cost per year

[Abhi1234]

Hi Guys,
I'm joinin Spartan in this coming may semester and I was wondering
how much money I need per year INCLUDING tuition to live comfortably
on the island?

Thanks...and if there are any new beginners like me, please do say hi.

Abhijeet

[ahsan]

Hi Abhi,

You need a lot.believe me you need a lot...............,.,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, just kidding man :D

Refer to some of the posts by Kirst on this forum preferable the first one you see when you get to this page by Kirst.
She has put down wverything in a categorical manner.

St'Lucia is not as expensive a some other islands and spartan being the least expensive of all the FMS and the living expenses also being so reasonable you have a very good oppurtunity now, I think.

Good Luck,

Ahsan

[Kirst]

spartan is the most affordable medical schooling you will find offshore. the living expenses are in par with that in north america. housing is available for anywhere between $200-400 US per month, some includes utilities, some don't. electicity is expensive on the island, and to support one air conditioner constantly, you'll be looking at anywhere from $50-150 US per month. most are 1 or 2 bedrooms. several students split the cost by sharing a 2 bedroom apartment. i live in a well furnished small 2 bedroom apartment with my boyfriend, paying $350 US per month, but utilities cost $150 US per month which rings up the final total to $500 US per month. i used to live in an excellent 1 bedroom apartment that included utilities in the rent for just $300 US per month. so as you can see, it really depends on how lucky you get with what's available in the proximity of the campus. some landlords are honest and charge you local prices, where some are quite corrupted to the idea of taking advantage of the naive foreigners.

food is on the expensive side and selections are quite limited. you'll need to get used to cooking at home or eating same old pretty crappy local cuisine. the only american style fast food joint available is KFC in town which will get old really quickly. burger king and dominos opened up just recently but they're two hour drive away. some of us are actually desperate enough to drive 4 hours for some grub. you won't find much delicate cuisines or ethnic spices. never cooked a day in my life personally until i set foot on this island, and now i can just about make any 3 course meal off top of my head everyday.

cars are available for purchase but it's not recommended. locals tend to rip off the students by overcharging or selling write-offs or stolen vehicles. plus, even if you were to find a good deal, finding a trust worthy mechanic is a whole another issue. again, some many even intentionally break your car to have you return for repair. i flushed $5,000 US on a bad purchase and maintainance. cars are available to rent for $300-400 US per month, in which basic maintenance and fire & theft insurance are covered. but the cars are pretty pathetic compared to the vehicles you can rent for the same money back home. you'll be lucky to find a car to rent that has power windows and working air conditioner. my boyfriend and i are paying $300 US per month for a 1981 model that plays cassetts and blows hot air, with manual window and lock. like everyone else here, you just learn to deal with it.

some people manage to live on for as little as $2,000 - 3,000 US for the entire 4 months in a trimester after tuition. i have a friend who does nothing but sit at home and study, she got by with just $6,000 US last trimester INCLUDING tuition... but most normal students spurge by going on island hops (visiting other islands on weekends) or spending nights at fancy resorts to enjoy water sports like tourists after school functions or parties. my boyfriend and i are no exception, we do enjoy our time on this island by doing what we can. we don't hold back on money when it comes to amenities and food. we also hire a local lady to come around to our place three times a week for cleaning (dishes, laundry, sweeping, mopping, ironing) for $100 US per month. we also call our friends and family back home frequently. so we spend $10,000 - 12,000 US together on average, making our individual budget $5,000- 6,000 US per person per trimester EXCLUDING tuition. so as you can see, it varies quite a bit depending on your life style.

if you can live on a fan blowing hot air, walk or cram in a back of a van they call a bus to get around, make no calls locally (25 cents US per minute) or internationally (75 cents US per minute), cook at home and clean after yourself, and stay in school or in your room day in and day out, you can get by with very little money.

[Abhi1234]

Thanks Ahsan and Krist. I just spoke to admissions today and I'm quite sure I'm in. If you guys are still there till summer session starts, I'll see you guys there maybe. Otherwise, thanks again for the good info.

Abhi

[ahsan]

Hey Abhi,
I am not still in yet, has to complete some pre med reqs. Although I have been following Kirst's posts.It is been very encouraging and helpfull like the one you see here in response to yur question.
So keep coming to this forum for new updates and news.BTW what part of US r u from.
GoodLuck,
Ahsan