<p>If I declare that my financial circumstances are such that I could only afford $18K per year to one college and declare that I would only be able to pay $10k to other college. Is there a way that colleges could discover that I have reported my financial need to each college differently?</p>
<p>I don't think so, BUT:</p>
<p>Most colleges don't care at all about your self-declared need. They will evaluate your need themselves and come up with what they expect you to pay. That figure can be a lot larger than what you said and even smaller:
One of the financial aid packages I was awarded last year had a family contribution of LESS than what I said I could afford... That was a nice surprise!</p>
<p>Your approach only makes sense to me if you are applying for need-based aid at the $10K colleges and merit-based aid at the $18K college. Do you?</p>
<p>the problem is if you get accepted to both places...both universties will send I-20s to the American embassy in your country...when the embassy sees the dicrepency they may deny you a visa</p>
<p>tanveer149, that's bs. </p>
<p>First of all, colleges usually don't request (not send) I-20s before you submit an enrollment deposit. </p>
<p>Secondly it's the colleges choice how much financial aid to give you. Don't expect that your family contribution is a fixed number. One college might estimate it to be $4,000 and another college $12,000 (that has happened to me - and both colleges met my "full demonstrated need"). If you can demonstrate to the embassy that you can pay $12,000 a year if you choose the $12,000 college, they could not care less about the $4,000 fin aid package. On the other hand, if you pick the $4,000 college you will only have to prove that you can pay $4,000 a year, not $12,000. The $4,000 fin aid package might have been more generous than it would have had to be, or the $12,000 college might have been too stingy - the embassy does not care as long as you show that you have sufficient funds to attend the college you want to attend. Even if the "discrepancy" would be as high as $500 vs $50,000, you won't be denied a visa unless you cannot prove at your interview that you do have enough money to attend whichever college you decided to attend (though it might make your interviewer curious; curious, not suspicious).</p>
<p>well thats just what i heard...btw goodguy is talking about how much his family will claim they can contribute not how much the unis estimate he can contribute...anyway i just think its not such a good idea to use two differernt values</p>
<p>
[quote]
goodguy is talking about how much his family will claim they can contribute not how much the unis estimate he can contribute
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I know but the I-20 shows the amount that the college expects him to contribute, not the amount he claims he can pay on his fin aid application. Maybe you are right that using two different values is not a good idea, but I don't see how that opinion is supported by visa regulations.</p>
<p>I personally don't see a problem using two different self-estimates. It's like claiming that one wants to attend a small college in an application essay for Williams and the opposite in an application to Penn. Neither of the two colleges will admit you because you say you like its size or location but I don't think it hurts to make conflicting statements on two different applications.</p>
<p>But as I said earlier, one's self-estimated need does not matter for need-based aid applications. For merit aid it's a different story. E.g. if the highest-valued scholarship is full-tuition, one would have to show that one can cover all other expenses which might amount to $18K a year in order to be considered for admission at all. Well, if one expected that colleges use one's self-estimated contribution as a floor for need-based aid (i.e. make the actual family contribution higher but not lower than the self-estimate; but in my experience that's not the case), one would be tempted to underestimate one's ability to pay on purpose. That's how I make sense of the OP's inquiry.</p>
<p>Goodguy, I can try to answer by saying what is so for an American family, applying for need-based financial aid (not merit or talent scholarships). Colleges require the family to file a FAFSA report, which announces all kinds of things like salaries and family assets. It also relies heavily on the American tax forms which testify to your annual salary. From that one filed FAFSA financial report, each college determines what they can do for you, or not. </p>
<p>So I don't see how you can have two different results, unless international operates that much differently than domestic. </p>
<p>Do you know if you are supposed do file FAFSA, or some international variation of FAFSA? Check the Financial Aid button, or Internation Student/Financial Aid buton of the website for each school.</p>
<p>If the answer is "yes" then there's no way to be inconsistent between two schools, since both refer back to this same FAFSA form for their own formulas.</p>
<p>From the Fafsa is determined an EFC (Expected Family Contribution) to your educaiton. Most families feel it squeezes them, which is why some take out loans (student loans or in some cases also parent loans). Few families "like" the EFC that FAFSA cranks out. If a family is already wealthy, they might not even bother to fill out the FAFSA and just write out the check each year. Others file FAFSA and are disappointed that the college expects them to pay 100% as their EFC; they weren't as needful as they thought! :( </p>
<p>What is inconsistent is that some schools might meet "l00 percent of need" while others can do only 60% of need. This % is published on each school's Financial Aid section of their website. </p>
<p>Some give need-based aid to international students, but many schools do not.
THey MIGHT be able to extend you a merit scholarship (which disregards financial circumstances completely). Again, sometimes even these are reserved for domestic students; it depends on each individual sholarship policy at each school how they distribute their "merit" money.</p>
<p>THe college my D attended (Oberlin College in Ohio) gave need-based aid to internationals, but I think that was somewhat unusual.</p>
<p>Check each school website carefully on this important topic befor eyou decide to apply. If it's unclear, email them.</p>
<p>the international financial aid procedure is the almost the same but you have the choice of sending in tax return forms or a bank statement...from these documents the unis will decide on the amount you have to pay</p>