What are the benefits for students?

Question

Programming

Good day, I am a 1st year student studying Software Engineering in Bulgaria. I myself am from Ukraine, at the moment I am studying, but still I will be grateful for the answers and advice.
It is not unimportant to mention that I love my profession and besides this: it so happened that I am strongly attracted to California precisely as a place of residence, a place where you need to "settle down".
1) What are the programs for students in the field of IT, what can be useful from large companies?
2) Should I try to take a place in America for the summer, or should I not miss the knowledge that I can get during this time here?
3) Are there any programs from IT companies that help exactly IT students to visit California or near it? Sounds weird, but oh well.
4) How would you make the most of a position roughly similar to mine?
I would like to hear answers, including the region of the Russian Federation (that is, not only about what is "over the hill").
Any advice, answers, criticism, words of dissatisfaction will be accepted with a smile, thank you.
Someone will say "too early" to think about where to settle down - immediately a counter question from me: When, in your opinion, is it not too early?

Answer 1

I don’t know about IT, but we have many students at https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Work_and_Travel_USA who leave on the fly to work in America.
(If I'm not mistaken, there are many such programs).
In principle, everything is free, accommodation, work. They pay good money.
After the end of work (2-3 months) you can safely travel around America. And there it’s already not far from CA :)
This is a very real chance to get to America and earn money at the same time :)

Answer 2

https://developers.google.com/open-source/gsoc/?csw=1
Google invites students to write open source code for the summer. Even a scholarship is paid.
Whether Ukrainians are paid, how difficult it is to get there - I don't know. Look for yourself.
For stars, a summer internship at google is possible:
https://geektimes.ru/post/88691/

Answer 3

According to paragraph 1, the small-soft ones have a Dreamspark program for students and graduate students - freebie professional versions of some of their products.

Answer 4

I know a case when a guy like you, after the first year, went around companies and asked for a free internship in one, so he stayed there