Working-class students find low-budget education abroad_美文

Working-class students find low-budget education abroad

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With universities and colleges in European and Asian countries providing low-cost overseas study programs, an increasing number of working-class parents are sending their children abroad, which means that studying overseas is no longer the exclusive privilege of students from rich families.

According to the 2017 Blue Book of Global Talent released by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences last year, 34 percent of students studying abroad in 2010 were from working-class families, while the figure for 2009 was only 2 percent, People's Daily reported.

However, studying in countries like the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia, which often costs $30,000 to $40,000 a year, is still a luxury for most students from working-class backgrounds.

Low-cost programs in some European and Asian countries, costing no more than 100,000 yuan ($16,340) per year, have become their first choice, said Zhang Wei, a consultant on Chinese students' education in Nordic countries at Education International Cooperation Group.

Zhang said his organization helped 220 students gain admission to Nordic colleges and universities in 2017. This year, 270 students received the same service so far.

Zhang said most of the students are from working-class families, and they chose their overseas study programs mainly because costs are lower in Nordic countries.

"Most public colleges and universities in Nordic countries, such as Denmark, Sweden and the Netherlands, charge their students very low tuition fees. And some in countries like Finland and Norway even provide free tuition.