It will probably cost you a lot more to study in the US.
nytraveler mentioned that Miami School of Nursing costs $18000 per annum. That's 11,500 pounds for the tuition plus you'd have living costs so the total could easily be double that or more depending on how cheaply you can live.

Don't forget airfares on top of that even if you think you won't want to go home there might come a time when you do or have to.

Why is your heart set on the US? Have you considered Australia?

Another option you might consider - since you mentioned there seem to be differences between what nurse-midwives do in the UK and the US. Perhaps what would be closer is a labor/delivery nurse - who is an employee of the hospital and, under the supervision of an MD, actually cares for the women in labor (MDs only come in at the end for the actual delivery - or if there are problems and a C-section is needed.) Somthing like that might be closer and not require as much additional schooling.

Or, perhaps if the OP could explain further the role if the nurse-midwife in the UK it would be possible to give better advice.

In the UK a midwife is the sole person helping a woman labour, as well as providing antenatal and postnatal care. A uk midwife delivers the baby and gives the drugs as needed. The only time a midwife in the uk doesn't deliver the baby is if forceps are used, or if there are problems when she's pushing etc. Is this different to america then?
And I did consider Australia, however preferably wanted to live in a place where I could have snow as well as warm weather

It snows in Australia! They have ski resorts y'know.

Google snow in Australia and you'll find plenty of images of the white stuff..

Honestly if snow is the only reason to pick the US over Australia then think again and apply for your Australian working visa today!

Kangaroo in snow ((L))
http://protectourwinters.org/wp-cont...the-summer.jpg

>>In the UK a midwife is the sole person helping a woman labour, as well as providing antenatal and postnatal care. A uk midwife delivers the baby and gives the drugs as needed. The only time a midwife in the uk doesn't deliver the baby is if forceps are used, or if there are problems when she's pushing etc. Is this different to america then?<<

I've used certified nurse-midwives with all three of my births, one in a free-standing birth center (not part of a hospital) and two at home. What you describe is what I had. All the midwives had arrangements with a back-up doctor and hospital in case of complications. I have no experience with hospital births, so can't comment on how that works, except that it probably varies from state to state.

Lee Ann

In Pennsylvania, certified nurse-midwives function the way Lee Ann describes. Here is an e-how article on the requirements is PA. Perhaps you can find others like this:
http://www.ehow.com/how_5569823_beco...nsylvania.html

Okay so a uk midwife is the same as a nurse midwife is the us? Do nurse midwives not work in hospitals?

I did look into Canada slightly. I looked at the climate but couldn't really work it out, I know it snows a lot there, does it also get warm weather too?

And wow US fee's are a lot, no wonder people save all there childrens live for it! Are the fee's paid upfront? In the UK we have a system where you only pay tutition fee's when you earn over £21000 a year, and its in small amounts. So while we're at uni we only really pay our living costs.

Thank you suki- just seen that article and it was helpful :) thanks

And in reply to Janisj- I know that places can't be generalised because obviously just because you live in one place doesn't mean you have the same opinion as other, however I've heard that more southern and 'redneck' place can be less tolerant and 'backwards'. I don't mean this in an offensive way, but I wouldn't want to live in a state where the majority of people or groups of people weren't open minded about gays etc. Whilst I'm a straight white person, I still feel that its important to live in a place where people are accepting. No offense meant in this comment by saying 'backwards'

"<i>I've heard that more southern and 'redneck' place can be less tolerant and 'backwards'. I don't mean this in an offensive way,</i>"

How can that not be offensive? But never mind, read what I wrote again. The Dakotas (and some other states) are <i>generally</i> more homogeneous/less 'cosmopolitan' than others. Take that as you wish.

But really -- just about EVERY state has more tolerant and less tolerant regions/counties/neighborhoods.

ooo katie, be careful of generalizations!

US fees for college are paid in advance. You can't graduate unless all fees have been paid (including parking fines LOL!.)
Some parents save for college... some have huge debt or the graduates bear the debt.


