<p>This idea of internationals that they need (free) financial aid is a complete misunderstanding of how financial aid works here in the US.</p>
<p>There are a whole bunch of schools here in the US that give financial aid based upon need. Yes, quite of bit of this aid is in the form of loans, not scholarships, but there are many that offer a mix of the two--even to internationals--all based upon their ability to pay for costs without such aid.</p>
<p>As an example, if it is determined that you can afford to pay $10,000 per year for college, and the college costs $25,000 to attend (which includes tuition, housing and meals, and books, and some transportation), then the school will offer you $15,000 in aid to attend in many, many cases--and not just at the top 15 schools--but at about the top 350 schools. Now it may be true that of this $15,000 offered, about $7,000 may be in loans and about $8,000 may be in scholarships or work/study (meaning you work while in school), but that still allows you to go to school and only end up with about $28,000 that will be owed when you finish (not too bad when you consider that the school is giving you the equivalent of one year free, asking you to pay for two years, and loaning you the money for the fourth year at a very low interest rate--or allowing you to work it off--and allowing you to pay it off over 20 years or so (meaning you pay about $2,000 to $3,000 per year after graduation). </p>
<p>This may seem steep to some, but remember that you don't live here and probably won't end up working here, so the main reason they want you to come is so they can learn about you and your country--and you can learn about the US--and we can all have a better understanding of each other.</p>
<p>Sometimes, certain schools outside of the top 15 are known for their good aid programs. An example of such a school is DePauw University in Indiana which charges $27,000 in tuition per year, but gives an average grant (free scholarship) of $21,000 per year and loans of $3,500 per year. Lafayette College (in Pennsylvania) has very similar numbers (although it is pretty tough to get into). Another school with similar numbers is Lewis and Clark College in Portland, Oregon. Now I know that DePauw gives this aid to internationals, and I believe both of the other two schools I mentioned do also, but it may not be true that all schools offer their scholarships and loans to international students--it depends on the school. The reason some college don't do this is because, sadly, international students have a very poor record in paying off the loans they get--and enforcing the loan contracts is difficult once you have graduated and left the country.</p>
<p>Do a little research and you can find these schools. A good place to start is in the "Financial Aid" section of collegeconfidential, but the internet is also good, as is Princeton review and Collegeboard.</p>
<p>Good luck.</p>
<p>P.S. The reason that almost all schools, such as Syracuse, ask for proof relative to "ability to pay" is because that is how they determine how much to give in scholarships and loans. Obviously, they are not too keen to give $20,000 per year in scholarships to someone whose family may be making $200,000 per year--or who have saved that much, but attempt to claim they have no money and make less than $5,000 per year while keeping the facts about their true finances hidden.</p>