Hi everyone, I wanted to know how financial aid worked in that kind of programs offered by several LACs.
If you have any information I would really appreciate it.
None of the 3-2 programs I am aware of guarantee to meet the full financial need of international students after the transfer, and the majority don’t offer any aid to international students at all.
Columbia’s statement on financial aid for 3-2 transfer students: https://undergrad.admissions.columbia.edu/apply/combined-plan
Caltech: https://www.admissions.caltech.edu/content/faq-32-applicants
Dartmouth: http://engineering.dartmouth.edu/images/uploads/dual-degree-information.pdf
Georgia Tech points 3-2 applicants to the general financial aid policy for transfer students. There’s no financial aid available to any international undergraduate, whether freshman or transfer student:
http://admission.gatech.edu/transfer/dual-degree
http://admission.gatech.edu/international/visa-process
Ditto for Penn State:
http://www.engr.psu.edu/students/dual-degree-program.aspx
http://admissions.psu.edu/info/future/international/financial/
Ditto for RPI:
http://admissions.rpi.edu/undergraduate/admission/transfer/3-2-engineering.html
http://admissions.rpi.edu/undergraduate/admission/international/index.html
For Dartmouth it is necessary to make a correction. The first year of the Dartmouth program, you are considered an exchange student and your liberal arts college fees/financial aid cover your attendance at Dartmouth. The above post makes it seem like there is no financial aid, which is not the case.
I wonder for domestic students how much of demonstrated need Columbia or Wash U provides. My nephew really wants to do a 3+2 program but it seems like a huge financial risk, given he got really good financial aid for the schools to which he was accepted and it does not transfer to the engineering school he chooses.
@Emsmom1: Everything I heard is that Columbia’s and WashU’s fin aid for 3-2 kids is as good as for their entering freshmen.
The bigger risk is not getting in or struggling once in. For Columbia, you can’t get lower than a B in any required STEM class. For both, you need a decently high GPA.
If the STEM classes are really easy at the LAC, the 3-2 student may struggle when they get to Columbia/WashU. 2 years of all engineering classes at an elite is no joke and harder even than being able to spread them out over 3-4 years, as regular engineering majors are sometimes able to do.
@PurpleTitan thanks for the info. I appreciate it!
^ NP!
Can you elaborate? The one and only undergraduate (international) I know who wanted to do Columbia’s 3-2 program couldn’t go because Columbia did not offer her financial aid.
There’s no guarantee for the +2 part.
@“b@r!um”:
Well I said Columbia’s/WashU’s fin aid for their 3-2 transfers are as good as for their entering freshmen, and neither guarantee to meet need for internationals.
For that matter, I’m not sure WashU guarantees to meet need even for Americans.
Columbia meets 100% of demonstrated financial need for international students admitted as first-year students and transfers pursuing their first degree.
http://cc-seas.financialaid.columbia.edu/how/aid/works
Columbia does not guarantee to meet the demonstrated financial need of dual degree engineering applicants. Sounds worse to me.
WUSTL has some limited need-based financial aid for international first-year applicants, but seems to offer none at all to international dual degree applicants. Also sounds worse to me.
I hate to be nitpicky about word choices like “as good as” (vs “as bad as”). I am concerned that your words are giving false hope to prospective international students. I hope nobody enrolls at a LAC with the intention of transferring to a 3-2 engineering program, unless they are prepared to pay the full cost of the engineering degree. Financial aid opportunities are very limited as is and have been getting progressively worse over the past decade. Whatever financial aid may be advertised right now may not be available in 3 years when current prospective students would be applying to engineering programs.
@“b@r!um”:OK, you’re right.
So an International should not expect fin aid from WashU/Columbia if they make the transfer over in the 3-2 program.
Some of the LAC’s on the front end of the 3-2 have fairly low tuition and merit scholarships that are fairly easy to get, however.
Thank you for all your responses, they have been really helpful.
has anyone met any international who could do a 3-2 with FinAid?
I’m interested in this too!