Summer in most of Canada is often better weather than the UK. Vancouver has great weather year round IMO.
Montreal has bad winters with heavy snow but it's equipped to deal with it (underground malls!). Summers are warmer/hotter than the UK.

Did you notice that Australia has snow? Ski resorts?

Where have you been in the US that you liked?

IF Canada were to be an easier place for you to move, Vancouver would be a great area.

In the US most women are delivered by OBs. Some hospitals allow midwives access and some don't. The midwife would care for the mother before birth and mother and baby immediately after birth in the hospital. Midwives are allowed to deal only with uncomplicated births. If the mom is high risk for some reason she must be cared for by the MD. If there are any complications (more than 1/3 of births in the US are c-sections) MDs must deliver the baby (obviously a nurse-midwife couldn;t perform surgery). After the infant is born it is traditionally cared for by the pediatrician.

In the US we don't; have nursing care after birth. The mom is out of the hospital and on her own in 36 hours at most - except if it's a c-section. If a woman wants help with the infant at home she needs to hire a doula (experienced baby nurse) to help the mom learn the ropes. We do not supply this service as part of the birthing process and neither the government nor insurance plan will pay for this - it's directly out of the pockets of the parents. Naturally the insurance will pay for well-baby visits to the Ped - or perhaps Nurse Midwife if that is how the mom gave birth. But those visits are limited to the routine well baby care/vaccinations or a specific illness (and I don;t know if the nurse-midwife is allowed to do that. It's more likely to be a pediatric nurse practitioner.)

In the 36 hours in the hospital the mom gets instruction from the lactation consult and - in some places, more recently - has a psych evaluation to make sure she isn;t suffering from post-partum depression (after that woman in Texas killed her 5 kids). But I don't see how a nurse-midwife could continue to care for the child - unless she has a pediatrics practice too,

No - in the US tuition is cash on the barrelhead. You have to pay for the tuition in full at the beginning of each semester. There are student loans, but I'm not sure how that would work for an ex-US citizen, since many are supported in part by the government. As for student loans you typically have a grace period of 12 months after graduation to get on your feet and then have to start repayment. (When I did it you had to pay them back in 8 years or less - and my loans totaled more than the annual salary of my first job - though by 4 years later it wasn;t so bad.)

And $30,000 is nothing like the salary of a nurse midwife. If you are hired by a hospital you will earn about twice that (in the areas I know). If it's a state which allows private practice - then you need to build it up yourself. (My cousin the Assoc director of nursing earns more than $100K per year - and that's in a moderately priced part of the country.) So - the education costs a lot more - but in many places the income is much higher. (If you think about this it makes sense - even if a NM does only half of what an MD does - $60L per year is a whole lot less than $200K plus an MD would get.)

That's definitely a lot tougher then it is in the UK. We have no time limit to pay back the loans and tutition, and if we never earn over £21000 by the time you're 55 (I think) the your debt is wiped. When you do earn over 21000 you start to pay it back and its tiny amount like a few pounds a week! Its only this year that our university tutition fee's have gone up, as before per year they couldn't exceed £3000.
How do parents/students afford to go to university if they are from a low income family? Do they just not go or are there other options available for them. In the UK if you parents earn under a certain amount your entitled to bursarys that you don't have to pay back.

In the UK for the first few days after the birth, the midwife is in contact with/visits the woman and child, and after this time she's passed over to a health vistor who she's with until the child reaches 5. I guess this is kind of equivelent to the ped. But different because we have the NHS. Then obviously if the child becomes ill the parents would either contact the health vistor, go the their gp, or go to A+E. Do you guys have to pay everytime you need to go to the doctors? And do you pay when you have a baby too? Out of curiousity, would you like the US to have something like the NHS.

And I meant it non offensively because its not my view point or opinion, but something that I've heard which is why I asked.

