Hi there š Iām an Australian citizen who is in the process of interviewing for a job in the US, which requires me to relocate my family to America if the deal goes through. Iām very excited about potentially living and working in your beautiful country, but I have some questions about your education system.
1) How do student loans for university/college work in America?
In Australia, there are many systems such as our Commonwealth Supported Place (CSP) program and our HECS/HELP loans which allow Australian students to study in college via government/private loans that can be repaid once the graduate finds a job with an appropriate salary. Usually, these are fixed loans with either minimal to zero interest. Does America have a similar system, and do different states function differently in this regard?
2) Are American schools safe?
This may sound ignorant, but in Australia we are always told that America is some sort of war zone where you have no idea whether youāll make it home from work/school by the end of the day because of widespread gun ownership. I know people outside of the US tend to exaggerate this issue, but are American schools safe? Do you feel safe sending your child to school in the morning? Are school shootings really as common as the media makes them out to be? This question is particularly important to me because I know a few people whoāve immigrated to America from Australia, only to come back when their child reached schooling age because of safety reasons. I know some areas in America are more dangerous than others, but for example, would a suburban school in a city like Austin Texas be considered āsafeā?
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School shootings hit the news because they are rare and tragic.
You are far more likely to lose your child to a car accident or drowning or a slip and fall than being killed in a school shooting.
So no, I donāt worry about the insanely low probability of a school shooting. Same way I donāt worry about a tree falling on them or a lightning strike.
The safety question is, frankly, laughable. Schools have pretty much never been safer and despite what the media would have you believe, violent crimes are near all-time lows (with a pandemic-related blip).
>are American schools safe?
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>Usually, these are fixed loans with either minimal to zero interest
hahaha no. Well, rates are fixed, but interest rates are not minimal. That said, there are income-based repayment plans that cap payments at a percentage of your income and eventually discharge your loan. The student loan program is administered at the federal level so states do not differ.
>Are American schools safe?
Mostly, yes. School shootings happen and they are very sad, but most children will never experience one. Be more worried about your kid dying in a car crash on the way to school.
> 1) How do student loans for university/college work in America?
There’s 2 main ways. The first is called FAFSA (free application for federal student aid) and it helps get you in contact with lenders who can provide loans depending on what you qualify for. Qualifications based on income levels of parents mostly. These FAFSA loans work similar to HECS/HELP loans tou described. The second way is directly applying for loans from lenders like banks who can provide additional loans but usually at higher rates. It’s common for people to need to borrow more than the FAFSA options will provide.
> 2) Are American schools safe?
Yes mostly. Location is going to be the biggest factor here. Even reallyngood schools such as USC can be in bad neighborhoods which leads them to jave higher rates of crimes committed on the student body. Gun crimes are dew and far between and generally aren’t worth worrying about.
> would a suburban school in a city like Austin Texas be considered āsafeā?
Sure mostly but if you’re trying to avoid guns Texas really isn’t a place you should be striving foen
> How do student loans for university/college work in America?
>
[It’s complicated](https://studentaid.gov/understand-aid/types/loans), but similar. Cost of education is probably higher here, so debts can be larger. But there are also scholarships, grants, work-study and all sorts of other options for paying for higher education.
> Are American schools safe? This may sound ignorant, but in Australia we are always told that America is some sort of war zone
Come on man. The education system in Australia must be pretty good, right? Use just an *ounce* of critical reasoning here, do we send our 9 year olds into “war zones”? The hyperbole you’re using is beyond ridiculous. Would it make the news if millions of kids went to school every day and nothing happen but lessons and lunch?
Your kid has a greater chance of getting in an accident on the school bus or hurting themselves on a playground than being shot at school, would you prevent them from doing those things? Of course not.
Youāre more likely to die in a car accident on the way to school than to die in school itself
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>How do student loans for university/college work in America?
There are many ways of getting student loans. Usually, you either borrow from a bank, or you borrow from the government. They give you all the money up front, and you make payments on it usually after you’ve graduated. Most student loan companies and banks are pretty forgiving, so even if you fall into some hardship, as long as you’re willing to work with the company, they’re willing to work with you. It’s not as big and scary as social media makes it out to be.
​
>Are American schools safe?
This may sound ignorant, but in Australia we are always told that America is some sort of war zone where you have no idea whether youāll make it home from work/school by the end of the day because of widespread gun ownership.
Is this the bullshit they actually teach you in schools? This would be like an American warning tourists to stay in their hotels in Australia because of the Drop Bears and snakes as big as a Mack Truck that’ll envenomate you. It’s a harmful, bullshit stereotype that people use to make fun of the USA. It’s incredibly rare to be a victim of gun violence. Just like it’s incredibly rare for a Koala to claw off your face, or for a venomous snake to bite you. In fact I’d say those are more likely than being a victim of gun violence in the states.
