International student success story: From China to Syracuse University
In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, Liang Dawen faced rising tuition costs and uncertainty that he could continue pursuing a master’s degree in the United States. With support from MPOWER Financing, he found the financial assistance he needed to continue his studies.
Liang chose to study abroad in the U.S. to take his knowledge of computer science and information technology to the next level. He’d worked in the computer science industry for more than 15 years but knew a master’s degree would drive long-term career growth.
After unexpected financial hardship, he turned to MPOWER Financing for funding to continue his studies in the U.S. Read more to learn about Liang Dawen’s study abroad journey and how MPOWER supported his study abroad goals.
A solution to unexpected financial challenges when studying abroad
Liang had planned carefully for studying abroad, but he couldn’t plan for the pandemic and how it would disrupt his life. Liang’s story is an example of how MPOWER Financing supports international students at all stages of their journey. In his second academic year at Syracuse University, Liang found himself short of funds when the pandemic affected his family’s ability to continue helping him to pay for school. He even contemplated returning home to China. Refusing to quit, he began searching for a solution and discovered MPOWER.
MPOWER Financing is a fintech company that empowers international students, DACA recipients and refugees to attend universities in the U.S. and Canada through loans, scholarships and its Path2Success program, which includes career development resources. Former international students founded the company to help students from around the world study abroad.
Liang found MPOWER just in time as he needed to come up with funds quickly. Many loan providers take several weeks to respond, but MPOWER gave him a rapid response in just a couple of days.
“I felt that MPOWER specifically provides loans to STEM students and assesses the student’s potential, their ability to work in the United States and repay the loan,” said Liang in an interview with MPOWER Financing conducted in Chinese and translated here into English. “I think it’s a very solid and practical product. It’s not like they’re assessing my eligibility for approval based on credit when I have no credit history in the U.S.”
After finding MPOWER, Liang was able to continue his program at Syracuse University and receive the funding he needed to remain in the U.S.
Adjusting from life in China to American culture
Culture shock is an inevitable part of studying abroad. For Liang, the biggest challenge was language. In China, he was used to British English and spellings. American English proved very different.
“As long as you spend enough time in the United States and don’t limit yourself to only interacting with Chinese students, you’ll inevitably encounter different accents and American expressions that differ from British English,” said Liang.
Liang particularly admires the individualistic and free spirit that thrives in American culture. He was used to a more traditional society and needed to adapt and engage with different cultural groups.
Liang shared that his experiences in the U.S. have supported his understanding of diverse cultures and confidence while navigating the workforce abroad.
Advice for studying abroad
Liang has a few tips for students exploring study abroad opportunities or currently in school abroad. He believes it’s important to focus on academics to ensure you remain on track, and he advises living with students from different countries.
“This can make your entire life immersed in English and not give yourself too much space to speak Chinese everyday. Speaking Chinese all the time can weaken your determination to learn English,” said Liang.
Financial support is available for international students to study abroad
Despite the very real possibility he’d have to quit school, Liang earned his master’s degree from Syracuse in 2023. His success shows there’s support for international students at any stage of their journey.
Applying for an MPOWER Financing loan is an easy and straightforward process. It takes less than one minute, check if you’re eligible for a loan today!
