Aid offered varies all over the map, depending on the U, how much they want the particular candidate/student, what your FAFSA & Profile reveal, and other factors. SOME schools will consider offers made by schools they consider "comparable" while others won't. Merit awards are nice and do NOT depend on the financial circumstances of the student but require students to meet criteria (GPA & credits) to keep the scholarships; they can be & often are awarded for 4 years, if the student meets criteria. It is important to find out how many (what %) students keep their awards.
FAid can be varying %s of loans, which do have to be repaid & some wonder how much "aid" the offer really is. There are many loan calculators that help calculate repayment for loans. One of my favorites is:
http://finaid.org/calculators/undergradadvisor.phtml
Oh yea, since this is an international thread, it may be even tougher to get money, since many schools give most of their awards to US citizens & permanent residents, but you should inquire with the schools you're interested in about their specific policies.