<p>Hello! I’m Bart and I come from Poland. I keep looking for the colleges I want to apply to. However, I don’t understand some of the things that I meet during my search. What is the difference between in-state and out-of-state stuff? What are the fraternities and sororities? What is the ‘associate degree’?</p>
<p>Bart</p>
<p>Bart - At public (state-sponsored) universities, the taxes paid by the residents of the state help to fund its university system, so students who are from the state in which the university is located pay a lower tuition cost than students who are from outside the state. Fraternities and sororities are social clubs whose membership is open only to those prospective students who they invite to join - fraternities for males, sororities for females. An associate degree is a two-year degree, generally offered by a two-year college whose graduates usually transfer to schools with baccalaureate (4-year) degrees. In earlier generations, an associate’s degree sometimes constituted a satisfactory degree for entry into some fields. That’s not the case very much anymore, and associate degrees are not very highly sought.</p>
<p>Ok, so do I have to bother about in-state costs if I’m not from the US? And what is the ‘certificate degree’?</p>
<p>I’m pretty sure that if you’re international you’d just be paying the out-of-state costs, but I’m not sure- if you google that or go on a state school’s website and find the FAQ (frequently asked questions), you should hopefully find the answer. You can also find out more by contacting a school’s admissions office, either by phone or by email. </p>
<p>As for certificate degrees, I don’t know much about them, but I’m pretty sure they’re just a level below associates, so they’ll show that you’ve gotten an education in a certain field, but it doesn’t take as much to get one as it takes to get an AA. I may be wrong about this, so be sure to ask other people or try looking it up online.</p>
<p>If I remember correctly, you need a LOT of financial aid…I think you said that your family can only pay $1500 (which will probably only cover your transportation costs) If so, don’t bother with state schools, they won’t be affordable since they don’t provide the kind of aid you need. Most don’t give ANY aid to int’ls. Some give merit, but not THAT much.</p>
<p>Since your family can only provide so little, you’ll have to stick with the few schools that meet 100% of need to int’ls.</p>