I will be a sophomore next academic year at my home country university.
As being said in the title, I was told that I should consider need-blind colleges and I did find a complete list of colleges with need-blind policy.
And all of them require international transfer students (emphasis on the word “transfer”) to follow the financial requirements if I want to apply for financial aids.
I have emailed to Minerva Schools at KGI (after considering all of the colleges) and one of the admission officers replied: “You will still use your parents’ information in applying”. Does she mean that I am still eligible?
How the other general admission officers would say about my circumstance?
Please help!
I think you are confusing ‘need blind’ with providing full aid. Most colleges are need blind but do not meet the needs of their accepted students. Schools that do promise to meet full need are often need aware for international students.
Schools do require dependent students to report their parents’ income and assets, even if parents have retired, for financial aid.
Your parents being retired doesn’t make you ineligible to apply anywhere. It may affect what your family can afford so you need to have that discussion with your family. many college students have retired parents. Did your family save for your education before they retired?
Any student - international or domestic, whether or not their parents are retired- can apply to be a transfer student.
Until you meet certain requirements (such as being 25 years of age) your parents finances are still considered when determining how much financial aid you need.
Each university will calculate how much they think that you can afford to pay. Being retired does not exempt parent finances from being considered.
Thank you @123Mom456 for replying.
Sadly, my parents are not encouraging in my decision of studying abroad so they only save enough money for me to study in my own country.
What I mean is my parents’ bank accounts are only for pensions. Also, both of them are in their sixties already.
That’s the reason why I’m concerned about my eligibility.
Hello @twoinanddone
So those schools that providing full financial aid don’t necessarily have to be need-blind policy, right?
If so, will you please provide me some information about that?
Hello @collegemom3717
What you mean is how much they think I can personally afford to pay, right? But I’m in my last year of being a teenager so how can I do that without the willing support of my parents and whole family?
I’m just so frustrated right now.
I even registered for taking the SAT in October two days ago just to hope that I can have more chance of being admitted.
No, not you personally. Colleges will take your parents’ incomes and assets into account if you’re under 24. How much can you and your parents pay per year? Most colleges don’t meet need for international students, and need is determined by the colleges. It’s not based on what you think your family can pay.
There are several schools that are need blind for domestic students but need aware for internationals. There are schools that are need aware for everyone, or for everyone after the RD (waitlists, transfers).
You need to know the policies, an apply to those schools that will meet YOUR full need because otherwise you won’t be able to attend. Does Minerva provide FA to students in your position? I couldn’t find that much information about its aid.
Thank you @twoinanddone
So I should look for those schools that meet my full demonstrated need, right?
FYI: Minerva does offer financial aid for students like me. I have read through their website and emailed them. The response is in my original post with more information here:
“Financial aid is available to admitted students who complete a financial aid application and demonstrate need. U.S. and international applicants are given equal consideration. Minerva follows a need-blind admissions policy – this means that applicants are admitted solely by merit. Your admissions and financial information are kept separately, and applying for financial aid will not impact your admissions decision.
Financial aid is need-based and comes in the form of low-interest loans, work-study opportunities, and scholarships.”
Thank you @austinmshauri
Are you sure you’re a transfer student BTW? If you’re 18, odds are that you’re in “college” or “high school” or “further education” not a sophomore in college. For instance if you’re preparing the French bac, the British ALevels, the German Abitur, Filipino College… you’re still considered a prospective freshman.
Being a freshman matters because International transfers don’t get financial aid. In other words, if you’re a transfer and tour parents won’t pay, you can’t attend a US college .
There are few exceptions to this policy, such as Minerva or some women’s colleges.
If you need some financial aid but can afford 20-30k a year many colleges will be possible.
Need blind : they don’t decide on admissions based on what you can afford. A xollegr may be need blind because they admit you and if you can’t afford to go it’s not their problem.(Most colleges are like this, including for Americans).
Need aware : between two strong applicants, the student who can afford the most is admitted. The more you need they invest in your, the more likely it is you won’t get in.
Meet need : the college commits to contributing to your education after your family has paid their part. There are few of these even for Americans.
Most colleges don’t meet need, meaning they admit you and offer you a scholarship that’s unlikely to make the College affordable.
Need based aid : the scholarship depends on your parents’ income.
Merit based aid: the scholarship depends on your test scores (mostly) and other factors (grades, exceptional success in something).
Thank you @MYOS1634
Those terms that you explain briefly for me is really helping.