Cambridge cost

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For us, Oxbridge is attractive financially as it is for academics and prestige. We're US citizens, but even as an international student, three years at a UK college will be cheaper or at least on par with full-pay private college Stateside. A liberal arts degree is three years, so there's cost cutting there too. For the price, three years at Oxbridge will be a much more eye-opening and learning experience than spending four years at a mid-tier US college.

If DC were to get a generous scholarship here, or get into an Ivy, then that would be a different matter.

OP here. Mine is applying for a 4 year program, so not as cost effective unless we can get home rate for the 4th year maybe. She is also applying for colleges in the US. I would rather she study here for the breadth of the US system (I went to Oxford, just fyi to the snots on this thread who think I don't get the difference between US and UK programs), but there is also a wealth in the EC life, not just the course of study, so I agree it would be an eye-opening learning experience. It just would have more subject depth and less academic breadth.

So she doesn't have the equivalent of Latin A level? That's the only time they require four years.

No, it's not. MMLL is the other course besides Classics that is four years. It has a mandatory third year abroad.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:To OP - just a comment if money is an issue for you. I have a grad student at Oxford. Total cost for two years will be about $125,000. No problem but what surprised me was that Oxford wanted a certified letter from our bank or CPA proving that we could pay for the full two years. I've never heard of an American School requiring that. Then Oxford wanted all of its tuition upfront in October. Fortunately, we knew that was coming so had DC's savings and ours ready to go. Room and board is paid monthly to the College. Check and see how you pay for Cambridge.

Cambridge parent here (undergrad, though). Yes, this is generally the same at Cambridge. We needed proof of ability to pay the first year including living expenses (we were asked for a bank statement and letter from employers re: salaries) and they do charge up front for university and college fees. Room and board is assessed termly at my DC's college.

Thank you both. I think I saw this on the financial info website but good to know. PP w/ grad student, I am really hoping that grad cost is more expensive than undergrad. I think based on the PP w/ an undergrad + the info on financial website, it will be between $50k and $56k per year. Definitely something to think about. Hoping she can get Home status for the 4th year if she gets in and decides to attend.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This thread really is the worst of DCUM.

Yep.

[OP asks straightforward question]

Response: “Let me answer a question you didn’t ask.”
Additional response: “Why are you asking this question/why are you asking this question here?
Further response: “Let me tell you why what you’re doing is impossible/a bad idea
Buried in four pages of Responses: one actual answer to OP’s question

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:To OP - just a comment if money is an issue for you. I have a grad student at Oxford. Total cost for two years will be about $125,000. No problem but what surprised me was that Oxford wanted a certified letter from our bank or CPA proving that we could pay for the full two years. I've never heard of an American School requiring that. Then Oxford wanted all of its tuition upfront in October. Fortunately, we knew that was coming so had DC's savings and ours ready to go. Room and board is paid monthly to the College. Check and see how you pay for Cambridge.

Cambridge parent here (undergrad, though). Yes, this is generally the same at Cambridge. We needed proof of ability to pay the first year including living expenses (we were asked for a bank statement and letter from employers re: salaries) and they do charge up front for university and college fees. Room and board is assessed termly at my DC's college.

Thank you both. I think I saw this on the financial info website but good to know. PP w/ grad student, I am really hoping that grad cost is more expensive than undergrad. I think based on the PP w/ an undergrad + the info on financial website, it will be between $50k and $56k per year. Definitely something to think about. Hoping she can get Home status for the 4th year if she gets in and decides to attend.

She can't get home status because you don't have it. Home status requires SCHOOLING outside of uni for 3 years prior to attendance. Are you SURE you went to Oxford - oh I know - Homerton!

[Anonymous]

Our DC attends uni in UK. We, too, thought it would be comparable to full pay at UVA. Let’s say…with the COL and overall expenses/including transport across the pond, DCs 3 years will equate to 5 years as full pay at UVA.

So…although it seems more affordable, be prepared. And there isn’t financial aid-so it’s really full pay out of the bank.

Younger one will be stateside, hopefully.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our DC attends uni in UK. We, too, thought it would be comparable to full pay at UVA. Let’s say…with the COL and overall expenses/including transport across the pond, DCs 3 years will equate to 5 years as full pay at UVA.

