Swiss Review 5/2018

Swiss Review / September 2018 / No.5 24 Advice and help for those wanting to study in Switzerland educationsuisse advises young Swiss Abroad in all matters pertaining to education – from the choice of the education programme to financing The employees of educationsuisse advise young Swiss Abroad as well as graduates of Swiss schools abroad on all matters relating to educa- tion or training in Switzerland. This free advice in German, French, English, Italian or Spanish usually takes place by email or telephone. The team provides information on admission to higher education in- stitutions, required language skills, vocational education, scholar- ships, accommodation and other topics. A personal consultation on- site in Bern is also possible by appointment. Specific consultation on choice of profession and course of study is offered by educationsuisse in collaboration with the Berufsber- atungs- und Informationszentrum (BIZ) Bern-Mittelland (Career Consulting and Information Centre). These consultations can be car- ried out via Skype or on-site in Bern. In a personal dialogue with a qualified specialist, individual questions about the choice of profes- sion and course of study are addressed. Registration for these fee- based consultations can be done via educationsuisse. Once there is a plan in place for a vocational education or uni- versity studies in Switzerland, there are many practical matters to be addressed. The financing of the education or training has to be clarified. While fees for studying or training in Switzerland are rather low, the cost of living is higher than inmany other countries. In principle parents are responsible for financing the education of their children. For those with more limited financial means, there is the possibility of applying for a cantonal educational grant (schol- arship). Responsibility for educational grants to young Swiss Abroad lies with the home canton. It should be checked first, though, if in the parents’ country of residence support would be given for edu- cation or training in Switzerland. Sometimes universities or private foundations also grant education subsidies. educationsuisse assists in clarifying scholarship entitlement and takes care of the scholar- ship dossiers of young Swiss Abroad. Furthermore, thanks to vari- ous funds, educationsuisse can also award educational grants in the form of scholarships or loans. Employees of educationsuisse can be reached by email at info@educationsuisse.ch or by phone on +41 (0)31 356 61 04 . (RG) OSA news The youth offer for this winter New Year’s ski camp for young people in Valbella (GR), 26 Dec 2018–4 Jan 2019 Participants can expect a varied programme in the Grisons Alps. In addition to ski or snowboard lessons in small groups and a variety of fringe activities, there will also be time to make new acquaintances. Participants will be looked after by a trained and motivated leadership team. This offer is for adolescents between the ages of 15 and 18. Adult winter sports camp in Saas-Grund (VS), 27 Dec 2018–5 Jan 2019 Now for the third time, we are offering young adults and those young at heart from the age of 18 a winter sports camp in the Valais Alps. This year the ski and snowboard camp will be held in Saas-Grund. Follow the link for a preview of the accommodation and ski resort: www.ferienhaus-schoenblick.ch and www.saas-fee.ch German language course in Bern and French in Biel, 7–18 Jan 2019 Four language lessons in the morning, activities together in the afternoon and a welcoming host family. We encourage participants to learn German or French as one of the four national languages. Subsidies The Youth Service has funding available to provide support to financially disadvantaged participants: www.swisscommunity.org/de/jugend/beitragsreduktion Registration Places are still available. You can find more information about the offers and registration on our website: www.swisscommunity.org/de/jugend/jugendangebote.