EB5AN has created Studying in the U.S.A. – A Guidebook for Students from Ghana, a FREE downloadable guidebook designed to cater to the needs of international students from Ghana.

Complete with multiple checklists to ensure the right paperwork, Studying in the U.S.A. is just what Ghanaian students need as they begin the process to study in the U.S. In it, students from Ghana can learn how to apply to U.S. universities, where to find scholarships, and how to obtain a U.S. student visa. It also contains pertinent information on banking and other day-to-day details of life in the U.S., as well as a quick guide on the cultural differences between the U.S. and Ghana.

Download “Studying in the U.S.A. – A Guidebook for Students from Ghana”

A degree from a U.S. university can change a Ghanaian student’s life. That’s why the number of international students from Ghana in the U.S. rises year after year. This guidebook is designed to make the process as streamlined as possible for students from Ghana.

Ghana in the Global Economy

Ghana has experienced major GDP growth throughout the 2010s, with the economy expanding 8.4% in 2019. However, at just $5,413, the per-capita GDP in Ghana is among the lowest in the world. Compounding the problem are high inflation rates, with the 2019 rate estimated at 8.4%, although this is a sizeable decrease from 2017’s 12.3%. Close to half of the country’s labor force works in agriculture, with another 40% serving in services. An estimated 11.9% of the Ghanaian population is unemployed, with close to a quarter of Ghanaians living below the poverty line.

Ghanaian International Students: Trends

More and more students from Ghana are opting for a university degree from the U.S. Among the country’s population of 31 million, approximately 4,221 were pursuing an education in the U.S. in 2019, which represents 0.017% of the population.

The U.S. has experienced a boom in international students, with the figure increasing by 85% in the decade between 2005 and 2015. Ghanaian students have contributed to the rise even as the number of domestic educational opportunities expand and the ability to learn from online education platforms such as Coursera, edX, and Udemy grows.

The biggest problem for international students in the U.S., however, is the ever-larger tuition fees charged by U.S. universities. Tuition fees have increased by more than 500% since 1987, according to the Wall Street Journal. With a low per-capita GDP and high inflation, these costs pose a significant challenge to most students from Ghana dreaming of a U.S. education.

Foreign students at U.S. universities pay an average 300% more in tuition than their domestic counterparts. Foreign students at a U.S. college or university can expect to pay an average of anywhere from $22,000 to $50,000 USD in tuition every year, not to mention costs of housing, meals, and other expenses. These costs are dramatically lower if applicants are U.S. citizens or green card holders with permanent residency.

Lower Tuition for Ghanaian Students

Ghanaian students can get lower tuition at U.S. universities if they have U.S. permanent residency status. An EB-5 immigrant visa confers U.S. permanent residency status on its applicant. Green card holders, as they are known, may pay local or “in-state” tuition rates at U.S. universities, whether the institution is private and public, which can be significantly cheaper. An additional benefit of a green card is a facilitated admissions process, with permanent residents competing against U.S. citizens and not international students.

With this free guidebook, Ghanaian students can venture ever closer to their dream of a U.S. education. EB5AN is here to help students from Ghana realize this dream, whether they opt for a student visa or an EB-5 green card.