advice/direction/guidance/caution would help. Thank you!

If you would like to help out and answer their question, or join in the conversation and post your own questions and answers - please see our international student forums online.

> Fun Site of the Month

Online games are a great way to spend those spare hours you have in the day and Student Beans has some of the best games available. With over 1,300 online games listed on their site, no other place has a more comprehensive listing just for students!

Head over and start playing if you have some spare time, but be warned, once you start playing, its hard to stop!

> Share with your friends

Over the coming weeks, we will be making it easier for you to share information you find on our site with your friends and social networks. The Facebook Like button, Google +1 button and Twitter Tweet button will be slowly appearing on our pages - allowing you to quickly share good content and articles you find on our website.

We encourage you to actively share and spread the word about our site as many of our services and information are free, and word of mouth is the best way to help us grow and develop the site!

> Final Word

We hope you enjoyed this month's newsletter, and best of luck to you as you pursue or help others pursue an international education! As always please contact us with any questions or comments you have about the newsletter - we'd love to hear from you!

1101 Connecticut Ave NW Suite 900, Washington, DC 20036 - USA

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