Accepted! Aid?

Colleges and Universities A-Z Johns Hopkins University
1

<p>Hey guys! I decided to post here, since the guys at the Hopkins Forums couldn't help me.
So I am an international from India and had applied RD to the Whiting School Of Engineering and got accepted (yaaay >_<).
However, I had applied for the "need-based" aid and when I got the package day-before, it didn't even MENTION the word "aid/scholarship".
My question- What gives?
I really DO need aid. I read on their site that if they weren't able to give me aid, they wouldn't even ACCEPT me; but that is irrelevant, as I'm past that now.</p>

<p>So, yes. We DEFINITELY need aid; we can't even DREAM of affording Hopkins ($52, 000 x4. SERIOUSLY?). Just to give you an idea, my parents earn about 2/3rds of that each year (without expenditures for my 4 membered family).</p>

<p>Thanks :)</p>

<p>I am dazed. Did they not GIVE me aid? Did they think we didn't "NEED IT ENOUGH"?</p>

2

<p>They probably don’t have anymore to give.</p>

<p>Due to the economic climate, more and more people are applying for financial aid, and since you’re an international, you get the last pick (sorry). </p>

<p>Hopefully you’ve applied for some outside scholarship? Otherwise I would suggest some student loans.</p>

3

<p>Did you check the ISIS system to get the status of your aid application?</p>

4

<p>Thanks for the replies!
No, I haven’t applied for ANY outside aid and not even any loans. And Hopkins was my only choice. Wow, all my life, I worked SO hard for it, and now I can’t even attend it, just because I’m an international?</p>

<p>@Padre- No dude, I don’t HAVE an ISIS ID thingie (again, probably cos I’m an international?)</p>

<p>Clearly JHU lies about being need-aware; we needed (BADLY!) and they turned away (and the worst part, ) without even a WORD!</p>

5

<p>I would definitely call them to make sure, and ask them what options you may have. Unless you plan on attending med school, otherwise 200k in debt is still manageable (though very, very painful). And see if you have options to extend your fours years at hopkins over a longer period of time, so you may also work to pay off some of the debt before you actually graduate.</p>

6

<p>Thanks for the idea, SunPenguin, but there is NO WAY I’d/We’d be able to pay back $200,000 ($1 translates to INR 50! so $200,000 goes to SEVEN DIGITS!)</p>

<p>Anyway, I just got this letter–>
"
Dear abc:
Thank you for contacting my office regarding financial aid for the 2009-2010 academic year. When you received your admission letter from Johns Hopkins University, you should have also received a letter regarding financial aid in your packet. I apologize for this oversight.</p>

<p>The Office of Student Financial Services has reviewed your request for assistance. While we understand your financial constraints, we are unable to offer you institutional grant assistance. Unfortunately, all available Johns Hopkins University scholarship and grant funds have been exhausted for this year.</p>

<p>We offer you admission in the hopes that you will be able to find external funding to enable you to attend Johns Hopkins. If your family needs additional funding to cover your expenses, loans may be available from private sources. Most of these lenders will require a credit worthy co-signer who is a U.S. citizen or permanent resident. More information about loans for international students is available online at [Student</a> Financial Services | International Students](<a href=“Student Financial Support | Johns Hopkins University”>Student Financial Support | Johns Hopkins University).</p>

<p>Please be aware that international undergraduate students who enroll without institutional grant funding are not eligible to receive financial assistance in future years from the university.</p>

<p>We look forward to welcoming you to Johns Hopkins University and wish you all the best as you finalize your college decision.</p>

<p>Sincerely,</p>

<p>Associate Director of Admissions,
International Admissions Coordinator
Johns Hopkins University
"</p>

<p>How can they do this to me, when I was TOTALLY relying upon them? I am SOOOOOOO not giving up right now. I’ll call them up Monday; I hope they’ll give me SOMETHING!</p>

<p>[Hopkins</a> Undergraduate Admissions :: FAQs :: International](<a href=“http://www.jhu.edu/~admis/faqs/international.html]Hopkins”>http://www.jhu.edu/~admis/faqs/international.html)
Question number 8 CLEARLY states that “Hopkins is unable to admit an international financial aid candidate for whom we are unable to provide aid.”
So, they WERE aware of my need before offering me admission (WHICH WAS A HUGGGEE RISK I TOOK, by applying for aid and now they do this? I WISH I was rejected).</p>

<p>I don’t care WHERE they get the money from, I’ll get it out of them.</p>

7

<p>For your reference, I know a woman who took 8 years for undergrad- school one year, work one year, repeat. Though I’m sure her school didn’t cost 50k a year, she did it without any parental contribution. </p>

