By Anne Burt
Although a BYU education is less expensive than some universities, international students still struggle to find a way to pay for tuition and other student-related bills.
Katya Kolesova, a BYU-Idaho student and Russian citizen, said she always dreamed of coming to America. Last summer Kolesova''s dream became a reality. She came to BYU on the Work and Travel Program - work for four months and travel for one month. Kolesova''s work experience included BYU custodial.
'Because I worked on BYU campus, I saw the atmosphere of BYU and loved it,' Kolesova said. 'I saw how students go to their classes and how they are excited to start at BYU. I got the same idea.'
After Kolesova''s stay, she flew back to Russia to finish her business degree. After graduating, Kolesova applied to BYU, but missed the deadline; instead, she was accepted to BYU-Idaho.
Kolesova, who returned to Utah in June, is now in a crunch to find a sponsor to help with her education before fall semester starts. Kolesova''s original sponsor is unable to continue helping because of financial needs in his own family.
Sponsors provide money to international students to further their education. International students need sponsors for two reasons. First, their families do not have enough money to pay for an American education. Second, the federal government''s restrictions on how much and when an international student can work makes paying bills difficult.
Theodore Okawa, international student adviser, said the Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services restricts international students in certain areas.
'They are not allowed to work more than 20 hours, whether that be on-campus or off-campus, during the school year when they are supposed to be studying full time,' Okawa said.
International students cannot work off-campus until they have finished a full academic year, Okawa said. Also, the off-campus job must be related to the students'' field of study.
More than half of BYU''s international students do not need sponsors to help with their BYU education, Okawa said, but a good number of students still do not have scholarships or families that have means to pay for an education.
Along with the BCIS requirements, international students attending BYU schools are not allowed to work during their first semester of school.
Work limitations make paying education bills for students like Kolesova difficult. Both of her parents are retired, and with a struggling Russian economy, Kolesova said her parents barely survive with the government''s allotment of money.
'Sponsors depend on the family situation,' Kolesova said. 'Not very many Russian families can sponsor their children when they go to get an education in a different country.'
Kolesova said an American education is valued in Russia.
'Especially in Moscow and St. Petersburg,' Kolesova said. 'A lot of companies hire people because there are so many international companies who work with the United States. They prefer to have people who have degrees from a different country - especially from the United States.'
Okawa said he doesn''t know of any office or organization at BYU that seeks sponsors for students.
Wells Fargo Bank, however, does provide assistance to international students. Wells Fargo is the only financial services lender in Utah offering loans for international students, said Mark Chapman, spokesman for Wells Fargo Utah.
In order to obtain the education loan, an international student needs an American citizen to co-sign, Chapman said. The loan is a credit-based loan, meaning Wells Fargo uses the American citizen''s credit rating to process the loan, he said.
The loan must be more than $1,000 and less than $20,000 each year.
'The help that is needed is to pay for the tuition for at least for the first or maybe the second semester,' Kolesova said, 'because I would try to get a scholarship or maybe work harder during my summer semester and save some money.'
Kolesova doesn''t know what her future holds, but she knows what she wants.
'I am not going back to Russia because I have already graduated from Russia,' Kolesova said, 'and now my purpose is to get an education in the United States. I am determined to study here.'
For more information, contact David Settle at the International Student Services office, 422-2695.