International Student Information

Access to financial aid from the U.S. government is restricted to U.S. citizens and Permanent Residents. However, international students are eligible to apply for financial aid provided solely with University funds, and will be be considered equally with U.S. students.

Almost all financial aid is granted through financial committees in each school/college at the University. These scholarships are usually based on academic performance. It is therefore imperative that you maintain a grade point average (G.P.A) close to 4.00. Speak with someone in the Dean's office of your school/college for additional information.

Studying in the United States can be an inspiring, exciting experience, but it can be difficult to finance. Education is very expensive in the United States; students and their families here pay a higher proportion of the cost of education compared to those in other countries, primarily through the payment of tuition and fees. The cost of living, too, can be high relative to that in other countries. Financial aid is limited and difficult to find. Foreign students must often compete with American students and other foreign students for the same limited funding.
You will need to be persistent because searching for financial aid can be long, tedious, and often unrewarding. Unfortunately, many students are unable to study in the United States because it is too expensive and financial aid is not available. Eighty-one percent of the foreign students in the U.S. finance their education through personal and family sources at the undergraduate level, while forty-seven percent of foreign graduate students finance their education in a similiar manner:

Approach to accomplish the students required goal:

Important links for the International Student:

Planning

It is essential that you think about planning your entire U.S. education before you leave your home country. If you plan to study in the U.S. for several years, think beyond the first year; ask yourself, "How will I finance the years that follow?" Unfortunately, some students must return home after only one year of study because they run out of money. Some colleges, universities, and U.S. consulates require foreign students to provide certification of funding for that student's entire planned period of study, even though the I-20 form requires proof of funding for the first year only.

Therefore you should begin research on funding your education well before you leave your home country. Some scholarships and grants are available only to students applying from their home country. You might also investigate all possible home-country sources of funding. You should expect the following expenses when studying in the U.S.: application fees, standardized test fees, tuition, travel expenses, living costs (including room and meals), books and supplies, health insurance, and incidental expenses. You may need to combine several sources of funding in order to fully finance your education in the United States. There is a pamphlet developed by USIA titled, "If You Want to Study in the United States - Graduate Study." It contains a section on "Evaluating Your Ability to Finance U.S. Study" with a detailed table and explanation of the various costs graduate students in particular must consider. It also contains a financial worksheet to help you plan your expenses more realistically.

For graduate students in particular, one should begin the application process 18 months before the intended date of study. Ideally, planning and researching financial assistance should begin at the same time, but certainly no later than one year (12 months) before the following school year. The steps involved in applying for financial assistance are as follows:

  • Identify and target possible resources;
  • Write for initial information;
  • Organize and complete application requests;
  • Return completed financial assistance applications well ahead of the final deadline date indicated on forms. These dates may be much earlier than regular application deadlines - as early as 8-9 months before classes begin.

Remember, competition for grants is keen in the U.S.; an incomplete, tardy, poorly written, or messy application could make the difference between you and the other applicant. Plan ahead, plan well, prepare carefully, and follow instructions! Give yourself plenty of time to put together a quality request for financial assistance and make sure that your application, including application fee, transcripts, standardized test results, letters of recommendation, and essays are complete and returned to the institution well ahead of all deadlines.

Funding Sources


There are various sources of financial aid available for study in the U.S. These include:

  • Private organizations (U.S. and international), foundations, and international agencies that offer scholarships, grants, and other financial aid to students.

  • Certain agencies of the U.S. Government and foreign governments that offer scholarships to international students. U.S. Government funding comes only in the form of assistantships, fellowships, and awards programs. U.S. Government student loans are not available to foreign students. Only two percent of all foreign students in the U.S. receive any funding from the U.S. government.

  • Colleges and universities provide funding through scholarships, grants, and fellowships, although most are for graduate level students. These are also very limited.

  • Teaching and research assistantships are available at some universities for graduate students who assist a teacher with specific tasks in exchange for financial assistance. Such assistantships are usually based on academic merit, or previous experience, background and training, not on financial need. It is possible that an assistantship may not cover all expenses and that the student might need additional financial resources.

  • Direct exchange programs might exist between a home country university and a U.S. institution, providing a full or partial waiver of tuition and fees.

  • Working in the United States is sometimes possible, but the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) has strict regulations which prohibit foreign students from working off-campus in their first year; the rules are also restrictive for students beyond the first year. You should not expect to be able to finance your study by working in the U.S.

  • Loans are available from some commercial banks which require approval from a school's financial aid office and proof of the credit-worthiness of both the student and a co-borrower who must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident. Loans are very expensive and should be a last resort for foreign students.

