Advice for the Parents of a Study Abroad Student

Your son or daughter has decided to take advantage of studying in a foreign country. This is a very rewarding and exciting opportunity for your child. However, for you and your spouse, this might cause a boatload of anxiety, stress, worry, and uncertainty. Although studying abroad is popular amongst American students, their parents often think the worst while their children are hundreds of miles away, whether it be for a few weeks or an entire semester.

Be sure to keep the lines of communication open between you and your child. Your son or daughter might feel a great sense of independence because he or she is in a whole separate country from you. However, it is important to let your child know that you need to keep in contact often. Cell phones work differently while abroad. Figure out what would be best for your child. Would it be cheaper to have your child bring his or her personal cell phone and purchase an international calling card? Would you rather have him or her buy an international phone? Will you speak via video chat on your laptops or send e-mails on a nightly basis? Having a way to be able to call each other without enduring high calling bills is something that should be discussed and planned ahead of time. Let your child know that you want to remain updated through e-mails or web chat so that he or she could tell you about his or her day. In doing so, your child will think you are just very interested and eager to know what he or she did and learned. However, in reality, although you are interested, you really just want to hear from them in order to know that they are safe and well!

There are two aspects of travel safety that you should discuss with your son or daughter. First, go over any pamphlets that your child might have received about the study abroad program and the country where he or she will be studying. Oftentimes, study abroad programs provide students with travel safety tips, which warn them about thieves and people who pickpocket and specifically target tourists. Review any program material that pertains to safety.

The other aspect of safety to discuss is your child's health. Ask him or her if student health insurance is included in the study abroad program costs. If it is not, you should seriously consider purchasing an insurance plan such as Study USA health insurance. Health insurance for American students studying abroad might be mandatory, depending on where your student is studying. Also, health coverage will help cover costs for any possible medical care he or she might need to attain while abroad.

If there is no such thing as universal healthcare or some kind of publicly funded healthcare, medical bills without insurance could cost thousands of dollars, and you and your child will be solely responsible for paying the entire cost of these bills. Therefore, if your child needs medical attention or has to visit the hospital or a doctor some reason, it is quite important for him or her to have a plan such as Study USA health insurance.

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Studying Abroad? Be Prepared for High Medical Costs

If you are studying abroad, be prepared for high medical costs. Anyone knows that being uninsured means that medical care can be quite expensive. Without financial assistance, the cost of going to a doctor or an emergency room is very high. People in other countries face the same kind of hardship of trying to pay medical bills when they do not have health insurance coverage. If you are studying abroad, you should understand that your American health insurance will not cover you, and being uninsured in another country has the same high-cost effects of being uninsured in the United States.

Some study abroad programs include the cost of health insurance in order to help students with healthcare coverage. However, if your program does not include insurance, consider purchasing health insurance for international students. While you are studying in another country, you might become ill or injured, and you do not want to face the costs of medical care alone. Already as a college student, you will be on a tight budget while you try to adjust to living in another country, whether it be for a period of a few weeks or for an entire semester. Health insurance for international students could also help with medical costs for your spouse if you are married and any children you might have. If you incur a large sum of medical bills while uninsured, and you have difficulty paying them, this could ultimately affect your credit.

International student travel insurance could reduce the cost of high medical bills. There are several different benefit options you could choose from. Your policy plan depends on the kind of coverage that you think is best for your study abroad experience. International student travel insurance could cover medical expenses such as doctor visits, hospital stays, and prescription drugs. It could also cover medical evacuation, which means that if you are sick or injured and need to be taken to a nearby facility, the cost to travel there would be covered. Repatriation could also be part of your benefit plan. In the event that you pass away while studying abroad, your family would not have to stress about the cost of sending your remains back to your home country -- the insurance could help cover this expense. You could also be covered for maternity in the event that you are pregnant or become pregnant while you are abroad. Care for mental health could also be covered if you choose. Plans are affordable and cater to your needs.

You should find out what kind of insurance, if any, is included in the costs of your study abroad program. Depending on the country where you will be studying, some schools even governments require that international students are insured and prohibit uninsured students from enrolling in classes. This requirement proves the importance of health coverage while you are in another country. While studying abroad, you do not want to have to spend more than you need to when you acquire an illness or injury.

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