State College, where Penn State is, is a very safe city.

Philly, Pittsburgh, and other cities have more dangerous parts but if you use common sense and dont wander too far off it shouldnt be an issue.

International students dont get the same benefits that native students get like financial aid, even out of state students recieve less aid in most cases.

However third party scholarships are not uncommon, I would do some research and find some for French students studying abroad.

Go to university in Canada - specifically the province of Quebec. Their government has a special deal where you are able to pay Canadian tuition as French student:

https://www.quebec.ca/en/education/study-quebec/financial-assistance-international-students/exemptions-tuition-fees-under-international-agreements

If you would like to go to an English language university, McGill University or Concordia University are both in Montreal.

As an international student you will have to pay full tuition out of pocket so that’s your first step.

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Why do you want to come to America for college? Don't get me wrong Penn State is a good school but there's probably a better one in Europe you can attend for free.

Compared to Europe Pennsylvania (which is the best state imo, I love my state) is stupid expensive. This is America, we have very few social programs and those that do kind of suck/only for the very poorest citizens.

Like literally we have people who starve because they make "too much" to qualify for aid. You won't be killed lol, unless you go looking for trouble, I'm sure it's the same in Europe. It's not a war zone... Yet lmao.

Do you have any marketable skills? (Trade experience, apprenticeships) because if not you will likely end up working in retail through college. It pays terribly. PA has one of the lowest minimum wages and is "at will" employment, so they'll fire you for like literally no reason. There's hardly any union power except in certain industries, and you'll be exploited as much as you are willing to take.

Lol don't get me wrong I love Pennsylvania, but if I was born and raised in Europe I would just stay there. Life would be exponentially easier.

mon dieu. Don't do it. Everything is expensive. I don't know of any Erasmus style programmes here.

PA is as good as anywhere in the US. State College is safe, but it's in the middle of nowhere. Hours from any city. (and transit sucks)

I'm biased, but many Americans are heading to Europe for uni because things are too expensive here.

Why not go to school in France and then do a study abroad year in the states? Give yourself a taste of it before jumping in head first? Also, State College is in the middle of nowhere, I feel like you would easily feel stranded. Yes Philadelphia has crime but if you would be able to experience so much more in the city, and be able to travel much more easily to other destinations, the Jersey Shore, NYC, and DC etc. There are a ton of schools in the Philly region and most of them have study abroad programs.

Pennsylvania is the best state to experience living in America, in my opinion. The northeast is the best region in the USA, we have everything you could want within a few hours. Cities, mountains, beaches, recreation, really some of the most beautiful scenery. Best wishes in your search!

More foreign students come to the US as graduate students, as graduate students you will get scholarships or grants for most of the programs. You will get a F1 visa for that. After completing the degree you will get a two year work permit. So all in all, you can do a graduate degree and work experience in the US for free based on the program.

Most foreign students who come for undergraduate studies pay their way through it. They cannot work unless they have residentship such as a green card. You will also pay out of state fees which is high, but if you are an outstanding athlete you may get a scholarship. There may be scholarships such as transfer students between France and US, your best bet is to contact a US consulate in France to get some ideas.

Having studied in the US and now living in Pennsylvania, this is one of the safest states. My daughter goes to Penn state but a local campus in greater Pittsburgh area, not only is it cheaper than the main campus, she also gets personal attention from the professors who have helped her immensely to navigate through the four years and helped to land internships and jobs.

There are many other universities in Pennsylvania including the IVY league UPenn which is as good as Harvard and Stanford but as difficult to get in.

This is the list of universities in Pennsylvania.

You would almost need to have personal connections within the university. Without an existing relationship, this would likely be much more difficult

Programs may exist, but you will need to have a strong motivation to contact each university's foreign student programs. These programs will be different at each school, but they will have very specific information that is essential

Start as early as you can. Use your local schools to help find programs

A search suggests that France's Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs offers scholarships

As a resident of Centre County, it is really cool to hear you are thinking of moving here!

That being said: the whole US has an affordable housing crisis (I remember seeing a map that shows there is literally no county with housing that can reasonably be called "affordable") but State College is worse than its surrounding areas. (A ton of parents want to move into the State College School District because it is a quality district).

The mass transit in State College itself is pretty good. It isn't as good once you get outside of the main routes, but there is this new thing called CATA Go (CATA=Centre Area Transit Authority) that has a low cost ($2 USD per trip from what I remember) that is kind of like cheaper Uber.

Before coming over, I would recommend making sure you know what you want to study. Penn State is a world class research university. We have cutting edge research being studied on and near campus. So if you are looking for a STEM education, Penn State is a good choice.

