chubach

Perhaps a wrong opinion, but I'd heard from my seniors that compared to private colleges, public colleges aren't so good. And, further, they don't give good financial aids.

Now, I'm not sure about those two claims. So, I'm asking how true are they? I actually want to double major in Physics and Computer Science and for fields like those two, how much impact does attending a community college make? I want to apply to Ohio State and Georgia Tech but I'm not sure how well Physics and Computer Science majors of such public colleges are looked towards at. Sorry if public colleges are offended but I mean nothing wrong or any offense.

Also, I'm an international student and so, need huge financial aid. So, how are public colleges at providing financial aids?

ucbalumnus

Public universities in the US are typically not generous with financial aid to out of state students, and even less so (probably none) for international students. They do tend to be relatively admissions-friendly to transfer students from same-state community colleges. You can check the web sites of specific universities for their actual policies.

Only a few very highly selective universities in the US offer good financial aid to international students.

happymomof1

If you haven't already done so, read through everything at EducationUSA | Study Abroad, Student Visa, University Fairs, College Applications and Study in the U.S. / America then make an appointment with the advisors at the counseling center closest to where you live EducationUSA - Find an Advising Center These advisors are expert at helping international students find good places to study in the US. They will be able to tell you where students like you have been admitted in the past few years, and whether or not they received financial aid. EducationUSA is a not-for-profit organization. They are there to help you, not to make a lot of money. Many of their services will be free.

You also should spend some time in the International Students Forum. You can find it by going to the main page where all of the forums are listed and then scrolling down. Look for anything by b@r!um. She is one of the experts there on financial aid.

chubach

@ucbalumnus
Thank you very much for your reply. That was really helpful.

So, basically almost no public university offers good financial aid to international students? Or, are there a few exceptions?

@happymomof1
Thank you for informing about EducationUSA. That was really helpful!

ucbalumnus

Don't know of any (although it is possible but unlikely that one can exist -- check each school's web site for details).

However, some public universities have low list prices for out of state and international students (e.g. those in North Dakota and South Dakota). Others are moderately low list price like University of Minnesota, Virginia Tech, North Carolina State University, Stony Brook University, California Polytechnic. But those are still around $30,000 per year.