Students: Get a New Passport and You Can Study Abroad in Norway - Expedited Passports

Studying abroad is often seen as a bit of a luxury. The cost varies depending on the program, but in many cases that’s a fair assessment. However, if you’re interested in living in the land of the midnight sun, you should know that Norway lets all students study at its public universities tuition-free- in most cases, even students from other countries. Huge hat tip to Matador Travel for publicizing this little-known but incredibly useful fact!

Of course, you’ll still have to arrange for plane tickets, a student visa, books, lodging and food. There’s also a small fee per semester that is required to take your exams but entitles you to student benefits and discounts. The good news is that if the Norwegian university you decide to study at is accredited by the US Department of Education, you can apply for financial aid to cover those expenses.

Unless they are insured on their parents’ plan, health insurance is often a struggle for college students. However, if you plan to study in Norway for a year or longer, you’ll be automatically enrolled in their national health insurance plan for students. If you’ll be studying for more than three months but less than a year, you are not automatically enrolled but can choose to enroll voluntarily.

Of course, Norwegian is not one of the languages that American teenagers typically study in high school. So, unless you want to spend some serious time studying the language and building proficiency beforehand, you’ll want to select a program that’s taught in English. There are several Bachelor’s programs available in English and even more Masters’ programs, so there’s a good chance you’ll be able to find a course of study that fits.

To get started, look here to see what programs are available and what the admission requirements are, and read the Matador piece to get an idea of what life is like as a foreign student in Norway.

Once you’ve been accepted into the course of your choice, you’ll need to apply for a new passport as soon as possible if you don’t have a valid one. Don’t wait until the last minute: new passport applications can take up to six weeks to process. Expedited applications are available, but still take up to three weeks. For faster service, the most convenient option is to use a private passport expediting company like RushMyPassport, though you also have the option to make an appointment at a regional passport agency office, assuming that there is one nearby and you can take the time off work.

We hand-deliver your paperwork to the Department of State, which allows us to get your application processed in as little as 24 hours, with no need to make an appointment, travel to a passport agency or wait in line.

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Ohio State University is trying to make sure its incoming freshman class considers a passport as much of a college essential as pens, pencils and a laptop.  According to the Columbus Dispatch, OSU intends to double the number of passport-carrying students attending the university, primarily by encouraging its incoming freshman to apply and by creating shorter, more accessible study-abroad programs.

For example, students are being encouraged to get a passport at freshman orientation, and the school is offering a variety of month-long study abroad programs in different countries, to give students  a chance to travel overseas.

According to university president E. Gordon Gee, getting a passport opens the door to a variety of rich educational experiences as well as different careers. The school’s Office of International Affairs features this quote from Gee on its website:

“Opportunities for service trips and sessions abroad can come quickly. Having a passport in hand will empower students by giving them access to those life-changing experiences.”

If you have the opportunity to travel abroad, don’t pass it up just because you still have to get a passport. The standard processing time for a passport application is at least 6 weeks, but if you are in a hurry you can get one faster. By paying an additional $60 plus the cost of overnight delivery to and from the passport office, you can get expedited processing and have your passport in about 3 weeks.

If you need your passport sooner, you have two options: go to a Regional Passport Agency office or use a private passport expediting company.  There are only 18 Regional Passport Agency offices in the US currently, so there may or may not be one near you. Also, they process passport applications by appointment only, so you can’t just walk in. Finally, they have limited hours of operation so if you work weekdays you will need to ask for additional time off.

Since you don’t need to make an appointment or wait in line to use an expediting company, hiring an expediter is often a worthwhile investment. RushMyPassport personally delivers your application to the Department of State, for processing times as low as 24 hours.

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Students at Kentucky’s Centre College get an extra perk this year: the school, which strongly encourages students to study overseas, is paying for their passports, according to the Lexington Herald Leader.