But it is a huge university: you will know mostly people in your program and select extracurricular activities but not many outside of it. Also, it is competitive to get into the closer working relationship with professors, especially as an undergraduate student.

But Pennsylvania has so many universities and colleges. Even as a lifelong resident of PA, I am still learning of new universities and colleges in the Commonwealth. You might find a number of private universities that might offer more scholarships to international students. (I know of one, Susquehanna University, that requires all students to have a cross cultural experience [Not required of international students, obviously]. Because they want to promote global connections, they might have some financial aid options that could make them cheaper than Penn State. There are almost certainly other colleges and universities that have similar goals, but I haven't looked at many colleges at all since I was accepted to grad school over a decade ago.)

Philly is a tough city. Most folks are good people, but they don't put up with fools (or individuals who diss their sports teams). Politically it is solidly on the political Left. If you are smart, it is pretty safe.

Pittsburgh is a more sedate city (still tough, but not necessarily in your face). The city itself is politically Left, but the suburbs becoming more politically right the further you get from the city. A bit safer than Philly.

There are also the areas around Harrisburg, Lancaster, Williamsport, Bethlehem/Allentown, Scranton, and Erie in addition to State College, Pittsburgh, and Philadelphia, so don't be afraid of looking beyond. All of these listed areas have a variety of colleges and universities. On the whole, PA is pretty safe for having over 12 million residents. (I saw one article claiming it is the 11th safest in the country.)

As for places to eat and sleep, the average Penn State student has roommates and try to cook inexpensively. There is a free food pantry for Penn State students and one for State College residents.

As for the expense of living: after food and shelter, it is as pricey as you make it. State College is great if you like the outdoors and want to see forests and ancient (short) mountains. Pennsylvania's state parks have no entrance fee and are free to enter and enjoy. Penn State also has free/low cost places for students to experience music, theater, and art.

Hopefully this provides some helpful information.

Our “education” is overpriced and not very good. You are better off staying where you are at unless you want to hang an expensive piece of paper on your wall.

Don’t do it.

I’m from Pittsburgh and would rather live in Lithuania.

There may be scholarships available, but they would almost certainly be limited and for specific programs. Most international students are going to pay a lot to go to an American University. The costs of Penn State are here:

https://admissions.psu.edu/costs-aid/tuition/

You pay the same for room and meals as any other student. The reason tuition is higher for international students is that funding for state colleges come from taxes and you're not getting the benefit of having your tuition subsidized as a non-citizen. This is the same reason that out-of-state students pay more than residents. If your family didn't pay into the system, you don't benefit from those systems.

Most students work to pay for school by working part-time or doing work study programs (which may not be available to you as a non-resident, but you'd have to check). Many can't work enough to pay 100% of the tuition and take out student loans or get help from their parents.

You need to contact Penn State and ask them about visa sponsorship. They almost certainly have a process for getting student visas together for international students (as most colleges and universities do). You can also ask them about special programs in regards to financing and education with them, but I wouldn't count on there being any.

The town of State College is probably more expensive than other parts of PA, but PA in general isn't as expensive as some other states (e.g., CA). College campuses tend to be pretty safe, and things aren't nearly as dangerous in the U.S. as people might think, but you do have to be careful not to be running around in dangerous areas or late at night in situations which are risky (e.g., don't get drunk and wander around parking lots at midnight).

In terms of other states, you can look at the list of universities which are in this article that are much more economical than Penn State (which costs $40,000 a year for international students as compared to Brigham Young University in Utah which is $14,000).

https://www.mastersportal.com/articles/2269/these-us-universities-are-unbelievably-affordable-for-international-students.html

That being said, there are far cheaper state universities in PA which you can go to if you want to go to PA for certain. For example, Clarion University of PA is $16,000 a year for tuition for international students (https://www.clarion.edu/international-programs/Undergraduate%20costs%202022-2023.pdf), but it lacks the prestige of Penn State. Whether or not that matters depends on your reason for getting a degree and what major you're going to pursue.

Maybe wait until we see the results of next week’s election before you pull the trigger.

There are scholarships available, (edit: Another comment said since your euro you pay fully out of pocket, they probably know better)

Students are usually baristas, shop workers, or part time workers around those lines.

I do not know which visa you would need, but I would guess a student visa.

Pennsylvania is pretty safe depending where you move. By Penn state you should be fine, Philadelphia however is a cesspool and not safe at all. However Philadelphia is the major metropolitan with city lights, shows, fine dinning and wine, etc.

Is life expensive, yes and no. Cheaper places to live but PA isn't California or New York. Quality of life and comfort levels are subjective so hard to say. The median income in PA is just under 73k/yr.