In my childhood I always think that the best place to live is Florida. But know I recognize that hot climate and near-by sea can cause natural disasters and I don't won't to live here.

katie,
Scholarships exist for low income students. Some are merit based (academic or for sports, music, etc) and a few highly qualified students can get a free ride (no fees) regardless of their income level (or their parents).
Others are related to parental income and are loans to be paid back before or after graduation at low interest.
Colleges also offer financial aid packages to students.
It's complicated obviously and nothing like the UK system. No cheap (formally free education) for all!

Same story with healthcare. We pay for healthcare.. most people have some form of insurance from their employer or Medicare (a subsidized form of insurance for those on low income).
Medical insurance covers part of our medical expenses and then on top there are 'co-pays' where the patient is charged each time they visit the doctor or ER or get x-rays, medications, etc

The home visits you describe by the midwife and the health visitor just do not exist here.
There aren't any home visits unless they are paid for privately.

So you can see there are big differences between the two countries.
I know that unless you're rich or you marry an American you will find it very difficult to get visa to live here. With money you can pay your way to study here and be in a better position to get a working visa with contacts but it would still be difficult.
It certainly would not guarantee that even if you trained and qualified in the US that you could apply for jobs here.

Look into Canada or Australia or Europe. You're lucky to have these options!

In terms of education - there are merit scholarships and there are some available for low income students. Many parents start saving for kids education when they are born and it's typical for relatives to give monetary gifts for that fund for kids' birthdays and Christmas as well as a regular gift for the child.

If you are upper middle class or above your parent usually pay for you education - although it is often a strain even then if you have more than one kid. parents often do a remortgage of their house to pay for it.

For other kids they - and their parents - use a combo of scholarships (from the state, university, parent's employer and a host of other sources), student loans and working (many students work both during the summer and part-time during the school year - waitressing, department stores - any sort of job that can be done outside of school hours). (I did university on a merit scholarship that covered tuition, loans that covered room and board and worked 2 jobs in the summer and part-time during the school year to pay for fees, books, clothes and expenses. This is not at all unusual.)

And actually the US has a much higher percentage of kids in higher education than the UK (the last number I saw was about 75% of high school grads have some college/university). Esp for medical specialties, people often come out of school with huge debts that they have to repay - in a limited amount of time.

Also - our healthcare system is much different. We have no such thing as a nurse/health visitor. New parents are on their own except for a couple of basic post-birth visits for the mom (OB or NM if that's who delivered the baby) and well-baby/vaccination visits to the Ped or NM (if that's who mom used). The visits for the mom are usually covered by the cost of birth - typically a single fixed amount unless there are complications. Cost of baby visits come out of the parent's private insurance or pocket (unless they are below poverty line and get Medicaid - not easy to do). And yes, you have to pay for every MD visit - no matter the reason.

There are basically two types of insurance plans provided by employers (but to which the employee has to contribute a certain amount - based on the plan and how many people it covers). I have a generous employer and cover only myself - so I pay about $150 per month. If I were to get insurance as an individual - without an employer - major medical in New York (hospital and MD visits - no drugs, eye care or dental) costs about $1300 per month.

My employer offers an HMO plan (you pay $10 per MD visit but must use the MDs in the plan and have to get a referral to go to a specialist) or an open plan. With the latter - which I have - you can go to whatever MDs you want at any time with no referrals. If the MD is part of the network I pay $25 versus the $300 or so the visit would ordinarily be. If the MD is out of network (several of mine are and 2 don't take insurance at all - my derm and my Gyn) - I have to pay the bill myself and then submit to the plan - which pays 80% of the usual and customary. So for those visits I usually end up paying $60 to $100 of the cost and the insurance picks up the rest. The plan covers hospitalization completely as long as the hospital is in network (and almost all are). I had surgery about 6 years ago and was in the hospital for 5 days. The bill, of which I didn't pay a penny, was for $123,000. The cost of the surgeon (out of network, but recommended as the best) was extra - $22,000 - of which I had to pay 20%.

