<p>Dear International undegraduate students! I need your advice on scholarships. This is my third year and untill now my parents have been paying for my college, but it is becoming harder and harder with the crisis and the schools increasing tuitions. I go to SUNY- Binghamton and it barely offers any scholarships.At least I could not find any. How are you guys affording your US education. Any outside scholarships or school scholarships. My GPA is not that high right now 3.4, but I can increase it. Do I have any chances at all?I would really appreciate your help! I don't think I can afford my next year. Thanks</p>
<p>You need to pay a visit to the international student office and to the financial aid office on your campus as soon as possible. Talk to the people there about your situation. Find out if there is anything at all available. Find out if you are eligible to work either on or off campus. Depending on your specific visa, you may not be eligible. Find out what the requirements are to be a dorm RA next year (or even next semester). Talk to the professors in your department about your situation, they may have some paid positions within the department that you are eligible for, or a way to waive part of your tuition. You won’t know what is available in your own university until you ask every one there.</p>
<p>You could also check scholarship websites like FastWeb. Most of the scholarships are essay contests of some sort, some of which accept submissions from international students. Most awards are less than $500 but hey, every bit of money helps, right?</p>
<p>Another option to know about is “hardship employment.” F-1 students who once had the resources to pay for all 4 years of college but whose financial circumstances changed unexpectedly (e.g. if your parents lost their job or if you lost a lot of savings due to the economy) can get a work authorization to work off-campus, while school is in session as well as during breaks. Or you can just use your OPT time to work off campus.</p>