Another state as a suggestion, that is a very tough question. Pennstate is in the middle of PA so another state means another school. At that point I would say which prestigious university interests you.

You have to keep in mind, when considering room and board costs, that first year students are often REQUIRED to live on campus so your room and board will be extra on top of basic tuition. Plus fees and BOOKS. My first semester at a state university, books and supplies were about $1700 in 2005…

Contact Penn State admissions here.

https://admissions.psu.edu/multicultural/contact/

My life long friend was a french MBA at PSU.

You go to school at PSU and live in graduate dorms. No need to get an apartment

As a grad student, you can apply for an “assistantship”. If selected PSU will pay room and board and half your tuition. (Or just tuition). You provide academic support to the department (help prof with classes, grade papers). Reach out to the Department at PSU for more info.

Bigger schools have bigger scholarship opportunities. If you did well in French schools you can have more opportunities.

Typically minimal scholarship opportunities for foreign students (max tuition is how they make their $) but again reach out to your department.

PSU is very safe as is 99.9% of the US. Don’t believe the media. They only emphasize the bad stuff.

Good luck working and expecting to earn enough to pay for food and rent you gon need a loan or rich parents like the rest of us

• there are lots of scholarships, google and apply as much as you can
• im going to be honest, working to afford housing and food while taking classes is going to be extremely difficult. You can cut down housing costs by applying to be an RA (resident advisor) on campus
• PA (Pennsylvania) is very safe in many places, state college is a college town and has good lighting, police support, and for the most part good community values. I dont want to victim blame, but if you are cognizant of risks they are easy to mitigate. Harrisburg campus is good too, but Main Campus is more fun and will probably enable to to have more connections in your career.
• life is expensive, yes, but less so than other places. I can pm you a rough estimate of cost breakdown if you want.
• if cost is no issue, University of Washington, University of Michigan, Virginia Tech are some other great options. Some of that depends what you want to study as well.

PA is one of the safest states to live in

Living in america on a green card is hard.

If you’re interested in history there are so many cool monuments dedicated to the Marquis de Lafayette. Haven’t found one in French yet but I think there are some.

It's fucking expensive :( everything is expensive If you don't have the money up front, you'll have to work through school at the same time

I'm a French speaking Canadian who immigrated here, for what it's worth.

I didn't come through the education track, but one thing I do know is that you have to prove to USCIS that you have sufficient financial resources to fund your education and live. Scholarships in the US are, generally speaking, limited to citizens and permanent residents.

People on F visas (education) can generally get employment authorization, but it's very limited in terms of where you can work, and how many hours. Once you finish, you can get OPT for one to two years. This can give you time to get another visa and potentially get on the path to a green card.

In terms of safety, I'm safer here than the reservations I used to live on and around. Don't come thinking you're going to be randomly shot or something, non American media really plays up that sort of thing.

America as a whole is less expensive than Europe.

If I could live in any other state, it would probably be Louisiana or Oklahoma.

One thing you should prepare for is the fact that literally no one here speaks French, and listening to locals butcher obviously French names (looking at you, Versailles) is going to have you cringing pretty much constantly.

Have you considered Quebec City in Canada? My Parisian colleague spent a 2 week vacation there and loved it. Much nicer than Montreal

Pennsylvania is generally very safe, though the country as a whole is having a significant crime wave right now. Regardless I would say the odds of you getting hurt or being a victim of a crime are pretty low outside of Philadelphia which has gotten really bad in the last few months.

The cost of living in Pennsylvania is pretty cheap so long as you are not in Philadelphia, and even then it is cheaper than other cities in the region. It has been a few years since I have been in France, but I would say that Pennsylvania can be considerably cheaper, based on how much I remember things like food and gas costing in France.

I left another comment on University cost, which will be high since you are an international student. I think you would need a student visa, which, if I understand the complaints of my international student friends correctly, would make you ineligible for work while pursuing an education outside of official internships.

As far as other states to look at it depends on what you are looking for, I am from Pennsylvania but have had the opportunity to live in many states in the country. If you can tell me what is drawing you to Pennsylvania I could maybe give recommendations of other states to look at too.

Also, if you are just interested in living in the US for a bit, it may be better finically to either go to college in France and look for an exchange program, or come the US for grad school or a starting job. I know a few people who did the second option, they say its a smart move because many jobs pay a bit more here, and the tax burden is a lot lower, but they still got to take advantage of the lower cost universities back home.

I would suggest for each of the individual schools that you contact each of their international students departments, and I would probably broaden your search a little bit to maybe include a few states.