So…although it seems more affordable, be prepared. And there isn’t financial aid-so it’s really full pay out of the bank.

Younger one will be stateside, hopefully.

Full pay out of state or in state? Also, lots of UK schools (including Cambridge) accept the FAFSA.

https://studentaid.gov/understand-aid/types/international#participating-schools

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our DC attends uni in UK. We, too, thought it would be comparable to full pay at UVA. Let’s say…with the COL and overall expenses/including transport across the pond, DCs 3 years will equate to 5 years as full pay at UVA.

So…although it seems more affordable, be prepared. And there isn’t financial aid-so it’s really full pay out of the bank.

Younger one will be stateside, hopefully.

Full pay out of state or in state? Also, lots of UK schools (including Cambridge) accept the FAFSA.

https://studentaid.gov/understand-aid/types/international#participating-schools

I don't see either Oxford or Cambridge listed as participating schools on that. Or maybe I'm misreading it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:To OP - just a comment if money is an issue for you. I have a grad student at Oxford. Total cost for two years will be about $125,000. No problem but what surprised me was that Oxford wanted a certified letter from our bank or CPA proving that we could pay for the full two years. I've never heard of an American School requiring that. Then Oxford wanted all of its tuition upfront in October. Fortunately, we knew that was coming so had DC's savings and ours ready to go. Room and board is paid monthly to the College. Check and see how you pay for Cambridge.

Cambridge parent here (undergrad, though). Yes, this is generally the same at Cambridge. We needed proof of ability to pay the first year including living expenses (we were asked for a bank statement and letter from employers re: salaries) and they do charge up front for university and college fees. Room and board is assessed termly at my DC's college.

Thank you both. I think I saw this on the financial info website but good to know. PP w/ grad student, I am really hoping that grad cost is more expensive than undergrad. I think based on the PP w/ an undergrad + the info on financial website, it will be between $50k and $56k per year. Definitely something to think about. Hoping she can get Home status for the 4th year if she gets in and decides to attend.

She can't get home status because you don't have it. Home status requires SCHOOLING outside of uni for 3 years prior to attendance. Are you SURE you went to Oxford - oh I know - Homerton!

Homerton is a Cambridge College.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our DC attends uni in UK. We, too, thought it would be comparable to full pay at UVA. Let’s say…with the COL and overall expenses/including transport across the pond, DCs 3 years will equate to 5 years as full pay at UVA.

So…although it seems more affordable, be prepared. And there isn’t financial aid-so it’s really full pay out of the bank.

Younger one will be stateside, hopefully.

Full pay out of state or in state? Also, lots of UK schools (including Cambridge) accept the FAFSA.

https://studentaid.gov/understand-aid/types/international#participating-schools

I don't see either Oxford or Cambridge listed as participating schools on that. Or maybe I'm misreading it.

You have to click on the link that downloads an excel spreadsheet. It's in the International Schools in General bullet

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:To OP - just a comment if money is an issue for you. I have a grad student at Oxford. Total cost for two years will be about $125,000. No problem but what surprised me was that Oxford wanted a certified letter from our bank or CPA proving that we could pay for the full two years. I've never heard of an American School requiring that. Then Oxford wanted all of its tuition upfront in October. Fortunately, we knew that was coming so had DC's savings and ours ready to go. Room and board is paid monthly to the College. Check and see how you pay for Cambridge.

Cambridge parent here (undergrad, though). Yes, this is generally the same at Cambridge. We needed proof of ability to pay the first year including living expenses (we were asked for a bank statement and letter from employers re: salaries) and they do charge up front for university and college fees. Room and board is assessed termly at my DC's college.

Thank you both. I think I saw this on the financial info website but good to know. PP w/ grad student, I am really hoping that grad cost is more expensive than undergrad. I think based on the PP w/ an undergrad + the info on financial website, it will be between $50k and $56k per year. Definitely something to think about. Hoping she can get Home status for the 4th year if she gets in and decides to attend.

OP - this is the American Oxford grad student parent. I asked DC to confirm the figures this evening and this is what he said. Graduate tuition for his particular field is 28,462 pounds. By today's exchange rate that comes to about $42,000 per year (he is in a two year MPhil program). That is the amount we paid in early October in full to Oxford.

