We recommend that interested married applicants contact previously enrolled families (or presently enrolled married students) in order to get their opinions, thoughts and feedback about our school. Please feel free to request the email or blog addresses of any of our former married students, including our present married students, and we will be happy to put you in direct contact with them.

Married couples are required to provide for their own housing due to their unique needs unlike our single students. We do not maintain long-term apartments for families simply because each family has different needs. A projected set-up cost for an apartment or house is estimated to be $3000-$7000 for furniture and appliances. We suggest another $1000-$2000 budget for dishes, kitchenware, fans, air-conditioners, bedding, etc. Obviously set up costs vary depending upon the family and their respective needs. Rent varies depending on the size of the apartment or house. Typical rent prices run between $600 - $1500 per month based on size and location. (Note: landlords typically require one month advance rent and two months refundable deposit up front at contract signing.) Utilities also vary depending on each respective family needs. ADVISORY: We require families to arrive at least 2 months prior to the school start date in order to provide adequate time to find and set up a new house or apartment.

Families, of course, will need to have enough funding to adequately support their living and personal expenses. Some families are donor-supported and function very much as a typical field missionary relying on the financial support from family, friends and their home church. Other families prefer to be self-supported through personal savings. We recommend that a family of 4 budget a minimum of $2500-3000/month for living expenses. This proposed monthly budget does not include tuition fees for children to attend a local school or maintenance costs for a vehicle. Note: Foreign currency exchange rates fluctuate constantly. The cost of living as a foreigner dependent on the $US is very much influenced based on the strength of the dollar against the local currency.

We STRONGLY recommend that families seriously consider purchasing a used vehicle. Married couples with no children typically buy a motorcycle. Public transportation is always available, but the logistical challenges of transporting children and groceries can be quite taxing.

Please contact us for more information.

Families that are seriously considering attending Newlife School of Midwifery must embrace the new role of the husband that will assuredly be required. Understanding this is a 'season' in their marriage that focuses on the wife's midwifery education, the husband must absolutely be willing to accept this new priority in order to allow his wife to fulfill her academic and clinic responsibilities. A definite change in spousal roles within the household will undoubtedly be essential concerning the husband if they have children.

We've had some married couples enrolled over the years who have not had any children. If this is the case, husbands obviously will not be dealing with the role reversal issue. However, the need for husbands to be completely supportive is essential if the wife hopes to meet the school's requirements and fulfill her desire to be a midwife. We ask husbands to genuinely 'lay-it-down' for the duration of his wife's schooling realizing that its only for a season.

Due to the unique needs of families, Newlife School recommends that married students plan to extend their school program by a minimum of two additional quarters. Experience had proven that married students are simply too challenged to complete the program in 2.5 years, which a single student can manage. This is entirely due to the added time a married students needs with her children and her husband; an issue we are sensitive to and wish to support for the purpose of seeing the married couples maintain a healthy family.

Foreigners are not allowed to work locally while on a missionary visa. Some married applicants have assumed their husbands would be able to work while they are studying at the school. Note: If the husband is retained by a US-based company doing IT work via his computer and is paid in the States or Canada then of course that is entirely doable. We would require a letter confirming employment and monthly income from the company to substantiate the financial capacity of the student applicant.

We desire to see husbands fulfilled during their time here. There are an abundance of opportunities available for husbands to get involved. There are maintenance issues at the clinic and dorm, and there are many different ministries operating in the city where you can get involved.

Most of our families homeschool their children. However, there is a missionary school located in the city. This school was established in the 1980's and serves all grades; K-12. Tuition fees run about $3000/student per year.

The city where our school is based is home to a large missionary community. There are approximately 100 missionary families living and serving here. Some of these missionaries are involved in translation projects, church planting, community development, health care, etc. In addition, there is a growing number of American expats listed with the American Embassy residing here. Some of these people are here for business interests or they are retired. Therefore, the overall size of the American [and Canadian and European] population gives opportunity to develop extended friendships.