General Information

The Education System in America
The laws that require schooling in the United States vary slightly by state, but the age groups for required schooling is between 5-8 years old, all the way up until 16-18. In America, the education system starts at kindergarten or pre-school. The first stage of education is called elementary school and usually goes from kindergarten to fifth grade. In other countries this stage may be called primary school. What other countries call secondary school is usually broken up into two parts in America – middle school and high school.

Middle school is also called junior high and usually includes grades 6-8. From ninth grade until twelfth grade is high school. Elementary school, middle school and high school are most often held in different buildings although elementary and middle school are sometimes combined into a “K-8” school.

Large cities will have separate schools for different areas, while smaller towns will probably have only one elementary, middle school and high school. Even smaller towns may have only an elementary or middle school and kids from that town will go to high school in a nearby town.

Educational systems in the U.S. are paid for by government funding or tuition. Tuition is a charge paid  to the school by the parents of students or by the students themselves (depending on the level of schooling, of course).

Public School
Most schools in the United States are public schools. These schools are funded by the government which means that they are paid for mostly through town and state taxes. Families do not have to pay for public school as long as they live in the town where the school is located. In cases where kids must be sent to a middle school or high school in another town because their own town does not have one, there is still no tuition charge.

Public schools only include the elementary, middle and high school levels. Some colleges and universities may be called public schools, but they will require tuition.

Private School
Private schools are not available everywhere. They are funded mostly, if not totally, by charging tuition. Not all students will be admitted to a private school. Private schools do not get government funding because they choose who they let in. Students are usually selected through an application or interview.

Private schools are available at every level of schooling – elementary, middle school and high school. There are even some private pre-schools. There are several different types of private schools. Some schools have a religious affiliation. You can find private schools that include Christian, Jewish and Muslim curriculum, as well as smaller sects in some places. Another type of private school is boarding school.

Private education is not necessarily going to be better in quality, although many people believe that to be so, and that is a big reason why people choose to send their children to private school. The average cost of private school tuition is around $4000 per year. To do a little research, check out www.privateschoolreview.com and see what schools are available in different areas.

Boarding School
At boarding schools the students – and sometimes the teachers too – live at the school. The school provides food and lodging and the students stay there during the school year. Boarding schools require tuition which averages at about $30,000 per year. There are loans and grants available to help pay for this type of education.

Boarding schools are mostly for the high school levels, but some can be found for the lower grades, these are called junior boarding schools.

GED
The General Equivalency Diploma – more commonly called a GED, but more properly called a Certificate of General Educational Development – is an alternative to a high school diploma. Many people who do not finish high school pursue a GED. Anyone benefit from the opportunity to get a GED if they have not completed secondary school. GEDs help people from all walks of life get good jobs and also helps in the pursuit of post-secondary education. To get a GED students must complete a series of tests. There are GED classes that help students prepare for the tests.

Vocational School
Vocational schools, also called trade schools, are institutions that teach skills needed to do well at a specific job. In other words, vocational schools give instruction and training rather than general education. There are vocational schools for all sorts of jobs, some of the most popular are automotive technician, electrician, cook, hair dresser/beautician and carpenter.

Vocational school is usually an option available after high school, but in some cases it can be available in place of the last one or two years of high school. The lengths of programs, as well as the cost of  attending, varies greatly depending on the type of vocational school. Schools of all types are available all across the country.

For information specific to the area where you live, or information on a particular trade check out www.vocational-technical-schools.com

Colleges and Universities
“College” and “University” are basically the same thing. The only difference is that universities tend to be larger and are often made up of several smaller schools. For example a college may be only one school with courses focused on general studies. A university may be a large school that offers smaller individual schools that focus on many subjects including medicine, arts, social studies, sciences and philosophy among many others.

College and university are what some other countries would call post-secondary school. These schools are focused on higher learning. It is not required by law, but can be very helpful when trying to get certain jobs. Similarly, some colleges and universities specialize in specific education. For example, Pratt Institute in New York is primarily an art school with studies focused on fine arts, architecture, graphics, and fashion design among others. Another example is the University of California, San Diego, which has its own school of medicine.

Colleges and Universities can be very expensive. If a student has done well throughout their years of school – particularly in high school – they may be eligible for loans and grants when they graduate from high school.

Loans are funds given to good students in order to help pay for further education. Loans are usually given out by government organizations, but may also be given out by private organizations. To receive loans the student will have to submit an application and high school transcripts unless their high school is affiliated with certain loans and the student did well enough to automatically receive those funds. Loans are expected to be paid back over time, in small amounts.

Grants are funds given out by government or private organizations that are not expected to be paid back. Often times, money granted will be a portion of a loan. For example if a student gets a $10,000 loan that also has a grant included, the student may only have to pay back $8,000 – the $8,000 would be the loan, and the grant was $2,000.

Higher education is more expensive in the United States than it is in most countries. This is where it may be beneficial to know the difference between public colleges and private colleges. Public colleges are state funded which means that the state and federal government help pay for the college. If you are a resident in the state where you are attending public college, you will have a lower tuition and it may also be easier for you to be accepted at that school.

Private colleges are generally more expensive because they rely on tuition to pay for the cost of the school instead of government funding. On the other hand, private schools will often have better financial aid packages – payments plans, loans and grants.

The average cost of tuition for a private college or university is around $23,000 per year, while the average cost of tuition for a public college or university is about $6,000 per year. Of course, tuition is only the biggest cost associated with higher education, there other smaller fees that make it even more expensive – such as books and room and board costs.

There are different degrees available with post-secondary schools. Of those degrees there are four main degrees that people most often pursue. Generally, two year programs give out Associate's Degrees and four year programs give out Bachelor's Degrees. After that, there are the Master's Degrees and Doctoral Degrees which are usually each an additional two years of schooling in the same subject or major as the Bachelor's Degree. There are several more degrees available that come in between these four main degrees or with specific areas of study. Different degrees can affect the amount of money you caqn make at certain jobs.

College scholarships are not only available for those who had good grades in school. Sports is a big part of many colleges and universities and talented athletes are rewarded with grants and loans to colleges that are interested in their abilities.

English as a Second Language
English as a Second Language (ESL) schools are institutions that specialize in teaching English to individuals who already speak another language. ESL schools are often part of other institutions. In  other words, ESL classes are offered at colleges, universities and private institutions. In most cases you do not have to enroll at the school to take the class you just have to sign up.

ESL schools and programs will often have more than English classes. You can find ESL classes in many different fields of study, including arts, medicine,business, law and education. For a list of ESL schools all over the country and some additional information go to www.englishinusa.com.