Expat studentdom

I suppose, though I wouldn't have thought it before, that there are some financial downfalls to going overseas for school. Before getting here, I watched the NZ-US exchange rate very carefully, watching just how little money I would have to take out, and therefore how much cheaper it would be to go to school here.

And in part, I was right. The NZ$ was, last time I checked it (about 5 minutes ago) worth about 60 cents US. That means that my tuition of 40k NZ will only cost me about 24k US in loans (well, before the interest, but who counts that...). What I didn't think about, and I totally blame myself for this, was that I have bills back home still. Bills that need US dollars to be paid. Or at least something trading at a decent rate against US dollars. No matter how I cut it, if I only take out 57k NZ (a really liberal loan guestimate) or ~34k US, I still only have $10,000 US to eat and live, and pay bills with. If the rate were closer, yeah, I'd have to take out bigger loans, but I'd also have a much easier time paying down my bills.

Jobs are a good way to pay stuff off, right? I mean, who doesn't want a job (other than me)? Just think, I can work here, in NZ, for slightly more than the local minimum wage, or NZ$10 an hour. That's about 6 bucks US, for those of you interested. Which means that for every 20 hour week (the limit on student visas) I would earn (bofore taxes) $120US. Less after taxes. And transfer or international use fees. And I will be getting a job... eventually.

So other financial bad stuff about going overseas for school? There are, I think, about 2 scholorships that cover me. Maybe. And only 3 or 4 companies loan to people who insist on going to another country for school. Oh, and of course, I can't really work. Limits, ya know.

But that 24k tuition's still looking pretty nice. Ah, vet school, your sweet debt music does call to me.