One of the major issues our government is facing at the moment is the number of people that have no health care coverage and how to resolve that. (If you are in an accident or have a heart attack you will be taken to an ER and treated - but you will be billed for every penny.) So many people don;t get proper care since they just can't afford it. The current administration is trying to change that - but many conservatives feel this is not something the government should be involved in - each man for himself.

And while I do think there should be a better solution for the poor - no I definitely do not want a system like the NHS. In the UK there are too many people denied access to drugs that could help them because of cost. And there are too many people who have to wait for procedures that are not emergent (hip and knee replacements for instance.) My SIL just had the former - and from the time she decided to have the surgery it took less than 3 weeks for her to interview the two potential surgeons, pick the one she wanted, have the surgery and be out of hospital and into the rehab center. I want healthcare for all - but better healthcare for all (I don;t think this is something we should have to compromise on).

I'm not sure if you're aware of it - but when companies market new drugs in europe - even new types of drugs that resolve problems that can now only be treated with difficult surgery - they typically plan on marketing to the Big 4 (Germany, France, Spain and Italy) first and put the UK in the second tier, with former iron curtain countries - since potential sales are limited due to extreme restrictions on prescriptions. And for some oncology drugs (which are approved for use in more than 60 countries around the world - and paid for by govt's and insurance plans), use in the UK is still restricted by a very complicated approval process.

So the systems are very different - with different goals and expectations. Apparently the NHS works in the UK (although my colleagues in the UK all have private health insurance) but would never work in the US.

wow that's extremely hard, I cant imagine having to pay all that money up front. The cost of university fee's puts a lot a people off going, and our fee's are easy compared to American.
Yeah I think less than 50% of uk college students go onto go to uni. That's insane that so many go on to go university, especially with such high fee's.
Because so many people are coming out with degree's, does this make it harder to find jobs? A lot of people who have degree's in the UK areb't getting jobs because of there being so much competition, so I imagine there must be even more competition in America.


If the mum went into labour expecting a normal delivery and only had the money/insurance to cover this-what would happen if she needed a c section or if complications arised and she had to have life saving surgery. Who would fund this?
If a person is unemployed how would they get an insurance plan? Or if they were a pensioner? So if you have children, would your employer put them onto your plan?
Wow $300, that's a lot! Is an MD a normal doctor then?

I didn't realise surgery and hospitalisation was so expensive. Does everyone in the US have insurance? If they don't and they were rushed in for the surgery you had, how would they ever pay that?

So if you are in an accident and end up in A+E (ER) you have to pay it even if you have insurance? (sorry didn't quite understand that point)

I think that conservative view (each man for himself) is quite a harsh view point. I know many hard working people who do not earn a lot, and would probably not be able to afford insurance if we had it this way. But that shouldn't mean that when they're sick or in need of medical they can't access any. My Grandparents have both worked from the age of 14-65 and never complained. Now theyre getting older they're needing a lot more care and help (my Granddad has had two ops in the past year) and i dread to think how they would get on if we didnt have the NHS in their circumstances.

As much as your points are true about waiting for non emergent surgery and being denied access to drugs, I have never known anyone who has had problems getting access to drugs they need. I can't imagine being sick and having to worry about having to pay (even if it is a small amount) because i'm guessing most people don't have such a good plan as yours? Good point on having to compromise though. Do poorer people in the US still have to compromise even if they do have a plan (like on good surgeons)?

I didn't know that about the big 4, which I suppose is a big downside to the NHS.

I guess you like what you grow up with really. People often complain about the NHS here, however I dont know how we'd function without it. And such a drastic change to healthcare in the US probably wouldn't be welcomed.

Although the US and Uk are a like in many ways, I cant believe all the differences. Having researched it more and looked into, if i ever did get the opportunity and chance to live or travel America, I don't know that I would ever be able to become used to it.