Already, 85% of the student body spends at least one semester studying abroad. The college would like that number to reach 100%. To encourage as many students as possible to spend time overseas, the school runs a number of low-cost overseas study programs in various foreign cities.

In the Lexington Herald-Leader, Milton Reigelman, director of Centre’s Center for Global Citizenship, explained why the school believes so strongly in the value of studying abroad that they are willing to pay for students’ passport services:  “It kind of focuses their attention … that to be educated in today’s world, you have to do more than just read about other places, you have to live there.”

No matter where you go to school, there are plenty 0f options for studying abroad-and it really does broaden your horizons to be immersed in another culture.  However, before you can study abroad, you must have a valid US passport.

It is also important to apply for passport services well in advance of when you plan to leave. Currently, the US Department of State is processing regular passport applications in approximately 6 weeks, and expedited passport applications in about 3 weeks.  However, you should apply well before these deadlines-delays can and do happen, and an accidental mistake on your application can mean you have to start over from scratch.

Requesting passport services from a private passport expediting company like RushMy’Passport.com makes the process much easier and faster. You’ll work with a trained passport professional and get simple, easy-to-understand instructions that help you avoid common mistakes. Then, we’ll deliver your application by hand to the Department of State for the fastest possible passport services-often as quick as 24 hours!

Apply for passport services with us today!

Right now, students are eligible for some excellent travel deals from STA Travel, with flights to Europe marked down up to 40%. That means you can fly from New York to London for $307 round-trip.  Chicago to Paris is $382, and Miami to Rome is $389. If you’d like to hang out in Amsterdam, round-trip tickets start out at $438 if you fly from New York.

You can also get an additional $100 off your flight if you book a room at a hotel or hostel, buy a Eurorail pass or purchase an adventure travel package from STA Travel.  You can see more flights and get more information here.

To qualify for these deals, though, you will need an International Student Identity card. Your college ID won’t cut it.  International Student Identity Cards are available to all full-time students ages 12 and up. You can apply for one here.

In addition to an International Student Identity Card, you’ll also need a valid passport.  You should fill out your passport application and turn it in well before you actually plan to leave the country. If you request regular processing with your application, you can expect to wait at least 6 weeks before you get your passport. If you expedite your passport application using the government’s expedited service option, you’re still looking at about 3 weeks for processing.

If you need your passport more quickly, a private passport expediting company is the most convenient option. RushMyPassport.com will hand-deliver your passport application to the Department of State, resulting in processing times as low as 24 hours.

Submit your passport application today!

Do the advantages of studying abroad outweigh the disadvantages? Although attending a semester of school overseas isn’t for everyone, there are clear advantages to studying abroad, and the disadvantages can be minimized with careful planning, according to this article on NBC26.com.

The article states that studying overseas offers the following advantages to international students:

• Mastering a new language.
• Having an increased sense of independence and self-reliance.
• Developing a sense of respect for other cultures.
• Having an advantage in the job market. (In today’s global economy, employers want to hire people who are familiar with foreign cultures and can speak other languages).

But what about the disadvantages, such as being alone in a strange country? These can often be overcome with careful planning. For example, purchasing health insurance and legal insurance can help students stay safe, even if the trip does go awry. Financial aid and scholarships may transfer, making studying abroad more affordable. And, of course, the internet offers a variety of ways for students to connect with friends and family at home.

Traveling abroad is often a supremely stressful experience if you are going it alone for the first time, but the sense of achievement you get from successfully navigating foreign train schedules or from communicating in a new language can be truly life-changing.

Of course, before you can embark on a semester abroad, you need a US passport. Make sure to allow enough time before you are scheduled to leave to receive it in the mail. Regular processing often takes at least 6 weeks, while expedited processing can take at least 3 weeks.

If you need a US passport in a hurry, the easiest way to go is to use a private passport expediting company. An expediting company will personally deliver your application to the Department of State for faster processing-often in as little as 24 hours!

Don’t get left behind-Order your US passport today!