Academic Information

Background on the Higher Education in the USA

Many of the world's most prestigious higher education institutions are in the United States. Also known as post-secondary education, the American higher education system includes colleges and universities that focus on one or more study areas such as vocational, business, engineering, technical, or liberal arts. The most common degrees include associate, professional, bachelors, masters, and doctorate. There are over 7,000 higher education institutions in the U.S. with over 15 million students. International students make up a substantial part of the enrollments for many schools.

 Public and Private Institutions in the USA

The American university and college system is highly decentralized with both public and privately operated institutions. Schools can be non-profit or for-profit. The US Department of Education estimates that close to 70% of all undergraduate students attend public institutions, which includes undergraduates at two-year, community colleges and four-year colleges and universities. Tuition and living costs of public education are typically lower than for private -- for instance a recent Department of Education estimate put average total costs of attendance for undergraduates at public four-year institutions at near $15,000 per year versus close to $30,000 for private, for-profit, four-year institutions. Students making a decision between a public and private school usually consider many factors, such as total costs, available financial aid, fit of academic programs with career goals, class sizes, convenience of classes, flexibility of studies, location, housing options, characteristics of the student body, reputation, and much more.

As you might already know, each individual USA’s school program has its own academic requirements that one must meet in order to be allowed to frequent regular classes. Thus, Several tests or exams such as SAT, ACT and TOEFL, have been created to aid evaluate potential students’ qualifications prior to adminission. By passing one or a combination of these exams, students prove their academic Excellency. These admission requirements also apply to student athletes since they are not just athletes, but also awarded students. The following three paragraphs briefly describe the nature of cited tests, so go ahead and familiarize yourself with them.

 SAT Test

The SAT Reasoning Test (formerly Scholastic Aptitude Test and Scholastic Assessment Test) is a standardized test for college admissions in the United States. The SAT is owned, published, and developed by the College Board, a non-profit organization in the United States, and was once developed, published, and scored by the Educational Testing Service (ETS). ETS now administers the exam. The College Board claims that the test can determine whether or not a person is ready for college. The current SAT Reasoning Test takes three hours and forty-five minutes and costs $45 ($71 International), excluding late fees. Since the SAT's introduction in 1901, its name and scoring has changed several times. In 2005, the test was renamed to the "SAT Reasoning Test" with possible scores from 600 to 2400 combining test results from three 800-point sections (math, critical reading, and writing), along with other subsections scored separately (for more information on SAT Testing visit College Board or SAT- Wikipedia).

 ACT Exams

The ACT (originally abbreviation of American College Testing) is a standardized test for high school achievement and college admissions in the United States produced by ACT, Inc. Some students who perform poorly on the SAT find that they perform better on the ACT and vice versa. The ACT test has historically consisted of four tests: English, Math, Reading, and Science reasoning. In February 2005, an optional writing test was added to the ACT, mirroring changes to the SAT that took place later in March of the same year. All four-year colleges and universities in the U.S. accept the ACT, but different institutions place different emphases on standardized tests such as the ACT, compared to other factors of evaluation such as class rank, G.P.A., and extracurricular activities (for more information on ACT Testing visit ACT.org or ACT - Wikipedia). In 2005 the company established ACT International. This organization is composed of ACT Education Solutions, Limited, and ACT Business Solutions, B.V. ACT Education Solutions is directed toward helping non-native speakers learn English in preparation for studying at an English-speaking educational institution (for more information visit ACT International).

 Toefl Exam

The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) measures the ability of nonnative speakers of English to use and understand North American English as it is spoken, written and heard in college and university settings. Most people who take the TOEFL test are planning to study at colleges and universities where instruction is in English. In addition, many government agencies, scholarship programs, and licensing/certification agencies use TOEFL scores to evaluate English proficiency. Prices vary in each country, in the USA the test costs $150. In the UK the TOEFL is $185 while the paper-based TOEFL is $150. The learn more about the TOEFL click on the following link - TOEFL.

