For comprehensive information and resources on studying in the United States, students from St. Lucia can download EB5 Affiliate Network’s FREE international student guidebook: Studying in the U.S.A. – A Guidebook for Students from St. Lucia.
This unique guidebook shows students from St. Lucia how to navigate every step of their college process. It will detail the process of locating the right U.S. college, compiling the application and sending it, and obtaining an F-1 student visa to enter the United States. With a helpful checklist to keep track of the needed documents, this guidebook can be a major boon for St. Lucian students preparing for an education in the United States. It even offers information on U.S. medical care and banking as well as how to interact with your new U.S. peers. Complete with an overview to the cultural differences between the U.S. and St. Lucia, this guide is indispensable—and free.
Download “Studying in the U.S.A. – A Guidebook for Students from St. Lucia”
The rise in students from St. Lucia studying in the U.S. is only expected to grow, and all the new St. Lucian students looking to supercharge their future can use this free guidebook to easily and effortlessly glide toward their dream. Many St. Lucians before have earned a degree from a world-renowned American university, and the current generation of St. Lucian youth can achieve the same feat with the aid of EB5 Affiliate Network’s free guidebook.
How Many St. Lucian Students Are Studying in the U.S.?
Given St. Lucia’s small population, the number of students from St. Lucia at U.S. colleges is relatively low in pure numbers, but per capita, the figure is fairly high. With 206 of its 183,000 citizens pursuing an education in the United States in 2019, St. Lucia boasts a per-capita rate of 0.11% of its population embarking on a journey toward a U.S. post-secondary degree.
The State of the St. Lucian Economy
Though St. Lucia’s economy fluctuates over the years, it saw a GDP growth rate of 3% in 2017, complemented by a 0.1% inflation rate. In 2016, the inflation rate was a whopping -3.1%, meaning the East Caribbean dollars that St. Lucians possessed actually grew in value. St. Lucia’s population of roughly 183,000 includes about 80,000 of workers, more than half of whom are employed in the services industry (largely tourism). However, the 20% unemployment rate dramatically pushes down the per-capita GDP, which clocks in at just $15,000.
Are More St. Lucian Students Expected to Study in the US in the Future?
Already, an estimated 0.11% of the St. Lucian population is studying in the United States, and that number may well increase. Over the years, countless students from St. Lucia have pursued education in the US, even though colleges and universities in St. Lucia have expanded substantially. In fact, universities in Castries even attract international students from around the Caribbean. The internet also offers a number of higher-education solutions, such as udemy.com, coursera.com, and edx.org, but St. Lucian students still opt for a degree from a renowned American college.
The primary obstacle is the high tuition costs in the United States. St. Lucian students studying in the United States now can expect far higher tuition costs than their parents’ generation: According to the Wall Street Journal, U.S. university tuition has increased 500% since 1987. But U.S. degrees haven’t lost their appeal: the number of international students jumped substantially by 85% from 2005 to 2015.
$22,000 to $50,000—that’s what an international student from St. Lucia can expect to pay in tuition fees, whether they study at a public or private U.S. college. The fees incurred by international students are three to four times higher than those paid by U.S. citizens and permanent residents, as their university education fees are partially subsidized by the U.S. government.
What Can St. Lucian Students Do to Reduce Their U.S. Tuition Costs?
The best way for a student from St. Lucia to lower the amount of tuition they must pay to their U.S. university is to obtain a green card, which confers permanent residency rights. Permanent residents studying at a U.S. university pay only a fraction of what international students pay, as they become eligible for in-state tuition savings at both public and private universities. If a St. Lucian student holds a green card, they can also gain admission to a U.S. college more easily—and they may be able to qualify for scholarship awards and other monetary assistance to help them finance their U.S. education.
EB5 Affiliate Network is here to help St. Lucian students achieve their dream of a U.S. education. Whether you plan to obtain your U.S. degree under an EB-5 visa or an F-1 student visa, don’t give up—you can obtain an education from a renowned U.S. university.
