<p>Balth -- I wish there was some type of financial aid calculator for internationals, but I couldn't find one. Hopefully, someone else here can take those figures you gave and give you an idea.</p>
<p>As far as financial aid goes, you submit the information and the school will give you a financial aid award. This award will take into account the information you give them. In your case, some assets will be protected due to your parents age. Money in pensions and retirement accounts is generally not accessible before retirement without major penalties and is generally not counted in the assets available for paying college tuition. If your parents own a house and also a part of a second house, they don't expect you to sell it -- but they do expect parents to be able to borrow money against the equity. the emergency fund and the "secret account" will be considered money that could be used --so you are going to have to get some details on those. What is not counted in the figures is the money that you could borrow.</p>
<p>So filling out your financial aid paperwork, the school comes up with the EFC (Expected Family Contribution -- what you and your family are expected to pay). The school also has a COA (Cost of attendance -- the cost for tuition, room and board, books and sometimes travel money). They then take the COA - EFC = Demonstrated Need.</p>
<p>Demonstrated Need is the amount that you need (as determined by the school, not you) to attend. they do not need to meet 100% of this (if they don't, it is called gapping and is quite common). They can meet whatever portion of the demonstrated need they want with a combination of loans, grants and work-study.</p>
<p>Let me give you a scenario -- </p>
<p>School figures out your EFC is $15,000. COA at this school is $40,000.</p>
<p>COA - EFC = 40,000 - 15,000 = $25,000 in demonstrated need. Let's just say that this school gaps its international students by an average of 20%. so your financial aid package will provide $20,000 in assistance and that it includes grants, loans and work-study.</p>
<p>in this scenario (and I am just coming up with numbers for an example) you would have to come up with $20,000 to pay your EFC and the amount gapped plus take out any loans the school offers.</p>
<p>From your description, you could do that. your parents could pay some you could borrow some from Sweden -- that would cover your EFC.</p>
<p>You need to explore this more -- possibly contact a few schools and see how they figure out your EFC.</p>
<p>One warning -- it is highly, highly competitive for international students!!! both for admission and for financial aid. I don't know your stats, but you may be putting the cart before the horse.</p>
<p>many schools will accept international students, but award them no aid whatsoever -- so be warned.</p>