A FREE international student guidebook designed specifically for students from the Marshall Islands, Studying in the U.S.A.—A Guidebook for Students from the Marshall Islands, is now available from EB5 Affiliate Network.

Our guidebook will help Marshallese students with the difficult processes of applying to universities, finding which institution is the best fit, and then getting a student visa. Our detailed guide also offers invaluable advice on everything from U.S. medical care and banking to how to have an everyday conversation with an American. In order to ensure you have the right paperwork for each situation, the guidebook includes a helpful checklist including every document required. We’ve even included a list of what you should pack for your new life as a college student in the United States. It also points out key cultural differences between the United States and the Marshall Islands.

Download Studying in the U.S – A Guidebook for Students from the Marshall Islands

The number of students coming from the Marshall Islands to study in the United States is only expected to increase. Our guidebook will help streamline the process in a more straightforward format than ever before. Receiving a degree from a world-renowned American university is not just a dream; it is a reality for students from the Marshall Islands every year. With this free guide from EB5 Affiliate Network, it can also become your reality.

Background on International Students From the Marshall Islands

There were approximately eight students from the Marshall Islands enrolled in U.S. higher education institutions during the 2019/2020 school year, as reported by the Institute of International Education. Compared to the rest of Oceania, the Marshall Islands rank 13th out of 20 countries.

The Marshall Islands’ Presence in the Global Economy

Located halfway between Hawaii and Australia in the North Pacific Ocean, the Marshall Islands have an estimated population of 78,831 people. Assistance and lease payments from the United States for the use of Kwajalein Atoll as a U.S. military base are the main sources of income for this small island country. With few natural resources, aside from agricultural production of coconuts and breadfruit, their imports far exceed their exports. The GDP in 2016 was an estimated $180 million, with a real growth rate of 1.7%.

Trend of Marshallese Students Studying Abroad in the United States

With a population of almost 79,000, an estimated eight students are currently studying in the United States which accounts for about 0.000101% of the Marshall Islands’ population. The two official languages are Marshallese and English. Marshallese is spoken by over 98% of the population and is used in public education, while English is mainly spoken as a second language.

The number of students from the Marshall Islands enrolled has remained relatively stable despite higher education opportunities available in the Marshall Islands as well as online educational opportunities through higher learning platforms including udemy.com, coursera.com, and edx.org. Universities in the Marshall Islands are even pulling their own international students from all over Oceania.

There is still one problem negatively impacting the growth of international students from the Marshall Islands receiving a U.S. education and that is the substantial increase in the cost of a U.S. education over the past 20 years. According to the Wall Street Journal, U.S. university tuition has increased 500% since 1987. And the number of international students attending U.S. universities skyrocketed 85% from 2005 to 2015.

The average cost of a four-year undergraduate degree from a state college or university in the United States for international students ranges from $22 thousand per year for a public university to $50 thousand per year for a private university. The tuition for international students is on average three times higher than for U.S. permanent residents and citizens at both public and private institutions.

Pathway to Lower Tuition Costs for International Students from the Marshall Islands

Permanent residency status comes with an EB-5 immigrant visa and international students from the Marshall Islands can see the cost of their U.S. education drastically decrease from the international tuition rates to the local “in-state” rates at public universities.

Permanent residency status also provides Marshallese students with higher admission rates for undergraduate and graduate programs as well as access to select scholarship awards and grants.

Marshallese students should not give up on their dream. No matter what visa you choose to apply for, if your dream is to receive a world-class higher education in the United States, EB5 Affiliate Network has a way to help bring your dream to fruition.