>How do student loans for university/college work in America?
No idea in your case. This is something you should ask the school’s financial aid office.
For people who live here, you fill out the FAFSA form for federal student aid including grants and federally subsidized loans. You can also get unsubsidized loans. In-state tuition at public colleges is lower than out-of-state tuition at public colleges.
Private schools will have their own financial aid, some with quite sizable endowments.
> Are American schools safe?
You’re far more likely to die driving your kid to school than in a school shooting.
General safety: I’d recommend not engaging in the illegal drug trade, not engaging in human trafficking, and not beating your family members. Doing the above is either going to lead you to conflict with other criminals or the police.
For the second question, I think itās important to distinguish between being safe and feeling safe. I went to school in the heyday of school shootings and was just understanding politics and my place in the world when Sandy Hook happened (a shooting at an elementary school which caused particular despair. You still hear a lot of anti-gun people in their less optimistic moments saying things like āif nothing changed after Sandy Hook, nothing will ever changeā) so I never *felt* safe. I donāt think I ever went into school without feeling on edge. I knew at the time and still know that my chances of being in a huge range of other dangerous situations was much higher, and I knew my chances of being in a school shooting were very low, but you canāt ration your way out of anxiety.
But, in reality, mass shootings of any type are rare and most gun deaths are suicides. Itās hard to say exactly how rare mass shootings are because thereās no consistent definition, but somewhere between about 100 and about 700 people were killed in mass shooting incidents in 2021. With a population of over 330 million, thatās pretty rare. For non-mass shootings, theyāre like most violent crimes in that theyāre not typically random. Iāve lived in the US my whole life and have never seen a gun not on a police officer, so itās definitely not a gun filled war zone.
Data here: https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2023/04/26/what-the-data-says-about-gun-deaths-in-the-u-s/
1. You apply for them through FAFSA and there are different types of loans you will be eligible for. Generally speaking you won’t have to pay back until 6 months after receiving your degree but interest will begin to accrue. There are also programs meant to help people struggling similar to what’s in your country.
2. Yes. This question is really silly and shows how much your mainstream media has brainwashed you all. This is just as stupid as asking do Aussies ride kangaroos to school or will a spider randomly bite them out of nowhere.
Lmao are American an schools safe? I really donāt understand how gullible and dumb people actually are, then turn around to think Americans are the ignorant ones. Not pointing at you op but goddamn
I looked up the statistics a while back and you’re literally about as likely to get struck by lightening as get shot in the US. And a number of those are gang violence and suicide.
It gets brought up in the news here because it needs to be addressed. It gets brought up in the news in other countries because they love nothing better than to make us look like a mess so they can feel better in comparison.
Safety in schools depend where you live. The schools in my hometown have seen an uptick in violence as gang affiliation has increased post covid. Bullying has also gotten worse as well and many blame tiktok for encouraging it. Schools are probably much safer in middle class neighborhoods.
>How do student loans for university/college work in America?
So you fill out a form called the FAFSA to see if you qualify for any student aid. You and your parents (if you’re young enough to have them on your form) will often qualify for a Pell Grant if you’re lower income. This is a grant which doesn’t have to be paid back.
After that comes subsidized student loans. These loans do not accrue interest while you are in school at least half-time or during deferment periods. You can often put off repayment until you finish school and get a job.
Unsubsidized are just like any regular loans you can get.
>This may sound ignorant, but in Australia we are always told that America is some sort of war zone where you have no idea whether youāll make it home from work/school by the end of the day because of widespread gun ownership.
This is fucking delusional. We always joke that you guys think like this, but to hear it straight from the mouth (er keyboard) of an Australian tells me ya’ll are hella propagandized and ignorant and too sanctimonious to realize it.
If you’re worried about the statistical likelihood of your kid getting shot in school enough to consider not sending your kid to an american school, then I have to assume you also do not let your kids do these ***considerably*** more dangerous activities as well:
* Eat solid food (more likely to choke to death than be shot in school)
* ride in a car (more likely to die in a car accident than be shot in school)
* go swimming (more likely to drown than be shot in school)
* be outside in the rain (more likely to get struck by lightning than be shot in school)
If you let your kid do the above, then it would be nonsensical/absurd to be particularly worried about a school shooting.
>This may sound ignorant
Yes, because it is.
Hey, thanks for being respectful.
Loans: this is a really big thing and will vary state to state, but generally you can get student loans for a bit below what a normal loan would be in terms of interest, but it’s for sure gonna be expensive. Your best bet is to talk to someone who specializes in loans and finance, they’ll know more than regular people.
