When you move to the US with your family, you must make an important decision: how can you ensure that your children receive the best possible education?

There are big differences in the way schools work and in the standards they have achieved. As an expatriate, you can send your child to a public, private or private school. If you choose a paid school, you can also select the most suitable program and exam system for your child. If you consider different options, you can compare educational attainment in the US to that of your home country using the OECD PISA Assessment Framework. The US is cheap compared to other OECD countries, but it is interesting to note that US public schools are performing well for immigrant students compared to other countries.

The American education system

The American education system has different structures at state level. For most children, compulsory education begins at the age of five to six years and lasts 12 consecutive years. School attendance is compulsory in all federal states up to the age of 16 years. Some students require formal education until the age of 18.

As a rule, children between the ages of three and five are offered a kindergarten called “Vorgarten” or “Vorgarten”. Kindergarten is the first year of schooling, usually attended at the age of five or six. The training then lasts 12 years and follows either a primary school, a middle school, a secondary school or a division into a primary school, a middle school and a graduate school.

Pre-K (Preschool) Optional in most states for children ages three to five or six. There are a variety of early childhood schools and educational centers to choose from. Choosing the best school or learning center to enroll your child is a big decision. Considering that preschoolers are compared to preschoolers, many questions may arise for parents. Is preschool the same as Pre-K? What is Pre-K? While the differences are small, there are a few factors to consider when sending your child to preschool or kindergarten.

The elementary school lasts from five to six years, depending on the structure of the country. Primary education is free

Usually middle school begins when students are around 11 years old, and junior high at age 12. Middle school is free in the US and includes both compulsory and elective courses. The syllabus at this stage continues to be broad and includes math, science, English, social studies, arts and sports.

Secondary education is structurally and qualitatively very different from place to place. Secondary education the school runs through to age 18, although some states allow children to leave school earlier, if they have the permission of their parents. Most publicly funded schools offer places based on the student’s place of residence, with a focus on those living closer to where they live.

With the beginning of a study always begins a whole new period of life for the new student. As a rule, he or she has to be on his own from this point on and it can be a real challenge to think about everything and to organize all the necessary things, for example looking for accommodation, clarifying the claim to state support, getting involved to take care of the most important insurance companies, possibly to organize a side job, to enroll at the university and to get the lecture plan. So there is a lot of what the student has to think about before starting the actual study.

State support – a prerequisite for many students

Those who want to study today and can not rely on wealthy parents who provide financial support are almost always forced to apply for state support. This is a state subsidy under the Federal Training Promotion Act. Whose parents have a low income and can not finance the initial education in the form of a degree course with the aim of bachelor, master, diploma or state examination, can do one. The granting of this support by the state is therefore dependent on the income level of the parents. The corresponding request for state support must be submitted to the responsible educational support office. In many cases, this is part of the university’s or university’s student union.

Selection of university and place of study

One of the most important tasks is to be clear about what type of studies you would like to complete. It is not just about the field of study, but also about the type of degree. Would you like to complete your studies with a Bachelor or Master? Do you want to pursue a doctoral degree or a postdoctoral degree (Habilitation) later, perhaps with the help of postgraduate studies? Once you’ve decided on a subject, you have to find the right university or college to study at. A fundamental decision here is whether you want to study at home or whether the path leads to a university abroad. The choice of place is also important, because some want to study a city with cultural offerings and plenty of recreational opportunities, others want to fully concentrate on their studies and choose rather smaller places with not so many distractions.

Accommodation – a tricky affair in student cities

Especially in large cities with many or well-known universities or colleges, finding accommodation during your studies can be a real problem. Living space is scarce and so the room in a shared apartment like to cost 700 Dolars or more. Although there are often student residences, these have long waiting lists. For these reasons, it is important to take care of an adequate accommodation as early as possible and, under certain circumstances, to accept longer journeys to the university. You may even have to resort to cheap places to study, renounce the actually favored university and go to a university, in whose environment the housing and room situation is not so tense.

Enrollment – the official start at the university or college

The most important prerequisite for studying at a university or university is enrollment or enrollment. There are certain deadlines for this application for a place. As almost all study programs begin in USA for the winter semester, which normally runs from October to March of the following year, it is necessary to submit your application to the university or university by 31 May or 15 July. Upon approval, you will receive an enrollment certificate from the university as proof that you are indeed a member of the institution. This certificate must also be attached to the application for a state support. Usually you have to submit to the a state support office each semester a current certificate.

Anyone seeking a student job, but should remember that this valuable time for studying is lost. In addition to the study, the work is physically and mentally exhausting, so in the worst case, the performance and thus the study itself suffers. There are special portals for student jobs on the internet. After signing up, you can find out about eligible work and apply directly online.