16 May 2024
Imagine you hail from Ghana and have always aspired to receive a quality education in your country, which is challenging yet. Could you quantify the excitement? Now, imagine you are getting a chance to study abroad at some of the top universities with recognition of global resonance, allowing you to earn a living and send money online to Ghana alongside studying.
How would you feel about it?
Because it offers dual benefits–studying and earning a living!
But pause here!
Do you think you cannot do it because it seems too big a dream to come true? Or is it a journey you can embark upon quickly if you follow a few simple steps explained below?
Let’s search for and find the answers together!
About a million Ghanaians were reported to have been living in foreign countries in 2020. Many of these are students who have gone to developed countries to get a high-quality education.
It is because:
· Good quality education is non-existent in Ghana, and where it is available, it is beyond the financial hold of many
· A high-quality education can guarantee a prospective and career-oriented job both at home and in foreign countries
Additionally, studying in foreign universities allows you to earn a living outside of study hours. Therefore, you can offer financial aid back to your family in every money transfer to Ghana or bear your study expenses there.
Remember to take the following steps to embark on your study abroad journey.
The first step is to research which foreign universities offer which courses, with their respective duration and fee structure.
Find their teaching modules, campus life, research opportunities and scope, and employment prospects before shortening a course and university. Also, see if traveling there is easy for you.
Furthermore, try reaching out to and connecting with the alumni of a university that you are interested in. It will help you gain a broader perspective.
Be specific about preparing your application and documents after completing the shortlisting and choosing a particular course and university.
Several institutions offer help and advice on preparing your application. So, connect with one such credible institution and seek guidance to ensure your application is error-free.
The most common documents required are:
· Your valid passport
· Transcripts and diplomas of previous degrees
· Personal statement essay
· University’s application form
· Language proficiency certificate
· CV
· National test scores such as SAT and GRE
· Letter of recommendation
Some additional documents may include:
· Bank statement
· Invitation letter from the university
· Non-criminal record
· Additional essays required by the university
· Vaccination certificate
· Additional passport photos
· Employer reference
· Health check
· Extracurricular awards
After you have applied to a university for a particular course, the university in question will go through it thoroughly and check the details to the last bit.
It can take several days. But make sure not to rush, get confused and start shooting repeated emails to get a response. Foreign universities take their time before answering, so do not forget to get back to you. Therefore, wait till they respond.
The next phase, following acceptance of the offer letter, is to apply for the visa of the concerned country. Remember that every country has different sets of visa requirements and visa types within the category of student visas.
Therefore, thoroughly check all the visa requirements and then apply following the rules. Keep in mind to check whether the university you are getting admitted to allows you to work after study hours.
Given that you hail from Ghana, studying at a university that allows you to work can help you earn a living by sending money to Ghana to offer financial support or bearing your educational expenses.
Some of the basic requirements of a student visa are:
· Enrolment proof in a recognized educational institution
· Proof of your financial health to bear all the expenses during your stay
· A passport valid for six months, at least, after you graduate
· Language proficiency certificates
These are some of the primary visa requirements but can vary depending on the country you go to and the degree you wish to pursue.
Given that you are traveling to foreign countries and hail from an economically struggling country like Ghana, you need to look for countries and cities that are financially viable and affordable.
Wouldn’t you agree?
Therefore, consider the following cities while planning to shortlist cities to travel to for your higher studies.
· Kuala Lumpur
· Riyadh
· Warsaw
· Mexico City
· Monterrey
· Tomsk
· St. Petersburg
· Budapest
· Kiev
· Johannesburg
One of your biggest concerns when planning to travel abroad for study and education is your safety. Right? If you are not as concerned about your safety as you must be, your parents and family members are.
Therefore, you must consider the following cities when encircling the job and study programs in foreign countries.
· Kyoto-Osaka-Kobe
· Zurich
· Tokyo
· Copenhagen
· Quebec
· Tampere
· Singapore
· Munich
· Vienna
· Brno
Let’s now look at the best universities in the United Kingdom.
Do you wonder why a specific reference is made to British universities here, despite the fact that every developed country has some of the best educational institutions?
Well, you are wondering justifiably!
The UK’s education is the most sought-after worldwide for a variety of reasons, such as education quality, cost-effectiveness, a wide array of courses, and so on.
The top ten UK universities, however, are listed below.
· University of Cambridge
· University of Oxford
· UCL (University College London)
· Imperial College London
· King’s College London (KCL)
· University of Edinburgh
· University of Manchester
· London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE)
· University of Bristol
· University of Warwick
As a student studying abroad, you need the services of ACE Money Transfer more than anything else if you want to send money to Ghana to offer financial aid back home.
The firm offers you several financial benefits, including live and market-competitive currency exchange rates and swift delivery of funds wrapped in several layers of security.
You can use the currency exchange rates coupled with the fees you might have to pay, which are only a small percentage of the amount being transferred. In addition, the fee is only applicable when the amount you are transferring reaches a certain threshold below which you are likely to send funds back home to Ghana without paying any fees.
As a student hailing from Ghana, can you think of any other bigger financial benefits when it comes to transferring funds online from foreign countries to Ghana?
To start your journey to study abroad, you must take a few simple steps. These steps include searching for the best university and course and gathering essential documents. It also includes applying and waiting for a response, applying for the required student visa, and preparing to relocate to the new country.
Although documents vary from university to university, some of the most common documents most universities require are a valid passport, CV and verified copies of previous transcripts. It also includes a personal statement essay, university application form, letter of recommendation, and language proficiency certificate.
Studying in a foreign country has multiple benefits, such as international exposure, a high probability of securing international employment and the potential to see different cultures closely. It also means creating an appealing CV, learning a new language, learning to face the challenges of life all by yourself, navigating your way through the hurdles, and so on.
The world’s top ten most affordable cities are Kuala Lumpur, Riyadh, Warsaw, Mexico City, Monterrey, Tomsk, St. Petersburg, Budapest, Kiev, and Johannesburg. Studying in these cities will give you a deep sense of financial security as your expenses of different types will be far less in these cities than in most other cities worldwide.
The top ten best universities to study in the UK are the University of Cambridge, University of Oxford, UCL (University College London), Imperial College London and King’s College London (KCL). It includes the University of Edinburgh, the University of Manchester, London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), University of Bristol, and University of Warwick.
Resource(s)
· Ghanaian Diaspora