I watched an episode of 16 and pregnant the other day and the young girl and her boyfriend in it had no money and loads of debts, and didnt even live with her mum (living with her grandma instead). When watching this, having learnt about the insurance plans, I didnt understand how she paid her fee's for having her baby?

Thanks for all the information, and sorry about the 21 questions!

<<<Although the US and Uk are a like in many ways, I cant believe all the differences. >>

Well done on doing some research!
Check out this forum for British expats. There's a forum for Brits moving to the US and it will be more helpful to you than Fodors at this point. Click on the link for the discussion forum and you will find information about obtaining visas and other practical info about moving abroad.

It's quite common for people to emigrate and after a period of time (the 'honeymoon period') decide it's not for them and return to their homeland. So, it's wise to think carefully about a move and consider if you can accept all the cultural differences.

The US is very different from the UK. Canada and Australia have more in common with the UK for obvious reasons

www.britishexpats.com

Regarding healthcare and insurance here... yes, everyone pays to visit the ER (usually a co-pay if you have insurance which can range from about $20-$100 ).
The patient will be billed for any treatment not covered by their insurance.

Children can be added to your plan through your employer.
We have good medical and dental insurance through my husband's company but we still pay over $600 a month for this (for a family of 4). We still have to pay co-pays for any visits and pay co-pays for any prescriptions and generally budget about $3000 per year for this.

My friend had breast cancer and her medical costs for surgery, chemo and radiation totaled over $1,000,000 but she has insurance so it cost her a few thousand dollars in co pays.

The overview:

Anyone employed by a sizable company gets health insurance as part of their benefits (but typically has to pay for part of the plan costs - but since it's a group plan the cost is much lower). You pay different prices based on number of family members and adult children can be covered up to the age of, I think, 25 if they are still in school. It is assumed they will get their own insurance when they get a job. (Typically these policies have a lifetime cap of $1 million per person - but if someone needs a heart or lung transplant that alone will blow it.)

People below the poverty level long-term typically have basic healthcare paid for by Medicaid

Seniors have the Medicare plan - for which they must contribute a part of the social security payments they receive, which covers hospital care plus MD care (with limited co-pays_ and drugs (copays depend on the drug plan the seniors decide to purchase). If you buy a supplemental plan - my mom has one from the AARP (Amer Assn Retired People) she ends up paying only a one-time annual dedutible of $300 plus drug costs - from $5 per month for a generic to $50 per month for a new, expensive drug.

The problem is the working poor and their families. These are people who have jobs with small employers that don;t offer insurance or a couple of part-time jobs. Some states (NY for one but I'm sure some others too) offer very low cost insurance for the children of these families - but once you hit 18 you have to pay for yourself or do without basic care. (You will always be cared for in an ER in a true emergency - but they will then collect the money). This is what our government is now trying to address - with many conservatives taking the view that people should buy their own insurance - when they simply don;t have the money after paying rent, utilities and food.

As for the mom needing a c-section - her insurance, will of course pay for it. If she falls into the category of no insurance and not poor enough for Medicaid - naturally she will receive all the care she needs and will then be billed for it.

I know this may sound harsh - but it's a differnt philosophy for both education and healthcare. And you have to realize that Americans pay VERY low taxes compared to europeans - so things that you get for free as a result of taxes you pay we have to pay for ourselves (but pay much less to the government for social services - although they collect a huge amount for "defense"). I believe that in the same income brackets you may pay twice what we do in income tax. Also you have a high VAT tax on everything. Many states in the US don;t have any VAT tax at all - and the ones that do have are much lower than in europe. So families in the US with the same salary usually have more disposable income. Also - from what I have seen salaries in the US are often higher than in the UK (although this varies tremendously by region). For instance in my office an admin assistant will typically start (HS grad or some college) at $35,000 per year - although there are parts of the country where a teacher won't earn more than that (but with much lower cost of living).

Basically we are operating on a capitalist market economy - and the UK is operating on a semi-socialist system of providing safety nets for all. (This is even true in terms of unemployment. In the US you are not unemployed until you have been laid off of a job that you held for a certain amount of time. If you have never had a job - you are not unemployed and you are not eligible for any benefits.

