<p>Hey guys,</p>
<p>I am an international student who, like many others, needs full financial aid package. I have been wondering, if I get accepted to college that would give me the so needed full package, will I be able to survive? I mean, will I have some money for food and other things like that? Or I am going to have to eat air because my parents can't provide much?</p>
<p>If you get full aid, that will include room and board. However, it is very very unlikely that an international student would receive full aid.</p>
<p>In order to get a visa to study in the US, you have to prove you can support yourself, with scholarships, a job, savings, parental support.</p>
<p>I know that when top schools give “full aid” to domestic students, there is still a “student contribution”…which typically is the amount of books, travel and personal expenses.</p>
<p>I don’t know what those same schools do with int’ls? Do they give int’ls a “student contribution” as well? How much? Int’ls have insurance costs and int’l travel costs as well.</p>
<p>A full ride means the COA is covered. COA includes tuition, fees, room, board, personal and transportation usually. Check each school for the amount allocated. In the “board” section is usually enough to purchase the full meal plan, which a lot of freshmen are allowed to buy. That meal plan gives you X amount of times in the dining hall, or sometimes there are ‘free points’ to purchase other snack and things. Check each school to see how the plan is set. </p>
<p>Some schools have allocation for ‘personal’ and you will have to use that for anything else, like personal toiletries as well. For your books allocation, you can try to save money by buying used or using ‘book rental’ service when possible. Then you free up that allocation for something else.</p>
<p>I don’t know how it works with transportation home. The allocation given is sometimes not enough for domestic students from other states so it won’t be enough to get home. I don’t know how that works. I also don’t know how it works when international students have to stay on campus over scheduled holidays as there are food costs.</p>
<p>Are you saying you will not be able to bring anything thing for expenses, like for a meal out with friends, sheets for your dorm room, clothes once in a while? Then it may be very difficult but not impossible. Later if you school allows, you can sometimes save a lot of money if you move off campus and make your own food.</p>
<p><<<
A full ride means the COA is covered. </p>
<br>
<br>
<p>Not necessarily. We often hear that someone has a full-ride, but really only tuition, room and board are covered. These top schools still ask for a “student contribution”…but people still say that they got a full ride because all their DIRECT costs to the school are covered. </p>