Safety: American schools are very safe. School shootings are actually a pretty rare occurrence. Some schools have issues with gangs, but these are almost exclusively in areas where gangs are already a problem. You really don’t need to worry about having your kids in school here. I’d be more worried about them getting hit by a car when walking to school than them getting shot in school.
Depends. Are you rich or not?
You’re going to get a lot of replies that say gun violence isnt a big deal and it’s hyped up in the media and blah blah blah, but here are the undeniable facts
Guns are the number one cause of death of children in America, according to the CDC and the New England journal of medicine both highly reputable, respected institutions.
>From 2019 to 2020, the relative increase in the rate of firearm-related deaths of all types (suicide, homicide, unintentional, and undetermined) among children and adolescents was 29.5% ā more than twice as high as the relative increase in the general population. The increase was seen across most demographic characteristics and types of firearm-related death
https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/nejmc2201761
The likelihood of your child’s school getting shot up is very low, but it is not zero. It can happen anywhere at any time, we cannot predict it and apparently we cannot protect against it 100%, because it happens way way too often
Lots of people ragging on OP for just trying to get some information. Good for you OP on recognizing your own ignorance and looking to correct it.
I hope you enjoy your time here! Come and visit if you have a chance. You will be safe. There are literally thousands of perfectly normal communities. And other parents also worry about their kids and safe schools — you definitely aren’t alone in that regard.
> This may sound ignorant
This is because it is ignorant, if an American were this uninformed about Australia, you guys would lay into them as well.
Hi there, I used to help Australians and others get settled into the US professionally. Yours are common questions. Honestly, before we can even begin to answer them, its important for you (like most of my students) to understand that most of what you as an Australian (especially as an Australian) hear about the US is so exaggerated as to be divorced from reality.
> 1) How do student loans for university/college work in America?
Our system is fairly similar to yours, if not a bit more byzantine. If you can think of a scheme, its probably available in some form over here.
> 2) Are American schools safe?
Yes.
> I know people outside of the US tend to exaggerate this issue
What Aussies tell each other about the US is outright propaganda. Some of the “facts” I heard my students share with each other were mind-boggling.
> Do you feel safe sending your child to school in the morning?
Yeah
> Are school shootings really as common as the media makes them out to be?
Absolutely not
> I know a few people whoāve immigrated to America from Australia, only to come back when their child reached schooling age because of safety reasons
These people should never have come here in the first place
Student loans in the US are mainly issued by the federal government and thus function the same nationwide. Private student loans also exist but they are much less common.
Required payments on federal loans are based on income. The payment amount used to be 10% of income beyond 150% of the poverty line, but the exemption has been increased to 225%, and the payment amount is scheduled to drop to 5% next year. Remaining debt is forgiven after 10 to 25 years. Interest is charged on student loans, but lower income borrowers would not even have to pay the original amount, much less any interest.
It really is sad that Australians actually believe what they say about American schools. The fact that you even need to ASK this question is an absurdity. But then, finding reasons to look down on America seems to be the new Australian national pastime.
My children attend public school. I do worry about gun violence but our district did have a shooting a few years ago. However, day to day, I donāt worry. The schools in my area are really good and my kids will have a good start in college.
My bigger concern for you would be healthcare. Make sure that any job you accept has excellent coverage and you leave plenty in your budget. We generally pay more than our mortgage($1600 a month) every year between premiums and deductibles. My husband has really good insurance too.
A suburban school in Austin, Texas would be very safe trust me. Also education in many suburban Texas public schools give very good education. Schools are heavily funded in Texas.
> 2) Are American schools safe?
It depends on the school. Schools are run locally with money from local neighborhoods. There are huge differences in quality and safety from place to place.
If you have a job offer worth leaving Australia and going to America for, then you almost certainly will make enough money that school safety wonāt be an issue.
When you are shopping for a house or apt, pay attention to what school the kids will go to. Look it up to see what test scores and college admission rates are and how they compare to other schoolsā.
>Are school shootings really as common as the media makes them out to be?
Read this article
https://www.npr.org/sections/ed/2018/08/27/640323347/the-school-shootings-that-werent
Presumably if you are skilled enough to be recruited for a job, you will at least live in a middle class neighborhood. It is worth investigating schools for their reputation for allowing bullying and fights, but most places you will likely be should be very tame.
You do not want to let your kids attend a school with a heavy gang presence but as I said, that is unlikely. Just be aware that it is possible.
In an affluent school, you are going to want to advise your kids about the risks of unattended parties, drugs, driving under the influence etc, but that is not unique to the US.