And yes, it's difficult now (but wasn't until the last couple of years of depression) for some grads to get jobs. When I graduated - in the last age - I and my suitemates/friends all got a starter job within a couple of weeks of starting to look. Now grads - esp those from not great schools or with unusual majors - may go months before finding something better than standing behind the counter at Mickey D's. (But top people from name schools still have people lining up to recruit them.)

Thank you for that wesbite, I'll have a proper look at it when I'm on my laptop. Yeah from this forum I've become more aware of how different they are, but then again I'm not looking for somewhere exactly like the UK, I think the only thing I actually like about the UK is the NHS! What would happen if a person had no insurance though, and got billed for the medical care but literally had no money to pay for it?
Okay I think I understand your insurance plans now. Wow I never knew a heart/lung transplant was so expensive! That's insane!
Is social security like a pension? If senoirs had medicaid and that's basic, would they pay for them to have a transplant if it was necessary?
Yeah I know we pay a hell of a lot more in taxes, but I guess the benefit to this is that the people who don't earn much are still entitled to the same care as those who have a lot of money.
Yeah if we turn 18 (and aren't in education and don't have a job) you can get up to £70 a week in benefit, and I think its more the older you are. The benefit system is definitely a major problem in this country. Its too easy to minipulate, and often people just don't bother looking for jobs, and get nearly £20000 a year in benefits as well as housing. Then there's people I've gone to school with who have deliberatly gotten pregnant just to get free housing! Its draining the country and is definitely one of the reasons the UK is going down hill, its causing a work shy/lazy generation.
I've always wonder what a 'major' is and how us degree's are structured? Are community colleges/universities free or do they still cost, as I've often heard it talked about when I watch american tv programs.

Just a random question, when watching an american program I saw a girl talking about how they're taught about abstinence and this was all she was taught. Is this true about american sex ed?

Education is free in the US only until you finish high school - usually at age 17 (this includes kindergarden and grades 1 through 12). After that nothing is free.

And there is no free housing - no matter who you are. Public housing is extremely limited, you must qualify by low income (in NYC a couple is eligible for a 1-bedroom is they earn less than $24,500 - poverty level - but the wait is often years and the places are NOT pleasnat. Many states/cities have no public housing at all.

A young woman with an infant and no resources is entitled to a very small cash benefits, food stamps (can be used at markets, but only to buy food) and free formula or milk. But - she the home must be for her and child only - no father or husband is allowed (or he has to support them). In most places an able-bodied man or woman without infant - and under the age of 65 - is entitled to no or extremely limited benefits and they must demonsttrate that they are looking for work.

In terms of university - freshman usually enter with a potential major in mind but may explore for the first year to see what they like and what they can pull off. (One of my suitemates wanted to be a bio major but after two weeks she was invited to switch to another class, since her prep was insufficient.) Some schools (pharmacy or nursing for instance) have a separate school within the university. Pharmacy is a 7 year degree (they get a Doctorate of Pharmacy) and BS in nursing is a 4 year degree. Typically a university has courses in many areas (the one I went to had liberal arts, fine arts, science, engineering, medicine (a graduate school), nursing and pharmacy). Once the student picks a major they have to take a certain number of credits in that and related areas - as well as the basics everyone has to take - often 2 semester eng lit, 2 maths, 2 science, 2 fine arts, 2 lib arts and 4 semester proficiency in one foreign language. I was a history major -- so most of my courses were history, political science and anthropology. Many schools also have business courses - which I htink is mistake on the undergraduate level - IMHO university is not trade school and o ne should get a broad base and then specialize (with an MBA). More and more a BA or BS is insufficient for even a starter job in a high powered field but a grduate degree is expected.

