International student success story: From Bangladesh to Temple University
Bangladeshi postgraduate student Md Mahbub Alam is pursuing a master’s degree in the U.S. to improve his career prospects thanks to an MPOWER Financing student loan.
Gaining a career advantage through a U.S. education
Mahbub is enrolled in a postgraduate business analytics program at Temple University in Pennsylvania. With more than a decade of professional experience, he believes his U.S. degree will be well worth the investment. “I have a certain level of experience, and if I get the master’s background from the United States, I think that it will give me a great boost in my career,” Mahbub says.
Here’s how Mahbub’s journey from Bangladesh to Temple University unfolded and how an MPOWER Financing student loan helped him along the way.
Savings were not enough for studying abroad
Before coming to the United States, Mahbub earned his undergraduate degree in Bangladesh and immediately began saving money toward a master’s program. He diligently began building his career, spending many years in fintech and telecommunications. Mahbub then started a master’s program at the leading private university in Bangladesh but decided to pause his studies because he believed that better education was available in the United States. He was excited to pursue his lifelong dream of studying abroad in the U.S.
While Mahbub had enough money to cover his living expenses, he lacked the funds for tuition. So, he next began exploring a student loan.
Even though he had saved a good amount of money, it wasn’t enough to earn his master’s because he had a family to support, as well. “I think that at that time I thought that if I take the loan for my tuition fee, it will be easy for me to continue,” he says.
Funding an education abroad with an MPOWER Financing student loan
When Mahbub began researching international student loan options, he was unaware of MPOWER Financing. He quickly discovered most lenders require a cosigner, or guarantor, a challenge for many international students without such support. The cosigner requirement makes it nearly impossible for many international students to pursue their study abroad aspirations.
After extensive research into financing his education, Mahbub found a few lenders who don’t require collateral or a cosigner. MPOWER was one of them. Mahbub says choosing MPOWER Financing relieved a significant amount of pressure and allowed him to focus on his studies rather than financial concerns. He recommends MPOWER loans to his friends and colleagues in both his home country and the U.S.
“If someone is searching for a loan, then definitely I will recommend MPOWER. I think that MPOWER is the best option if you do not have a cosigner.”
Transition to the U.S.
Unlike many students, Mahbub moved to the U.S. with his family – his wife and two daughters. Having dependents while settling in a foreign country added additional stress and pressure. However, Mahbub says the transition ended up being less difficult than he imagined, even though he no longer had an income.
He says his kids struggled the most to adapt to their new home and country, but, after a couple of months, they settled in, and his older daughter began attending a local school.
During the transition, Mahbub says he took advice from American writer Darren Hardy. “When you start a new thing,” Mahbub paraphrases, “[there are] lots of struggles. Tough things will come. But after a few days … you will see that the thing was not so tough.” This philosophy enabled him to keep moving forward and not give up on studying abroad.
Now settled with his family in the U.S. pursuing his degree, Mahub thinks about his future plans. After graduation, he plans to stay in the U.S. for at least three years to gain experience in the U.S. market. However, he’s not ruling out the possibility of returning to Bangladesh. Mahbub is confident that having a U.S. degree will enable him to secure good employment opportunities in his home country at internationally recognized firms.
Advice for fellow international students from Bangladesh
Mahbub believes a person’s determination to learn and willingness to invest their time are the two key elements that matter when pursuing one’s dreams.
And if they want to secure their future, whatever their financial condition, they should take whatever steps needed to move forward. “If somebody from Bangladesh wants to complete his master’s or MBA from the United States, especially, I recommend [the] U.S., even Canada, they should go for it.”
If you’re interested in joining students, like Mahbub, who are studying overseas, start an application to check your eligibility today, it takes less than one minute!
