International Students

From completing applications to packing your clothes and belongings, you have done a lot to prepare to study in the US. However, there’s one major item that is sometimes overlooked: finances. Proving that you can pay for tuition and living expenses in the US doesn’t always prepare you for the financial decisions and potential challenges that can occur when you get here.

Understanding Expenses

Before you can create a budget or spending plan, you may need to do some additional research to estimate your costs prior to arriving in the United States. Some common costs to account for in your financial plan or budget includes:

Tuition & Fees
Room & Board (Rent, Utilities & Food)
Books & Supplies
Travel
Emergencies
Recreation & Fun

Know Your Tuition

You should be able to find out your tuition and fee rates by visiting the registrar's office website for your University:

Each University and academic program will have different costs associated with it. The calculators provided through the registrars can help you estimate the cost of your degree, however, it's important to remember that the course load you take as well as the types of classes you enroll in determines the amount that actually gets charged to your student account. You can learn more about understanding your student account and international payment options through our parent department, University Bursar.

Cost of Living

Depending on which campus you are planning on attending and what lifestyle choices you make, living expenses can vary significantly from student to student. Your lifestyle choices really dictate how much your living expenses will be, and it’s important, particularly if you’re borrowing to pay for school, that you live like a student while you’re a student so you don’t have to live like a student when you graduate. Below is a table showing the cost of living differences for a variety of items between Chicago, Springfield, and Champaign-Urbana communities in Illinois.

Estimates from numbeo.com & bankrate.com
	Urbana-Champaign	Chicago	Springfield
Salary	$43, 014.62	$52,283.46	$40,000
Apt. Rent	$611.11	$1,235.67	$707.76
Basic Utilities	$171.67	$114.56	$144.82
Gasoline	$2.24	$2.70	$2.25
Hamburger	$4.19	$3.89	$4.27
Milk (1 gal)	$2.44	$2.79	$2.76
Apples (1 lb)	$2.00	$1.99	$2.43

There are many cost of living calculators available online to compare costs by location.

Unexpected Expenses for Some International Students

Many international students come to the US and are surprised by the expenses they encounter. We’ve listed a few of them here. For instance:

Health Care & Insurance - You may not have to pay for healthcare in your country, but you would have to pay for health care and/or insurance in the US.
Phone Bills - Depending on your cell phone service, you may be charged for receiving phone calls & texts
Taxes - Sales tax is not often included in the listed price of items at a store or market. Income and/or property taxes may also be different from your home country.
Tips - When to tip, how much to tip, and who to tip can be a difficult piece of American culture to get used to; even domestic students sometimes struggle with it.
- For example, it’s customary to tip between 15-25% of the bill when you’re at a sit-down restaurant or ordering delivery, but you wouldn’t tip if you go to a fast-food restaurant.
Internet - You may need to pay for internet service or it may be much higher than what you’re used to paying.
Reception of Wire Transfers - You will need to pay to receive wire transfers or ask the sender to include that cost while sending.
Water

Again, these are just a few of the unexpected expenses that some international students run into when they come to the US.

Banking in the USA

As an international student, you may want specific services or products from a financial institution, including ATM or online banking that is provided in several languages, lower wire transfer rates, or nationwide branches (for in-person service and access to your money when you travel for example). Whatever you choose, it must be the right fit for you, and if the financial institution that you choose no longer meets your needs, you can always switch to a different one.

Financial Institutions: Banks & Credit Unions

Money kept in deposit accounts in the U.S. is usually insured by the federal government. There are two main types of financial institutions in the United States: banks and credit unions. Deposit accounts like checking and saving accounts are typically insured up to at least $250,000 per individual. If you buy investment products at a financial institution like bonds, IRAs, or mutual funds, then these are not insured. Ask if you’re not sure.

Online banks & credit unions are good options to consider. Don’t think you are required to look for a physical financial institution near campus.