Public education (though grade 12) in the US is controlled locally. Each district has different standards and offerings (even with a state syllabus). Yes, sadly there are some places where only abstinence is taught - and, as one would expect, those are usually the areas with the highest rate of teen births. (The thinking behind this is religious, usually the areas have very strong fundamentalist religious populations who believe that if teens are not taught about sex they won;t discover it.) In many other places the usual necessary courses, including risk of STDs, are taught in middle school (kids 11 to 13 or so) and free condoms are provided to high school students. But each school district (neighborhood of several thousand families on up control all of these things through locally elected school boards.)

Yeah education is free in the uk until you reach 18 (unless you choose to go to private school) currently it's compulsory to go to school until year 11 (aged 16). Now its being put in that after leaving school, we have to either go onto further education (college for 2 years to gain A levels) or do vocational course for 2 years or do an apprentice. This is all free, the only education we pay for is university which is the same as america.
Your benefit system definitely seems better and stricter which is something that the uk government really needs to have.
The food stamps are a really good idea and is definitely something that the uk should have, as often the people on benefits (generally younger) spend it on smoking and drinking. Food stamps would be a good idea.

I'm really confused by what a major is- is this what they'll gain their degree in? We don't have that with uk degree's, we don't have the math and english etc unless its necessary for the degree. You only get taught the stuff needed for the degree.

Each state seems almost like its own country. In the uk we have the national curriculum which is used in every single school (other than private). I honestly cannot believe that in the 21st century some teens aren't being taught about safe sex! Do whoever is creating the states curriculum not realise that everyone will know about sex from tv and the internet and friends-even if they aren't taught. When I was in school we had basic sex ed aged 10-11 (learning about periods and anatomy and where babies come from etc). Now they are bringing it in slightly early, and when we get to secondary school (12-16) we are taught all about safe sex and relationships each year. We're taught about all different types of birth control, taught how to use condoms, told about the morning after pill, effects of sexual relationships, emotions involved, that we have a right to say no etc. It thorough to be honest. No wonder there seems to be so many series of 16 and pregnant if they aren't even taught about birth control! Is birth control free in the US for teens?
In the uk birth control is free (anything from the pill to the implant) for teens if they go to their doctor and its kept confidential from their parents etc. This is controversial because they can be underage (13+) but at the end of the day if they were denied it I doubt it would stop them!
It definitely seems that the US is a more religious place than here- I only know a handle of people who are, and only a few of them regularly attend church.

Community colleges are two year colleges that offer an Associate's degree. They aren't free, but the tuition is much less than at a four year college. Many students after graduating from community college go on to a four year college. They ((ideally) enter as Juniors (third year students).

Most high school students in the U.S. these days are 18, or even 19, when they graduate. Seventeen is not as common as it used to be as there's a trend for parents to start their kids a little later.

So why do people go to community colleges if they have to go to another college after anyway?
Do parents chose what age they send their kids to school?
Also is it legal for students to just drop out of high school? On American programs that I've watched it seems a lot of people on it dropped out?

1. Because it's cheaper.
2. Do you mean when they start school? Or go to college?
3. Yes.

Trying to answer your questions - Tuition is much cheaper in the Community college. Some - like me get the Associate Degree and go to work in their chosen profession.
I started my career while I was still 19 years old.
I sent my kids to kindergarten as soon as I could since they did well in pre-school.
I was encouraged to keep my son with an August birthday home for another year. I refused. In many states students can't drop out until their 18th birthday unless they are expelled for bad behavior.

<<So why do people go to community colleges if they have to go to another college after anyway? >>

because it's cheaper to start a degree course in community college and then go onto a 4 yr college (for 2 years) to complete a degree

<<Do parents chose what age they send their kids to school? >>

there's some choice but varies from state to state. Our local schools now have a rule that children can't start kindergarten until they are 5 years old


<<Also is it legal for students to just drop out of high school? On American programs that I've watched it seems a lot of people on it dropped out?>>

Yes

Oh and students drop out of college too.. so although a higher % of students go on to college compared with the UK the drop out rate is also high. Some drop out for financial reasons

All of these rules are different from state to state and sometimes district to district. I believe ages for starting school have been moved (by months, not by year). Pre-school is optional although most kids go since most women work. Kindergarden is also optional but almost all kids go. From first grade on education is mandatory - although if parents prefer they can send children to parochial (religious) or private schools that they pay for or have the option of home schooling if they can demonstrate they are capable of doing so (often very conservative people from fundamental religious groups).