Scholarships are very dependent on which school you go to (again, consult each school regarding what they can offer)

As a French person, Pennsylvania is very safe outside of a few major cities (mainly Pittsburgh and Philadelphia), but crime does exist here just like it does everywhere else.

Visa questions would probably best be answered in a US International Students subreddit, though I suspect you would be looking for a student visa.

How do students pay? They usually pay with a mixture of their parents money, their own earned money from a job, and lots of student loans (and any scholarships/grants they may have access to).

Is life expensive? It depends on what you are planning to do. If you feel like you want to travel the country every weekend or party with the most expensive booze, it can be very expensive. But if you are okay with a more study-oriented program and maybe only do a few local things and spend responsibly, I would imagine things will be cheaper than western Europe on the most part (assuming you live like an American). Overall though, it costs more to live in the suburbs and urban areas than it does to live in the middle of nowhere, and it costs more to live in a good area than it does to live in a bad area.

Other states to consider (assuming that Pennsylvania is for some reason your ideal state):

West Virginia for the mountains and nature Maryland/DC Suburbs for more of the city feel New York: NYC and its metro area for the city, Upstate NY for its beautiful nature and the lakes

I have a question for you as well: As a foreigner, why do you feel that Pennsylvania is the state you want to come study in out of all other states? We usually aren’t seen as a bad state, but we also aren’t used to being seen as a good state either

Look man, the country is currently one step away from being a burning hellscape, but we're trying to make it better. There are great schools in Europe and you won't have to deal with "oh look another school got shot up, it must be Tuesday"

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I would check into Penn State. PA as a whole is very safe and the people are very friendly but like any country the bigger cities can be quite rough. Philly in particular is probably a lot worse than what you are used to in Europe especially with the scale of the poverty there. Penn State is in a small college town in the middle of the state and is wonderful, however I’m biased since I went there.

As far as the immigration stuff I’m really not sure if you can work on a student visa. I would suggest checking the department for international students at whatever university you are looking at.

https://global.psu.edu/international

Bonjour. Un question, s’il vous plaît - pourquoi Pennsylvania?

J’habite en Philadelphia (originalement de ontario) et je crois que une ville comme Montréal est magnifique, avec beaucoup de opportunités disponibles a McGill ou les autres universités. Il y a aussi, les anglophones et francophones, comme vous voulez. Il n’y a pas des risques de sécurité avec la violence de fusil, et aussi je crois que le climat politique n’est pas Assez corrosif.

Donc…pourquoi PA ou les etats unis?

For cheaper schools look into the state schools like Indiana university of Pa, Edinboro university of Pa, Clarion university of Pa and the other state system schools. Quality education, small college towns, loads of fun as a student

Just curious, out of all the states, why Pennsylvania?

Vous et plus secure aux PSU en comparison avec PARIS, mais ils ont prendre les boisson beacoup.

Vous vien du PARIS? DM me, si vous voulez. I’m quite familiar avec votre pais et PSU, mais je cannot write in French very well.

Have you considered Ireland? Cork?

You are going to absolutely hate the food here, that’s certain. Also, there used to be an expat publication that shared a lot of information. I don’t remember the name, but you may find something online. Have you chosen your major yet?

Don't move to Philadelphia or Reading.

Been awhile since I lived there, but it’s generally safe. If you want an alternate, cost of living and cost of university is generally lower in North Carolina. Lots of folks moving south. Students here usually work service jobs like restaurants or retail shops. You can make good money as a restaurant server or great money as a bartender if you don’t mind the hours and know what you’re doing.

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What kind of American college experience are you looking for? Philly school, more of big city life. State college is basically town and university built within , it college life most people see on movies I guess. I went to pen state and loved it so I am bias lol

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State College, Philly, and Pittsburgh are all cool. Erie has a lot to offer, too. The largest of Penn States' satellite campuses, and Gannon and Mercyhurst Universities are here. It has lots of great outdoor opportunities close at hand. The population is just under 100k and it is a fairly diverse mix with lots of different ethnic festivals and a good variety of restaurants. Lots of people still don't lock their homes. It is almost the midwest but has a rail connection to New York and Chicago and an airport with connections to Charlotte, NC, and Chicago. I don't know if Gannon or Mercyhurst has aid available to foreign students but the overall cost of living is fairly low.

What do you want to study? That would make a huge difference as well. If it is teaching, West Chester, or St Joe’s are great Universities, if you are pre med, Ursinus, Lehigh, Thomas Jefferson. I live in the suburbs, used to live closer (but still in suburbs) of Philly, if you plan to go to Temple or UPenn, you need to know where and where not to go. The campus is safe, don’t step off.

