Financial Aid for International - Page 2

happymomof1 · 09-24-2009, 03:26 PM

shanghaison -

You need to find out what the policies are for determination of state residency for tuition purposes at the various public universities, colleges, and community colleges in the state where you reside. You may be eligible for in-state tuition and fees even though you aren't a citizen or permanent resident.

You also need to look for institutions that have good merit aid for students with your statistics. Again, some won't make that aid available to international students, but some will. You can get an excellent education at a lower-ranked institution if you are willing to put forth the effort. Most of what you get out of college is up to you.

Good luck!

shanghaison · 09-25-2009, 02:35 PM

My state sees me as a resident because I will graduate from a state high school but I can not afford this tuition anyway. I will either hit the jack pot and be accepted by a great university that will pay for my education or I will be screwed. My family just does not have money. My saving is $1100.

Northstarmom · 09-25-2009, 05:48 PM

Even to get merit aid, some universities require that you submit a FAFSA, which means your parents' tax info will be needed. No chance of getting financial aid without tax info. It's very difficult to get merit aid covering everything.

You may have to start at community college, which probably is affordable for you if you work and live at home.

AMOLED · 09-30-2009, 04:48 AM

It is very very difficult for international student, regardless of their residency in US, to get a financial aid. Thats a fact. Its like int'l studnets getting in US Med schools.

As others have already said, there is extremely limited fund for a whole lot of students. Plus most of international student financial aid are from external (not the school) institutions and they tend to be quite objective on selecting a candidate. so its difficult to tell you
your chances.

mom2collegekids · 09-30-2009, 09:05 AM

BTW...

Even if you somehow get a great scholarship from some US school that is far away, the scholarship won't cover EVERYTHING..such as travel...So, how are you going to pay for your trips back and forth (summers, winter break, spring break, etc)?

And, I agree with what others have posted...if your family doesn't file taxes, you won't be able to do a FAFSA. Your only hope is to find a private school (I don't think publics can help you), that will award you an automatic merit scholarship for your stats...but even that will likely not cover "everything" (such as food, books, fees, etc). So, how will you pay for that?

BTW...I think when HYP says that they view citizens and non-citizens equally...I think they mean citizens and legal permanent residents. I don't think they mean citizens and internationals without residency. But, I could be wrong.

Another option...have you considered applying to colleges in your home country? Are there any scholarships there?

shanghaison · 09-30-2009, 05:46 PM

Thank you for the kindest responses.

Attending the best colleges in China is impossible for me. The process of admission is very difficult for Chinese living in China. For Chinese living in a broad, this is impossible unless you have government contact.

I saw this from the Harvard website:

"Harvard meets the full need of every student, including international students, for all four years."

Other top universities say same things. I think admission is the opportunity I am striving for. If I am admitted than I will receive full aid. Getting admitted is very difficult and my deepest hope is that I will be judged against all applicants and not just against internationals. I say this because my opportunities for EC have been American opportunties. Many internationals have opportunities to win his country's national awards and contests. United States does not do these things often. Although my resume is very strong it is an American resume. I will stand out if judged against Americans but not that much if judged against internationals.

As for travel and food I am not concerned. Harvard, Princeton, and Yale are very close to my home. Stanford is a long trip but I could stay away for four years and be satified. I eat very little and food costs will not be an issue. I believe work would be available to me as well for these expenses.

I am grateful for the sincere advice.

HapaGirl · 09-30-2009, 10:22 PM

Yeah that kinda of sucks. I have a friend in the same situation. Her parents came to the US from Korea like 20 years ago in order to go to college. They met, got married, graduated, had her, and then her dad found a job as an engineer. He got some kind of visa that let him work in the US and they hoped he'd eventually become a citizen. But then he lost the job. Instead of going home, he kept working jobs. Meanwhile, my friend grw up in the US and is just like me. She doesn't even speak Korean very well. Anyway, she's got great stats (a 2340 SAT, for example) but she's has to apply as an international. Her family is also pretty poor, so she's worried that she won't be able to go to colleges that accept her. It seems pretty unfair to me. If a kid grows up in the US her entire life, why should she be punished because of something her parents did?

Northstarmom · 10-01-2009, 03:47 AM

" Stanford is a long trip but I could stay away for four years and be satisfied."

This is not realistic. For instance, how would you support yourself during the summer? You would not be likely to get jobs that would cover your room, board, and and transportation. California is expensive, and more than likely, you'd also need a car to get to work.

""Harvard meets the full need of every student, including international students, for all four years."

Other top universities say same things. I think admission is the opportunity I am striving for. If I am admitted than I will receive full aid."

You will need to provide tax records or other official documentation to demonstrate your financial need. The universities don't just rely on your family's word. They need proof of income, etc.

Here's a link to the pdf fill about financial that Harvard requires of foreign students. This would be similar to what other colleges providing need-based aid would require: http://isites.harvard.edu/fs/docs/ic...gn_aid_app.pdf

happymomof1 · 10-01-2009, 07:14 AM

shanghaison,

Some of the parents seem to think that your family is undocumented. Is that your situation, or does your family have currently valid H1B, J, or other visa status? Everything will be much more difficult if you are undocumented. If you hold a valid visa, you need to find out if you can study in that status or if it will be necessary to convert to an F-1. Changing status may affect your work eligibility - for example, F-1 students have certain limited conditions in which they can earn money.

