More resources... UK and USA

UNITED KINGDOM

www.aboutus.org/Britain-Info.org
www.fco.gov.uk/en/
This British Embassy answers most questions you will have about the United Kingdom.

www.hero.ac.uk/uk/studying/international_students__guide.cfm
Describes itself as the official online gateway to Higher Education and Research in the UK. There's a specific section for international students.

USA
www.edupass.org
EduPass gives a good introduction to student issues like housing, visas, credential evaluation, American history and culture. Also provides a list of US colleges and universities that give financial aid to the greatest number of international students.

www.usjournal.com
Provides a search tool for campuses in the US based on academic level, course, amount you can pay and geographic preference. Lists education fairs but unfortunately, there's none for the Philippines.

www.iie.org
The Institute of International Education website provides detailed descriptions of the institute's grant programs for US and international students to study in the US.

http://exchanges.state.gov
Government grants, fellowships and student exchanges for international students to study in the US. Includes link to Fulbright Program.

www.abroadplanet.com/schol1.html
Aside from being a survival guide for international students, it also provides information on scholarships available to them.

www.collegeboard.com
Links on how to prepare for college (SAT, etc.), finding a college, applying for college and paying for it. Targeted towards undergrads.

www.isoa.org
Insternational Student Organization's information health insurance for foreign students and non-US citizens.

www.aauw.org/education/fga/fellowships_grants/international.cfm
The AAUW Education Foundation offers graduate fellowships to women with Bachelor's degrees (or the equivalent). Candidates cannot be citizens or permanent residents of the US. These fellowships are meant to support graduate students writing doctoral dissertations and post-doctoral scholars conducting research in the United States. The fellowship for 2009 schoolyear has passed.

Helpful resources to Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and Thailand

While going through my files, I found a list of links that can be helpful to those students looking to study in Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and Thailand. More links to follow...

SPAIN
www.spainexchange.com
Gives information about the educational system and courses available in Spanish colleges and universities, as well as information on educational tourism.

www.bne.es/index_eng.htm
The Spanish National Library has links to Spanish bookshops online, Spanish publishing houses, Spanish university libraries.

www.sispain.org
Links for every aspect of Spain—learn about Spanish wine, flamenco, soccer teams, or take some on-line Spanish courses. (in English, French, German, Spanish)

SWEDEN
www.hsv.se/2.539a949110f3d5914ec800056285.html
What is student life like in Sweden, when does the academic year begin? Find out where you'll live and how you'll get around town. The Higher Education Agency has a website to answer your questions.

www.csn.se/en/2.135/2.624
Support for foreigners looking to study in Sweden

www.sweden.se
Another site describing different aspects of life in Sweden.

www.si.se/templates/StartPage____3.aspx
The Swedish Institute is a cultural center that supports culture through grants, scholarships and exchange. If you are interested in learning to speak Swedish, the Institute provides information on programs around the world.Fellowships and grants from the Swedish Institute for foreign students to study in Sweden.

SWITZERLAND

www.crus.ch
The Rector's Conference of the Swiss Universities has some excellent pages for those interested in studying in Switzerland.
www.crus.ch/information-programme/study-in-switzerland.html?L=2
An outline of the higher education system, scholarships, cost, admission requirements.

switzerland.isyours.com
Guide to life in Switzerland. This site covers everything from education to banking.

THAILAND
www.thaistudents.com
For weather, culture, tourist attractions, student associations, entrance examinations, education news, Thai student websites.

www.thailandlife.com
This website is maintained by a Thai student who shares all aspects of his life including religion, political issues, thoughts on popular culture.

www.asiatour.com/thailand/e-01land/et-lan18.htm
This page from the Asia Tour website teaches all about manners and social conduct in Thailand. You will learn about the aforementioned wai and more. The website itself has links to other Asian countries (including the Philippines) and further information on Thailand.

USAID/Academy for Educational Development Scholarship

The scholarship deadline is March 21, 2008. That's only two weeks away but it appears to be an annual scholarship so its good to keep in mind for next year if you're not prepared to apply immediately. From what I gathered, it is offered to Filipinos who want to pursue further study in Environment and Water Management.

Go to http://futureleaders.aed.org/ for more information. Good luck!

A Note on Philippine Passports

Somebody left this comment anonymously. It's a helpful tip for those who want to travel while they are abroad. This didn't occur to us since we're based in cities that have embassies/consulates. It's also good to keep this in mind for passport renewals. The Philippine Embassy in DC allows mailing renewals but make sure you review the guidelines - and call to confirm! Sometimes the information on the website is incomplete. http://www.philippineembassy-usa.org/downloads/PassportDC.pdf

Thank you anonymous!

Note that having a Filipino passport means that you will need to get tourist visas for travel to most countries outside ASEAN and Latin America. This means that students who choose to study in a place that is not the capital of the country will have a difficult time applying for visas, especially as most embassies require a personal appearance for providing a visa.

Philadelphia, Barcelona, Edinburgh, Osaka and Milan may have great universities, but applying for a tourist visa to go elsewhere generally means taking hours-long bus rides and (at least) an overnight stay in the capital.