<p>I’m sorry to hear about your financial situation, but realize that there’s always a way out, even without the financial aid. </p>

<p>In any case, I strongly encourage you to look for outside scholarship. Google search is always good, fastweb (there are still some available even this late in the game), or even see if your government has any program to support you (I know as a fact some Asian countries do support their citizens to get foreign education-usually provided that they would return to work in their home countries).</p>

<p>In the end, be happy that you got accepted. Many would kill for the opportunity you have.</p>

8

<p>Based on this statement in the letter:</p>

<p>“The Office of Student Financial Services has reviewed your request for assistance. While we understand your financial constraints, we are unable to offer you institutional grant assistance. Unfortunately, all available Johns Hopkins University scholarship and grant funds have been exhausted for this year.”</p>

<p>it sounds like you applied for financial aid late. The deadline according to their website is March 1. Did you meet the March 1 deadline?! They are need aware for internationals according to their website so they must have believed that you had the ability to pay.</p>

9

<p>Thanks for the reply, Wealth!</p>

<p>Yes; rather, I was a bit early and applied by February 11th.
And on the contrary, according to this line: “While we understand your financial constraints…”, I think they KNOW I need aid, but just can’t give it cos their “resources are exhausted”.
This is unfair. I took such a huge risk by applying for aid in the first place and they only give acceptance to those for whom they can provide aid. Well, where is it now, Hopkins?</p>

<p>Any more advice? I am dying for some.</p>

10

<p>…and also, I know for a fact that I need aid. I even tried the aid estimator (not intended for internationals, but I just needed an estimate) and it showed my EFC as $20,000.</p>

<p>How can we “have the ability” to pay when my parents earn 2/3rd of what they are asking for each year (provided they starve, and my brother decides to give up studies).</p>

<p>It is just. Sad.</p>

11

<p>This is going to make me sound somewhat ignorant, but I always thought it was understood that internationals don’t qualify for aid the same way non-internationals do and that in fact, most internationals shouldn’t hold high hopes for aid… I may be mixing JHU up with a different school?</p>

<p>Though, I did find this—from: [Student</a> Financial Services | International Students](<a href=“Student Financial Support | Johns Hopkins University”>Student Financial Support | Johns Hopkins University)</p>

<p>“Approximately 10% of the incoming international freshmen received need-based scholarships.”</p>

<p>Rough. Guess you weren’t part of the 10 :(. Are there any other available scholarships you could seek out (non-JHU) that perhaps still have manageable deadlines?</p>

12

<p>Hi joe!
That’s the thing; the rest of the internationals (the 90%) don’t apply for the aid, since it’s so competitive for internationals. I, on the other hand, did and since they accepted me, I should have been part of the 10% to whom they provide assistance. This is because Hopkins is need-aware (FOR INTERNATIONALS). I’m repeating. Out of the students who applied for aid, they only accept those to whom they can GIVE aid (~10%).
The rest (~90%) don’t even apply for aid.</p>

<p>What do I do? I have NO external scholarships available that I know of. I feel torn.</p>

13

<p>Perhaps you should call the office and ask why you were admitted without financial aid. It looks like JHU isn’t an option for you next year.</p>

<p>What are your other options?!</p>

14

<p>Hi again, Wealth!
Hmm, like I said. I’m calling them Monday. They HAVE to answer. A 2 billion dollar endowment isn’t less, I’m SURE they’ll have some left over. And what about those who turn down their offers (who were also offered a scholarship package)? Where does that money go?</p>

<p>My options, I’m afraid, are quite limited. I got into Carnegie Mellon (no aid), Purdue (again, no aid >_<), Drexel ($26,000 a year), Texas a&m (no aid) and that’s about it.</p>

<p>But I don’t want to GO to Drexel. JHU is being unfair to me, and we all know that.</p>

15

<p>I don’t understand why you can’t just accept the fact that JHU ran out of aid for you. </p>

<p>You’re an international. Strike one.
Others apparently need more money than you. Strike three.
You didn’t get any aid.</p>

<p>I applaud you for trying, at least, but it seems like they’re not going to give you any money. </p>

<p>Johns Hopkins is not being unfair to you. You’ve got the idea that you DESERVE money. </p>

<p>I would look elsewhere.</p>

16

<p>Im almost in the same situation
Im an international. Got in. No aid
So im really considering canada over hopkins, since im a double citizen and also canadian
Dont think i couldve qualified for need anyhow, since my parents could probably afford. So I wanna know, is it actually worth it? I mean 200k in total is a lot of money, and even if someone could afford it, is it worth the name?</p>

17

<p>you’re an international!
did you expect to receive full aid over US citizens?
add in the economic climate and unfortunately hopkins can’t provide any aid at all to those internationals.</p>