Forming an Opportunity Belief

Belief

I think international students are subject to different obstacles to education and later a job here in the USA.

Belief Description

International students aim to have a quality education and in most cases with a price that is affordable and not so high since some of us at different times have struggled against this high price in some way or another. If all the international students who really need help did everything I had to do to get instate scholarship and pay $ 2,500 to not have to pay $ 15,000, the rate of foreign students would skyrocket.

Prototypical client

Prototype clients are all international students residing at UF and are more specifically from the Caribbean and Latin American areas of the world.

Interview 1

I interviewed a 3rd year student who is from Medellin, Colombia and is studying electrical engineering

Interview 2

I Interviewed a grad school student who is from Argentina and is specializing in project management.

Interview 3

Finally, I interviewed my roommate who is also from Colombia, is her last year and is also an international student.

Reflect

I learned too many things from my classmates and in the same way I realized different things that are happening around me that all of them and I have in common as international students. In the first instance, everyone mentioned to me about the high fees that you have to pay to acquire the F-1 vis and be a student in the USA. These costs between procedures and filing plus the cost of the plane ticket can be up to 2500 USD. This adds to the high price to pay to take 15 UF credits, since for an international student each credit costs almost 1,000 USD. However, none of us pay this high price for a very feasible reason and earned with effort and dedication that is our GPA which allowed us to access a LAC scholarship which allows us to pay 212 USD per credit and not the 1000 USD that are initially budgeted. In the same way, I also learned that the situation in Colombia mainly affects me and Colombians due to the appreciation of the peso.

Summarize

I think that for those of us here as foreigners but who are new to the subject and have not fought a thousand battles like us, the most advanced, it may be a little more difficult for them to find these financial opportunities which would avoid possible serious indebtedness. It would also be a long-term burden for the student and also for the student's family. On the other hand I learned a lot of things from these interviews but with what I keep for life and in my mind. As internationals we feel identified as one, we are able to support each other and in the same way we are able to shake hands in a situation of help. On the other hand, if we are Colombians, mutual aid is even greater and is seen in a totally expressive way.

Likewise, among us, through our group of friends and acquaintances, we encourage people to spread the word so that new international students look for ways to win this LAC scholarship, which can be a great and enormous financial aid for their families.