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For a regular student status you require a F-1 visa, but people on H/L visa can also go to school in the USA, with a few limitations and conditions. People who are on dependent visa like H-4/L-2, can also get education in USA.
Where to get the education?
There are three types of institutions one can join viz. University, Community college or Local institutes. Depending on the purpose and intention of the education you want, you can go for any of these.
1. Higher studies like B.S, B.A, M.S or M.B.A etc, one can join any university. Universities do welcome international people with visa other than F-1, depending on their policies and the curriculum available. But to get an admission for Graduate degree like M.S and MBA, you will have to pass the GRE or GMAT respectively. And SAT or TOEFL for undergraduate degree courses.
More in detail checkout
Higher education in USA.
2. Professional courses like computer courses etc. Local community college are best options for spouses, as they have:
- Flexible timings.
- Wide range of courses.
- Less fee.
- They are recognized institutes.
- They also have student counselors to help you decide which course is best for you.
For more information on Community colleges, checkout
Higher Education Page.
Most of the community colleges fee depend on your residency status in that particular state. If you join during the first year of stay in USA, tuition fee charges will be 3 to 10 times more than the resident students fee. You get a resident status after one year of stay in that state.
Documents required for community college admission:
- All your Transcriptions/Certificates.
- Some
universities
insist
on
TOEFL
exam
(Test
of
English
as
a
Foreign
Language).
It
measures
the
ability
to
understand,
write
and
read
English.
For
more
information
checkout
TOEFL
website
(www.toefl.org).
- Where as, some institutes don't ask for TOEFL certificate, they need at least 16 years of English
- medium education. Find out these details with the institute you want to join.
3. Local training institutes:
There are plenty of training institutes with many courses available, especially in Computers. Though they provide training and certificates on various courses usually such certificates are not recognized. You may join them for the purpose of learning, but these certificates/diploma might not be helpful in getting a job. Generally these are expensive short courses.
Do a proper survey of the institutes and courses before joining.
FAQ?
What kind of courses are available
in community colleges?
All community colleges offer a variety of courses in different fields, depending on your choice and purpose, such as Art, Science, computers etc.
Are these community college courses job oriented?
It depends on the course, its market value and trend. If it is related to computers, then the answer is yes, and the possibility of getting a job are high. You can get a job in any other field also, but you need somebody to sponsor your working visa.
Is it required to convert H4 to F1 in order to study here?
No, it is not really required to change your visa status in order to study in US. You can legally study anything here on any visa status, provided, you fulfill the conditions to get the admission.
On a dependent visa status it is allowed to attend school. Only difference is that, a dependent visa holder cannot obtain any financial aid, and OPT (the one-year optional practical training, after completion of the course). OPT enables the person to work for any employer for 12 months time frame.
On the other hand, if you study on H4/L2 status, then you will get the resident low fee benefit. Normally you automatically become the state resident, after completing 1 year of stay. But, if you plan to convert your visa status to F1, then you won't get this benefit. You will be treated as a foreign student through out your education period, and thus will be charged heavy fee.
Where to get the information about the institutes?
Normally, you will get advertisement of some institutes in your mail. They are also listed in the yellow pages. Call them and ask for their brochure. If you need some help regarding deciding which course is best for you or choosing your instructor, you can take appointment with the student counselor of the institute.
Consult your friends who have taken any such courses.
** Remember: It is very important to choose the best possible instructor for your subject, as it affects your personal value when you go for job.
Does my prior education degree account for the course I want to join?
Yes, it matters if you want to go for courses like M.S. or M.B.A. In such a case you are required to have a 4 years bachelor degree.
And also for undergrad courses like BS , BA etc if your prior degree was in same field or have some common subjects.
No, it doesn't matter for any other course.
Some universities/community colleges are not rigid about TOEFL, but they do want at least 3 years of English education.
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