Earning a degree in the U.S. can be expensive, as international students have limited financial aid options and pay travel-related expenses.
“Annually that cost of attendance — even for a school like Bucknell that doesn’t charge a separate (international student) fee — does still look probably $3,000 or $4,000 higher than what a domestic student would be presented with based on their letter from admissions or letter from financial aid,” says Jennifer Figueroa, director of international student and scholar services at Bucknell University in Pennsylvania.
This means it’s important for international students to create a budget ahead of time and leave room for unexpected costs that may arise, such as medical bills, experts say. Since international students don’t qualify for U.S. federal aid, they often have to pay a college’s full sticker price, or look to private loans or scholarships to finance their education.
“When we’re talking to a U.S.-based student, we could say, ‘Get a part-time job to try to make up for different expenses, try to cover those gaps,'” says Elaine Rubin, director of corporate communications at Edvisors. “With an international student, they might be far more limited in what type of income they could be earning while here. There could be restrictions on working on or off campus, hour restrictions and what type of jobs they’re able to work.”
Here are six expenses apart from tuition that international students may encounter when attending a U.S. college.
[Read: Hidden Costs for International Students in the U.S.]
Visa-Related Fees
Those applying for an F-1 visa — a common visa for college students — pay a SEVIS fee of $350, plus $185 for the visa application.
However, ?”that does not guarantee issuance,” Figueroa says. “So if they’re denied the visa, they still paid $185 plus $350, and then they could be just out that money. In the case of a denial, if they want to reapply, then they pay that $185 visa application fee again.”
On top of those costs, President Donald Trump’s “big beautiful bill” signed into law July 4, 2025 introduced a visa integrity fee for student, tourist and work visas that begins in 2026.
“Assuming that the embassy decides they will issue the visa, before they can retrieve their passport with the visa in it, they’re going to have to pay an additional $250,” Figueroa says.
The new law also includes a fee of at least $24 for nonimmigrant international students entering the U.S. most likely by land, such as through Canada or Mexico, to pre-approve border crossing. The fee became effective immediately but will take time to implement.
Health Insurance
Many colleges require students to purchase health insurance either through them or a third party. For instance, annual health insurance at Florida State University — which requires all full-time students and F-1 or J-1 visa holders to show proof of insurance — costs $3,057 for undergraduate international students and $3,009 for domestic undergrads.
Even with health insurance, however, “one medical issue can be quite costly for a patient or a student” in the U.S., Rubin says. “So just planning and having rainy day funds and emergency funds is extremely important for international students.”
[First-Year Tips for International Students at U.S. Colleges]
Housing for Academic Breaks
For many international students, flying back to their home country for short breaks throughout the academic year — such as fall break, Thanksgiving, winter break and spring break — isn’t feasible.
“Many colleges and universities will keep their on-campus housing open during those breaks, especially at schools that house a lot of international students,” says Kevin McMullin, founder and chief education officer at Collegewise, a college admissions consulting company. “If they have to vacate the dorms (for a break), they’ve got to have some place to go. It’s good to find out ahead of time if you’ll be able to remain in your on-campus housing, and if not, what options are there for you?”
Bucknell students who make a request in advance are allowed to remain on campus over winter break at no charge, Figueroa says.
“Every year, we have some students who will stay on campus because travel home may be too difficult, too expensive,” she says. “It is very quiet, but they do have a safe place to stay.”
Note that on-campus housing rates typically don’t include summer break, so those looking to stay must make additional payments.
U.S. Phone Plan, SIM Card
Whether an international student signs up for a domestic phone plan or uses a SIM card, there is a cost to keeping in touch with family and friends back home.
“Cell phones and cell phone plans have gotten a little bit better throughout the years with international, but it’s only gotten better to a certain amount of countries,” Rubin says. ?”With the way we communicate these days, when you’re not on Wi-Fi, if you do need to make an emergency phone call home or other things, you just want to be prepared for that.”
[READ: 10 Ways International Students Can Pay for U.S. Graduate School.]
International Student Fee
Beyond tuition and housing, some colleges charge a separate fee for international students to cover the cost of programming and resources. The fee varies per college. Arizona State University, for instance, charges an international student fee of $400 for the 2025-2026 academic year.
Exchange Rates
Foreign exchange rates fluctuate, making them difficult to predict. For example, as of July 11, 2025, 1 euro equated to $1.17. Six months prior, the rate was more balanced, 1 euro to $1.03.
Keep an eye on the exchange rate and understand how it’s “going to look, especially for any time those big-time bills are going to hit — overall tuition payments or any other large costs,” Rubin says. “If bills can be timed as best as possible given the current rate, that could be helpful. Because it can also go the other way where it would be not so favorable and it could seem overall more expensive in the home currency.”
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6 U.S. College Expenses Besides Tuition for International Students originally appeared on usnews.com
