Every parent wants the best for their children. For most parents, an ivy league education abroad is what they would like for their child – and who should blame them? Studying abroad not only lets your child grow and expand their worldview, it also gives them the international exposure that makes them appealing to large global employers.
If studying abroad is your dream for your child, these tips can help you on the path to realizing it.
Prepare your child
You need to train your child beforehand to be self-sufficient enough to handle him/herself away from home. Be sure that you’re raising an individual that can cope when they are thousands of miles away from family and friends, in a country and culture they are not used to. Teach your child problem-solving skills to enable them to resolve any issues that may arise confidently, and you can rest easy knowing they have things under control.
Scout for schools
When your child is maybe in junior secondary, you may want to start doing your research for the right university. Ask family and friends who either studied abroad or have their children in schools abroad. Get firsthand testimonial of the schools and determine if any fits your child’s needs.
Search the web to explore more options and where need be, email or put a call across to the school for additional inquiries.
This is also the time to find out what it will cost you – from tuition to living expenses.
Start saving
Sending your child to a school abroad will cost you a considerable amount of money. If your child still has a lot of years before his/her university education abroad, great! It means you have some time to save up for it.
An education plan helps you save and invest your money for the duration of time you need to prepare for your child’s university education abroad – this ensures that you have the amount you need plus interest to cater to your child’s fees especially because the cost will increase with time.
Research shows that this increase is roughly about N1, 800, 000 for a decent private primary education, and another N5, 100, 000 for a private secondary education – a cost that is bound to rise year after year. Now add to it the cost of a university education abroad and you’ll agree that early planning is necessary.
As you start out making this important decision for your child’s future, keep your eyes on the adult they’ll become tomorrow and smile knowing this step you are taking today will make it possible.
Up next: Look out for our article on ‘Preparing your child for a university education in Nigeria’