If you can study in your state of residence as an in-state student, take a long hard look at your local community colleges. They should be more affordable than the public universities. You also need to look ahead to your future. What kind of job will you be able to get when you graduate? Will you have a green card by then because of your parents' application or will you be looking for a job that will give you an H1B? What alternate futures can you find for yourself? Would Canada or Australia offer you better opportunities?

mom2collegekids · 10-01-2009, 11:46 AM

NorthStarmom is right.

If your family cannot document thru tax records it's earnings, then you won't get any aid. No college is going to just take your word that your family has little earnings. Remember, colleges have to "determine need" - which they determine by looking at family income records - like tax return info.

I hope we aren't misunderstanding your situation. As I (and some others) understand it, you and your family are not legal residents (perhaps your visa expired or something like that). Because of that, none of you can hold "regular jobs" that require records or taxes to be paid, therefore it looks like you and your family have little to no earnings. You have spent many years in the US, being educated here. Is all of this right?

I don't think top universities are going to accept a family's claim that they have little earnings without any "proof". I don't think an international family can't simply "work for cash" and then claim "no income" and get full aid. Maybe I'm wrong, but if it were true, everyone would work for cash, claim no income, and get full aid. I think that's why records are needed.

If you are undocumented, I hope that you can get that straightened out. It is getting harder and harder for employers to hire undocumented workers - the penalties can be very expensive.

and...as Northstarmom says...California is VERY Expensive...especially around Stanford. Any aid won't cover summer costs and it's be difficult for you to earn much if not documented.

Good luck

radimom · 10-01-2009, 11:40 PM

I think you said you live in New York? If so, you live in one of the few states where, if you are undocumented, you actually have more chance at a college education than in most other places. I believe undocumented students who have been in NY (or NYC) for at least 4 years, have certain particular opportunities for a college education at various instate or in-city colleges and universities. This should be easy to find on the internet.

I think you are also not quite clear about the application process. First of all, applying and getting accepted, is separate from applying for financial aid and being offered financial aid. You can apply to, and get accepted at, all sorts of institutions,HYPS if you so desire (if you have the money for the application fees). Being accepted does NOT however guarantee that they will give you any, or full,financial aid. That is a separate process, that you do starting Jan. 1, with the FAFSA, and with tax and other official information that has been mentioned above. For HYPS and other highly competitive and rich institutions, you ALSO will need to fill out a separate, more specific financial aid application form from Collegeboard called the CSS Profile. This asks about just about everything except the cost of the shoes you wear.

It is NOT hopeless, but you need to be realistic, especially if you are undocumented. If you are a legal resident for 4 years in NY, you may have some very good options, and affordable, that students whose parents settled in, say, North Carolina, have no access to. So good luck and I hope you can make wonderful use of what IS available to you.

radimom · 10-01-2009, 11:49 PM

Another thought--you have very outstanding statistics for most institutions except HYPS (which turn down at least half of the students who get perfect 2400s on their SATs). Find the August copy of US News & World Report, or find it online, and check the top 100 Universities, and also top 100 Liberal Arts Colleges. Especially in places ranked 25-100, all VERY good colleges, you should be able to find a place that would truly want to have someone with your statistics and gifts. Private institutions would be more likely than public institutions, and places farther away, midwest, south, would be more likely than those close to the population centers of the northeast.

If you are undocumented, it is estimated that there are 65,000 of you that graduate from high school every year. It is estimated that around 6-8,000 of you get a chance to go on to college. Check out the information on the CollegeBoard website--very interesting. Do a key word search for undocumented. I think it is under the Professional section.

shanghaison · 10-02-2009, 02:11 AM

Thank you for the very informative responses.

I am not undocumented. My father is H1. My mother and I are H4. My siblings are citizens. My father has applied for green card status and we are waiting to hear the good news.

I will enter the admission process hopeful for the best alternatives. I wish everyone good luck. Thank you to all.

mom2collegekids · 10-03-2009, 12:14 AM

If your dad is H1, doesn't that mean his visa was based on his ability to work here in some kind of special capacity (or am I mistaken). To get an H1 visa, you have to demonstrate that an employer wants you to work for them. If so, does your dad work in a good job? Does he pay taxes? Does he have an income record? If not, how does he have a H1 Visa? I'm not saying that he earns enough for an Ivy league school, but if he's H1, he should have a decent job.

Your H4 visa is dependent on your dad's H1 visa.

shanghaison · 10-03-2009, 01:37 AM

My father's first job was a good job and qualified the H1. He only worked for six months. The H1 allows immigrants to work other jobs after the first one is completed but the new owner must follow H1 rules and they don't like that. He has worked many, many jobs over the last six years but not good jobs. H1 also permits immigrants to apply for green card. In years past, this process requires two or three years but it now takes many years. No one dream that I would still be H4 at this time. Our desire was to obtain green cards two or three years past. It is very unfortunate situation for me.