 Academic Eligibility - The NCAA Clearing House

Basically, the Clearing House is just a way of checking and verifying student/players enrollment. (To check if they are indeed attending that school ...because people do apply for scholarship money, then not attend the school and take the money. This is considered fraud. Clearing House verification helps prevent this). The NCAA Initial-Eligibility Clear House are these requirements: To participate in college athletics in the freshmen year the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) states that students must meet three requirements; graduate from high school, complete the minimum required academic courses, and have qualifying grade-point average (GPA) and SAT ,ACT, or Toefl (International student-athletes) scores. The 16 academic credits are four courses in English, two courses in math, two classes in social science, two in natural or physical science, and one additional course in English, math natural or physical science or another academic course such as foreign language (2009-2010 Guide for the College Bound Athletes). To meet the requirements for grade point average and SAT scores students the lowest possible GPA a student may be eligible with is a 2.000 with an SAT score of 900. The lowest SAT score a student may be eligible with is 700 with a GPA of 2.500. Generally, a 500 Paper Based Toefl (PBT) and 61 Internet Based Toefl (IBT) score is the lowest minimum acceptable score for admission at the undergraduate level. Failures to have these requirements means you are not allowed to participate in sports at the NCAA level. Note: Each institution has its own admission rules. Any prospective student-athlete who will enroll in college as a freshman and plans to compete in NCAA Division I or Division II athletics must register with the eligibility center. This online application requires $85 payment by MasterCard, Visa, American Express or Discover (credit or debit) card. The fee is not refundable should you decide not to attend an NCAA institution or decide not to participate in athletics. For more information visit Eligibility Center.

 Scholarships & Financial Aid

A scholarship is an award of access to an institution, or a financial aid award for a student to further education. Scholarships are awarded on various criteria usually reflecting the values and purposes of the donor or founder of the award. Many schools offer scholarships to attract bright or talented pupils. They are usually awarded, after a competitive examination and interview, for academic, athletic, musical or artistic merit, and normally take no account of financial need. Academic scholarships are the most common, followed by Athletic scholarships, scholarships for music, art, design and technology, and many other scholarships. Most college and university students in the US receive a substantial level of financial aid for funding their studies. For example, a recent US Department of Education report estimated that 80 percent of full-time undergraduates receive some type of financial aid. These students on average were receiving aid that covered over 50% of their costs of attendance. Aid for all higher education students, including part-time and graduate students, is available from a spectrum of government, public, and private sources. Types of financial assistance can come in the form of grants, loans, work-study programs, tuition waivers, scholarships, tax benefits, and more.

 Accreditation in the USA

An advantage of the US's accreditation process is the relative ease in which students can transfer studies from one institution to another. Students, for instance, might start studies at an appropriately accredited two-year community college, completing an associate's degree, and then transfer much of their coursework to continue studies in a four-year bachelor's program at a university. Also, in general, studies at US institutions with accreditations from associations recognized by the US government's Department of Education or The Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) are transferrable for studies in other countries and vice versa.

 International Students in the USA

International students in the U.S. are a significant and important part of US higher education. A recent report by the Institute of International Education (IIE) noted a record number of international student enrollments at over 600,000. The US Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs receives 25 million inquiries annually from prospective students around the world interested in US-based studies. Students coming to the US take on studies through exchange programs, college and university programs (for semester, year, or degree), and vocational schools. Many of these students find the quality, diversity, affordability, and flexibility of US studies to be appealing.

  I-20

The I-20 is a multi-purpose document issued by a government approved, U.S. educational institution certifying that you have been admitted to a full-time study program and that you have demonstrated sufficient financial resources to stay in the U.S. The I-20 is officially titled the "Certificate of Eligibility" because with it, you are "eligible" to apply for an F-1 student visa at a U.S. embassy or consulate abroad. Your spouse or children will also each need their own I-20 to obtain F-2 dependent status, if desired.

 F-1 Student Visa

An F1 visa is issued to international students who are attending an academic program or English Language Program at a US college or university. F-1 students must maintain the minimum course load for full-time student status. They can remain in the US up to 60 days beyond the length of time it takes to complete their academic program. In addition, an F1 student can remain for 12 months after securing a degree to work under the OPT (Optional Practical Training) program. F1 students are expected to complete their studies by the expiration date on their I-20 form (Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant Student Status) which is provided by the US college or university that the student has been accepted to and will attend. For more information on F-1 Student Visas and to view the list of U.S. embassies abroad visit the original U.S. Department of State website.