Additional Information


Information is available about the above funding sources. While in your home country, contact the United States Information Service (USIS) post or the educational advising center designated by the American Embassy in your country. These centers have libraries with useful publications for you to review at no charge for information on colleges and universities in the U.S. and those institutions or organizations that offer financial aid to foreign students. Foreign students may also be able to review the College Explorer Plus or ExPAN, a computerized database of information on U.S. institutions, at their USIS educational advising office. These offices can always be found in the capital city but there may be branch offices elsewhere in the country.

If you are already in the United States, foreign student offices and career planning and placement offices on college campuses can be valuable sources of current financial aid information. They often have catalogs and books on scholarships, fellowships, and grants which you can review.

Below is a list of some of the books and Internet resources you may want to use while searching for financial aid, and may be found at the USIS post library (prices, listed in U.S. dollars, are subject to change):

  • The A's and B's of Academic Scholarships (annual, September). This describes undergraduate scholarships not based on need (generally academic or talent awards available at about 1,200 colleges and universities. It may be ordered for $7.50 plus $2 first class mailing from Octameron Associates, P.O. Box 2748, Alexandria, VA 22301-2748, Tel.: (703) 836-5480.

  • Chronicle Financial Aid Guide (annual, September). This provides information on financial aid programs in the U.S. from noncollegiate sources. Includes some listings for foreign students. Cost is $22.47 plus $2.50 shipping from Chronicle Guidance Publications, Inc., P.O. Box 1190, Moravia, NY 13118-1190, Tel.: 1 - (800) 622-7284.

  • The College Handbook - Foreign Student Supplement 1996, (updated annually). This guide to U.S. colleges and universities for foreign students includes facts for undergraduate and graduate foreign students on enrollment, TOEFL, application deadlines, foreign students services, and housing at many U.S. institutions. It lists whether the colleges offer financial aid to foreign students, the total amount available, and the application deadline for aid. It may be ordered from College Board Publications, Box 886, New York, NY 10101-0886 for $16 plus $8.31 for overseas shipping, or call the College Board at (212) 713-8165 or fax at (212) 713-8143. College Board publications may also be ordered over the Internet - see College Board Online, next page. The Foreign Student Planning Guide, a shortened version of the Foreign Student Supplement without the institutional data, may also be available at advising centers.

  • Complete College Financing Guide, 1994 Edition. This publication devotes one chapter to funding for U.S. students wishing to study abroad and international students wishing to study in the U.S. It describes some scholarships and also lists other sources of information. It is available from Barron's Educational Series, Inc., 250 Wireless Boulevard, Hauppauge, NY 11788, Tel.: (516) 434-3311, for $14.95 plus $2.32 ($15.69 overseas) postage and handling. Your library might also have this book. The International Standard Book Number is 0-81201635-1.

  • Foundation Grants to Individuals, 9th edition. Undergraduate and graduate scholarship sources are described. Also included are fellowships, residences, internships, and grants by U.S. foundations to foreign nationals and citizens as well as company-sponsored aid. This book costs $65.00 plus $4.50 ($13.00 overseas) postage and handling, and is available from The Foundation Center, 79 Fifth Avenue, 8th floor, New York, NY 10003, Tel.: 1-(800) 424-9836. You may also access The Foundation Center's World Wide Web page at https://204.5.210.11/.

  • Funding for U.S. Study: A Guide for Foreign Nationals. This book advises students on planning for financial aid and describes over 600 grants and fellowships open to foreign nationals in varying fields of studies and countries of origin. It does not include financial aid offered directly by U.S. colleges and universities. However, the 1996 edition is available and will include financial aid offered by U.S. colleges and universities, both named awards and more general financial aid. Contact IIE Books at Institute of International Education, P.O. Box 371, Annapolis, MD 20701-0301, Tel.: 1- (800) 445-0443; or e-mail: [email protected]. Cost is $39.95 plus $4 shipping and handling - $16 for overseas shipping. (To request a catalog of publications electronically, send an e-mail message to this address with the word, Available?, in the subject line. Leave the text empty.)

  • The Grants Register 1996-1997. This book is primarily intended for students at or above the graduate level who require further professional or advanced vocational training. It aims to provide full, current information on awards (scholarships, fellowships, research grants, exchange opportunities, etc.) for nationals of the U.S., Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, and developing countries, and costs $95. The 1997-99 edition is available for $110. Available from St. Martin's Press, Scholarly and Reference Office, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010, Tel.: 1- (800) 817-2525.

  • A Selected List of Fellowships and Other Support Opportunities for Advanced Education for United States Citizens and Foreign Nationals, 1993 edition (National Science Foundation). NSF 4201 Wilson Boulevard, Arlington, VA 22230, Tel.: (703) 306-1234.

  • CISP International Studies Funding Book. Available from Council Intercultural Studies and Programs, 60 E. 42 St., New York, NY 10017, Tel.: 1- (800) 316-2739.