Educational Advising Office

education USA logo

The Education Advisor provides information about study opportunities at American colleges and universities for students who plan to pursue their studies in the U.S.A. This information includes:

• Information about U.S. system of education;
• An evaluation and recommendation of appropriate institutions;
• An overview of the application and admissions process;
• An explanation of costs and financial aid;
• Information about testing and visa requirements.

The office of the Education Advisor is located on Mondjiba Street, at the Congo American Language Institute (CALI), Kinshasa-Ngaliema. You can also contact the Education Advisor at: edadvisor@micronet.cd

Individual advising sessions and use of the advising reference library are scheduled on Monday - Thursday from 12:00 to 03:00 PM and other times by appointment.

The Advising Reference Library contains a comprehensive array of resources on U.S. institutions of higher education.

Advisor:  Jamila Attaoui

Tel.       : +243-81-814-0187

The Basic Facts

Note! (You must have Adobe Acrobat Reader version 5.0 or higher installed on your PC in order to download and print the completed application form. If you do not have Adobe Acrobat Reader version 5.0 or higher, you may download a copy from Adobe's web site.)

How much does it cost to study in the USA and what is the source of funding?

• Average cost for university study (4 year degrees), 2003/2004:
• Tuition & fees

  • Public institutions: $4,694 (Note that foreign students may be required to pay an "out of state" surcharge averaging $7,046)
  • Private institutions: $19,710
    
• Board at:
• Public institutions: $5,942
• Private institutions: $7,144
• (source: Trends in College Pricing from CollegeBoard.com)
• (http://www.collegeboard.com/prod_downloads/press/cost03/
  cb_trends_pricing_2003.pdf)

"In the 2003/2004 academic year 78,4% of the foreign students in the U.S. financed their education through personal and family sources at the undergraduate level, while 50,7% of foreign graduate students finance their education in this manner"
(Source: Institute of International Education))
(http://www.opendoorsweb.org/2001%20Files/layout_2a.htm)

Sources of Information

General sites

• Education USA (Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs)
  (http://educationusa.state.gov/)
• CollegeJournal
  (http://www.collegejournal.com)
• Studying Abroad
  (http://www.intstudy.com/)

Specific guidance for students and scholars

• Undergraduate Study
  (http://educationusa.state.gov/undergrad.htm)
Graduate Study
(http://educationusa.state.gov/graduate.htm)
Opportunities for scholars
(http://educationusa.state.gov/scholars.htm)
Predeparture information
(http://educationusa.state.gov/predeparture.htm)

Ranking of Universities & Colleges

• Compiled by U.S. News & World Report
  (http://www.usnews.com/usnews/rankguide/rghome.htm)

Admission testing

• College Board Online (SAT I and II)
  (http://www.collegeboard.com)

• Educational Testing Service Online (GMAT, GRE, TOEFL)
  (http://www.ets.org/)

Schools which offer aid (including grants, loans, and jobs) to the largest numbers of international students.
(http://www.edupass.org/finaid/undergraduate.phtml)

• EDUPASS
  (http://www.edupass.org/finaid)
  
• Fulbright grants: Grants to pursue academic courses, for credit, or to engage in research or projects supervised by an approved institution, or a combination of both. The grants are awarded for study in the US.
  Estimated number of grants: 20
  (http://www.fulbright.org.za)
  
• Scholar$ite: Search a financial aid database
  (http://www.scholarsite.com/)
  
• NAFSA: Association of International Educators (http://www.nafsa.org/content/AboutInternationalEducation/
  ForStudents/ForeignStudentFunding.htm)

Careers in specific occupations

Information on numerous jobs and professions including the education and qualifications needed.

• Occupational Outlook Handbook online
  (http://www.bls.gov/oco/)

Associations involved in international education and exchanges

• Institute of International Education
  (http://www.iie.org/)
  
• Association of International Educators
  (http://www.nafsa.org)