A question concerning colleges that are need-based but NOT need-bli

Student Lounge International Students
1

<p>I have a question concerning colleges and universities that are need-based but NOT need-blind for international student- that is, colleges that will admit international students not only based on their academic performance but also on their ability to pay for the tuition and living expanses. Examples for such universities are Columbia, Cornell, Rice, Duke, etc. </p>

<p>From what I understand, international students who are in need for high financial aid (>$20,000) have much lower chances for admission than those who only need a minimal amount of aid. In fact, there is a direct relationship between the ability of an international student to pay for college and his chances to get admitted- the less financial aid an international student needs the better chances he (or she) has. </p>

<p>Now, I personally have a total of $40,000 savings for all FOUR years of college. This means that my chances are slim considering that I need more than $30,000 PER YEAR (I can only pay about $10,000 saving money PER YEAR for four years). </p>

<p>But I also know that the CSS forms- those forms which assist colleges to determine students’ ability or inability to pay tuition- ask only if one can pay for his or hers FIRST year of college and not for the entire four years (this is why many students need to apply for financial aid every year). </p>

<p>So my question is this- should I write in the CSS form that I can pay $40,000 for the first year? I believe that it will increase my chances to get admitted, and then, if I get accepted, after the first year, I will have a better chance to receive a full-ride financial aid. Tell me what you think :)</p>

2

<p>That’s not how financial aid works.</p>

<p>Visa documents ask about your financial resources for the first year. The CSS Profile, on the other hand, asks about your total resources (income, savings, etc) and colleges will use that information to determine your yearly contribution. It’s generally expected that you will make the same contribution each year. In fact, many colleges don’t even let international students reapply for aid - you automatically keep the contribution you got in your first year. Domestic students have to reapply each year in order to qualify for federal grants and loans, but this same reasoning does not apply to international students.</p>

<p>

I am not sure if that is true. For all we know, colleges might put all financial aid applicants into a separate pool and start making admission decisions without evaluating the exact need of each individual applicant first.</p>