Children must stay in school until they are a certain age (often 16) - but again this varies by state. How many drop out or go on to college varies tremendously based on state, family values (how vital is education?) and just family expectations. I went to school in a middle/upper middle class area in suburbs of NYC and of my graduating class 94% went on to 4 year university. In that district parents now spend more than $17,000 per child for the public (free to all) schools. In a district less than 10 miles away with primarily low income families and many people receiving social benefits they spend only about $9,000 per year per student, many drop out of school and few go on to 4 year university - although a higher umber go to local community colleges.

This is in NY, where each school district has separate school boards in control and individual budgets. In the former district the federal government supplies perhaps 20% of the funds, the state another 25% and the rest from taxes on local families. In the latter most of the funds come from the federal and state government since local residents can't afford to pay much in local school taxes - so the total spend is much lower.

In some states the funds come primarily from federal and state governments so spending may be more even - although the issues that come with poverty often mean that many fewer students are successful.

nytraveler is incorrect in some areas:

1. People below the poverty level long-term do not typically have Medicaid. They have to apply for and be approved for Medicaid. It reimburses hospitals and physicians very poorly, and many physicians will not take Medicaid patients. It is also quite political, as each state government has a contribution to be made toward paying for indigent care through Medicaid, and it is not the same in each state.

Many people do not have Medicaid, typically undocumented Hispanics, and in some areas of the country, this is a huge population that cannot pay for healthcare services. Hospitals just don't get paid for providing for their care. Their problem becomes trying to find non-hospital care for non-life threatening problems and preventive care.

Planned Parenthood is one organization that actively provides screening and preventive healthcare.

Sorry - should have made it clear that all social services and benefits are for citizens only. Illegal aliens - and we have millions do not qualify.

As for Medicaid - although the federal government contributes, a significant part of the funds come from each state - which has different standards and different benefits. Some states try to give it to those that qualify and some states do everything possible to prevent giving it even to those who clearly qualify.

In some places it is beleived that peole are poor simpy because they choose to - and giving them benefits is only encouraging them not to support themselves. (Obviusly true in some cases, but IMHO most on Medicaid are indigent seniors, children under the age of 18 and mothers with infants/small children). Some states want these people either to support themselves (but don;t provide free child care) or should just go away.

Another problem we are dealing with - and people have very different attitudes.

I don't know why anyone would ever choose to be poor-surely that just defies logic? I think benefits are a very difficult thing to get right. If your too free in giving them out (like the uk) then people just become lazy and don't bother knowing they have a back up.
But I think that the majority of genuine people who need benefits don't want to be in that situation e.g young mothers with infants. If they have to go out to work and pay for child care as well as all they're rent and bills they're probably making a loss.

Why do parents pay $17000 if the education is free?
You said that benefits are only given to citizens and not illegal aliens-does this mean that if a foreign person moves to the us from another country (but not illegally) that they'd get benefits if needed?
Because our benefit system is so easy to minipulate, we have a lot of people coming to the uk and getting benefits without ever working a single day in the uk! I saw an article in the paper the other day about how a afghan family of 10 had been placed in a £2 million house and got £170000 a year in benefits, yet one of our troops who fought for our country and can no longer fight due to injury has been told by thr council that they'll need to move into a homeless hostel with his wife and two young children, its disgraceful! I think the uk definitely needs to be more like the us by making the system harder- but then again still make it given to those in genuine need.

I don't understand why they can drop out if they reach 18. Surely that's a massive waste of 13 years education?