Your school has sent you information about the costs of living and studying there. Read that information carefully. In addition, keep the following in mind:

1. In your application for admission and for a visa, you provided documents assuring that you had enough money for all your expenses. From the American viewpoint, this documentation means you actually have the money, or at least have ready access to it. If you do not actually have the money or access to it, you should not go to the United States. Living is expensive there, especially if you have a spouse and/or children who cannot work and need health insurance, and financial aid for foreign students is in very short supply.
   
   Embarrassment, Frustration, and Futility
   “ I need financial aid,” the new student said to the foreign student adviser. “Well,” the adviser said, “what about… MORE
   
2. Do not assume you can obtain more financial aid from the school after you arrive in the United States. You might be able to, once you have proven your academic merit, but you should not assume you will.
3. If you will have a graduate assistantship from the start of your studies, remember that (a) some of your salary will be withheld for income taxes; (b) before you can be paid you will need to go through some procedures to obtain a U.S. social security number and to “get on the payroll” at your institution; (c) you may not receive any pay until sometime in the month after school opens; and (d) your assistantship may last for only one year even though your program continues for several years.
4. It is wise to have a budget, a plan showing how much money you will spend for each major aspect of your life, and where that money will come from. Click here for a listing of items that are on most students’ expense budgets.
5. Obtaining a credit card in the United States can be impossible or at least prohibitively expensive for a foreign student.