(BTW). I was an exchange student to Japan, and when to Tohoku Galkuin University, I found when I was an exchange student both in Hogh School and College to be some of the most rewarding times in school. Although you are studying, learning another culture/experience continues to open you mind to so many wonders.

I would not come to America if I were an international student. There are likely plenty of better options in another country if you’re looking to get out of France. I’m not sure Pennsylvania is for you.

Harrisburg University has a good scholarship program for international students if you’re interested in the STEM field

I haven't locked my door in 4 years and live in state college where main campus Penn state is. It's really really safe. Like really safe. Pennsylvania itself is probably not that safe but state college is.

You can work on campus to pay for food and living expenses but it's a minimum wage job usually so you're only gonna get close to $7.25 an hour... Life is cheaper here than cities for sure. But it would be best if you had money coming in.

If your looking to come to pa but want a lower tuition bill I’d recommend shippensburg university. Good school if you want what they offer, one of the cheapest universities, classic college town vibes and very safe. Also close enough you can go to psu for a weekend.

Try not to be hurt if you go to DuBois and hear them pronounce it "do boys". U will be made fun of relentlessly for pronouncing it correctly lol

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Student visa: F1

Are you applying for undergrad or grad school? It may be easier to get tuition waiver and monthly stipend for grad school. E-mail professors and ask them if they have funds available to take a student.

You can also work in the university, as students work in the university and international students should be able to do it too. You can also try to find international student groups in the universities and ask them for help.

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PA Is a pretty big state. What part are you thinking about?

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Mon ami, whatever you want out of an education here, you can get in Europe for less. I can't understand why anybody from Europe in their right mind would want to move to America right now. You have (as per my understanding,) free postsecondary education, and a free healthcare system. Why give that up?

I can only speak to the safe part. PA is safe, the USA is safe. You hear about it in the news, but there are 330 million of us. Is there a chance, sure, but it's extremely rare. I would more say stay away from known bad areas and you'll be fine. Most of the shootings you read are either domestic between family or gang related. The rest is a rarity and not a norm.

Just like spicy nuggets said Pittsburgh pa is real safe just some part's but you will learn we to go and not go but Pittsburgh is a hugh sports town we love the Steelers Penguins and Pirates Pitt University is probably a little cheaper than penn state but you will be rather safe here nothing to be scared of Southside got like 100 bar's that is the hottest part of town point blank period.

Just make sure you mean penn state and not university of Pennsylvania many outsiders don’t understand the difference.

Philly has a French quarter with lots of French expats, business, etc.

...Why?

If you're French and interested in French history, I'd check out the French Azilum in NEPA!

Not a bustling place to live but very scenic.

I’ll take the downvotes for this: Philadelphia is an awful place to live. There are plenty of people here who will tell you “it’s not so bad” but it really is one of the dirtiest, most crime-ridden cities in the US. It’s not like you’re 100% going to die if you go there, but you probably won’t ever feel safe. Anyone who tells you otherwise is full of shit (in my opinion). I’m from PA and I’ve lived all over the state and I’ve got plenty of friends who still live in Philly and most of them want to get out of there. Those who don’t want to leave are fully capable of admitting that Philly is an awful place to live, but they love it anyway. It’s like Stockholm syndrome.

Pittsburgh is much more tame (and affordable) overall and I lived there for 8 years. I enjoyed my time there and it’s a great city to be a student. I worked for my university and the local health network to support myself. That said, I got tired of living there and moved on.

The rest of PA is quite safe but can be boring at the same time. Penn state is in the middle of nowhere. If you really want to live in an awesome state, I’d advise Colorado. It’s the best - but it is more expensive than PA.

Imagine coming to the US for what European employers will see as a garbage education instead of getting a high quality one in Europe for a fraction of the cost if not free. Unless you're full on in love with America and plan to emmigrate?

Stay in Europe. Visit, but it's just not worth it to spend a fortune to go to college here.

You’ll be safe in pa unless you go in the “hood” in the inner cities. It’s moderately expensive.

About crime, just avoid Philadelphia unless you have a large group of friends and even then. The crime there is ridiculous.

The food in Pennsylvania will come as a shock. It's not good. Very difficult to find good food almost anywhere here.

I came here from NY about 5 years ago, and it's been a real revelation just how good and accessible food is in NY compared to PA. Even the most mediocre food in NY blows the best foods in PA away.

just take out a shit ton of loans. biden will forgive them and make all the plumbers and construction workers who actually do hard work for a living pay off your debt.

For starters, you'd actually have rights here.