I think undergrad tuition is cheaper but don't know what it is for an American undergrad at Cambridge.

He pays about $800 a month pounds a month to his college. He keeps the room for 12 months so that is 9,600 pounds a year or as he put it, $13,000 for the room on the 12 month plan (that way he doesn't have to haul books and everything else back to the U.S. or beg a friend for storage - you can pay for just 9 months at Oxford but then you relinquish your room). Some rooms at his college are more, some are less.

He pays daily for his food at the dining hall in his college. It's subsidized. That's the good news.

For a collected estimate, Oxford says to expect to pay between $14,106 and 20,520 pounds in living expenses. https://www.ox.ac.uk/students/fees-funding/living-costs.

Finally there is airfare, which we just booked. It's $5,500 coach one way. We anticipate six one-way tickets this year (but we are buying the more expensive refundable and transferable tickets due to covid problems) so that means $33,000 in airfare if your child wants to come home after each term for the long break.


But the real shock are the hidden fees: "Oxford nickels and dimes you on everything" . He puts that figure at $5,000. He says "Oxford is a VERY expensive place to live". There are also Visa fees and lots of PRC test fees to prove he's covid-free

So that comes to roughly:
$42,000 tuition
$30,000 (the high end of living expenses given by Oxford at 20,520 pounds. That would include dorm and food)
$ 5,000 hidden fees that no one talks about
$33,000 in airfare
_________________
$110,000 per year x 2 = $220,000 for the MPhil. Of course, you can save by not flying three round trips a year and also eating only in the dorm. Oxford told us to expect $65,000 a year, which is $130K for both years but I see now it wasn't allowing for the hidden fees or flights to the U.S. and it used the much lower figure for cost of living. Also note that the schools don't count in the cost of taking parents and siblings over for graduation at the end of all of this. I hope your results vary! Good luck.
____________________

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our DC attends uni in UK. We, too, thought it would be comparable to full pay at UVA. Let’s say…with the COL and overall expenses/including transport across the pond, DCs 3 years will equate to 5 years as full pay at UVA.

So…although it seems more affordable, be prepared. And there isn’t financial aid-so it’s really full pay out of the bank.

Younger one will be stateside, hopefully.

Full pay out of state or in state? Also, lots of UK schools (including Cambridge) accept the FAFSA.

https://studentaid.gov/understand-aid/types/international#participating-schools

I don't see either Oxford or Cambridge listed as participating schools on that. Or maybe I'm misreading it.

You have to click on the link that downloads an excel spreadsheet. It's in the International Schools in General bullet

Thank you. But our EFC is always 100% so all we would get would be the $5500 unsubsidized loan each year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:To OP - just a comment if money is an issue for you. I have a grad student at Oxford. Total cost for two years will be about $125,000. No problem but what surprised me was that Oxford wanted a certified letter from our bank or CPA proving that we could pay for the full two years. I've never heard of an American School requiring that. Then Oxford wanted all of its tuition upfront in October. Fortunately, we knew that was coming so had DC's savings and ours ready to go. Room and board is paid monthly to the College. Check and see how you pay for Cambridge.

Cambridge parent here (undergrad, though). Yes, this is generally the same at Cambridge. We needed proof of ability to pay the first year including living expenses (we were asked for a bank statement and letter from employers re: salaries) and they do charge up front for university and college fees. Room and board is assessed termly at my DC's college.

Thank you both. I think I saw this on the financial info website but good to know. PP w/ grad student, I am really hoping that grad cost is more expensive than undergrad. I think based on the PP w/ an undergrad + the info on financial website, it will be between $50k and $56k per year. Definitely something to think about. Hoping she can get Home status for the 4th year if she gets in and decides to attend.

OP - this is the American Oxford grad student parent. I asked DC to confirm the figures this evening and this is what he said. Graduate tuition for his particular field is 28,462 pounds. By today's exchange rate that comes to about $42,000 per year (he is in a two year MPhil program). That is the amount we paid in early October in full to Oxford.

I think undergrad tuition is cheaper but don't know what it is for an American undergrad at Cambridge.

He pays about $800 a month pounds a month to his college. He keeps the room for 12 months so that is 9,600 pounds a year or as he put it, $13,000 for the room on the 12 month plan (that way he doesn't have to haul books and everything else back to the U.S. or beg a friend for storage - you can pay for just 9 months at Oxford but then you relinquish your room). Some rooms at his college are more, some are less.

He pays daily for his food at the dining hall in his college. It's subsidized. That's the good news.

For a collected estimate, Oxford says to expect to pay between $14,106 and 20,520 pounds in living expenses. https://www.ox.ac.uk/students/fees-funding/living-costs.

Finally there is airfare, which we just booked. It's $5,500 coach one way. We anticipate six one-way tickets this year (but we are buying the more expensive refundable and transferable tickets due to covid problems) so that means $33,000 in airfare if your child wants to come home after each term for the long break.


But the real shock are the hidden fees: "Oxford nickels and dimes you on everything" . He puts that figure at $5,000. He says "Oxford is a VERY expensive place to live". There are also Visa fees and lots of PRC test fees to prove he's covid-free

So that comes to roughly:
$42,000 tuition
$30,000 (the high end of living expenses given by Oxford at 20,520 pounds. That would include dorm and food)
$ 5,000 hidden fees that no one talks about
$33,000 in airfare
_________________
$110,000 per year x 2 = $220,000 for the MPhil. Of course, you can save by not flying three round trips a year and also eating only in the dorm. Oxford told us to expect $65,000 a year, which is $130K for both years but I see now it wasn't allowing for the hidden fees or flights to the U.S. and it used the much lower figure for cost of living. Also note that the schools don't count in the cost of taking parents and siblings over for graduation at the end of all of this. I hope your results vary! Good luck.
____________________

This is very helpful, thank you. Yes, the undergrad is cheaper, but the uni fee and college fee are the amounts I know for certain, so all the detail here is really useful. Feeling a little daunted but better prepared. Thanks again.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. I was hoping to hear from someone w/ a kid there to confirm. Anyone out there?

From my research, I think w/ the 22K (23.5k in 2022) for uni fees, 10k for college and 10K for living all in UK sterling, it will be like $56k. Living expenses seem to be room, board, some going out, grocery shopping and some travel from what I can gather. Of course, travel would be more expensive from the US.


I am aware of the various costs for courses of study. (I listed the cost of DD's course in the post). The figures PP (who brought up the various costs) mentioned don't include college fees or living expenses. That's what I'm trying to sort out.


Yes, Cambridge does take undergrads from the US (to PP who said they didn't). Mine is finishing some entrance exams and has interview scheduled. IB is the clearest means of applying (w/ predicted grades), but non-IB students w/ high SATs and 5 APs w/ 5s can be accepted to study as well. Don't need the 5 5s in hand, but will need them by summer to confirm any offers. IB grades will need to be confirmed in summer as well.

OP, what is the draw of Cambridge for your DC? Interested as we have two sets of good friends who are a mix of Ox/Bridge grads. All now work in the States. Neither set encouraged their DCs to apply to their unis, largely because they think it is a hindrance for employment in the States. Frankly, they discouraged them. One of the dads really lucked out with a tippy top corporate job but he is the first to say that luck played a huge role in his career. Two are academics/researchers in high demand fields, but that's pretty much the exception not the rule.

Seems to make sense for a post-grad degree, but possibly dicey for a BA/BS if planning to work in US.

I am an Oxbridge graduate, as are several of my friends here. I think we would all choose an Oxbridge education over any US university. The idea of it being a hindrance is frankly bizarre. The quality of the education is unparalleled here, and it opens doors in the US and across the world.

I went to LSE for a Masters degree and I agree with you. But I wonder if what they are talking about is the US academia job market. I do recall that a PhD from the UK academia wise was not very competitive for getting an academia job in the US.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This thread really is the worst of DCUM.

Yep.

[OP asks straightforward question]

Response: “Let me answer a question you didn’t ask.”
Additional response: “Why are you asking this question/why are you asking this question here?
Further response: “Let me tell you why what you’re doing is impossible/a bad idea
Buried in four pages of Responses: one actual answer to OP’s question

This. Spot on.

[Anonymous]

Fascinating. So, after you deduct airfare, total Cambridge costs are almost exactly the same as a private university in the US.