Colleges with need-based aid for international students? Do you think the amount I need is huge?

Student Lounge International Students
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<p>Hi,
(I'm sorry if this is too long)
First of all, I will be an undergraduate international student (hopefully) entering college in Fall 2015.
I don't have great stats, so I'm not going to get merit scholarships from any of the best colleges. These are my stats:
3.45 UW (by end of junior year), 3.75 W. Very bad freshman year, but perfect grades in sophomore and junior year.
2030 SAT (660 CR, 670 M, 700 W)
LAME Extracurriculars: Tennis (only four months during sophomore year), book club (one semester junior year, will continue senior year). I have a psychological disorder called social anxiety, which I am overcoming. I'm trying to get more involved in the community. I'm starting community service this summer, for example. It may be too late, but whatever. Should I mention my condition? And that I'm overcoming it?
I'd like a college with a strong business/management program.
I can afford PART of my education. I know most well-known privates cost ~60,000$ including all costs. I can afford a maximum of 45,000$/year COA. My mom doesn't have that kind of money (she earns roughly 30,000$/year including benefits. She doesn't pay taxes because only people with higher incomes have to in my country) for which I think we qualify for financial aid. My father is not present. Me and my mother have life savings of 60,000$ in a conjoint account, which we agreed we'll be using for college. My grand mother is going to cover 30k annually.
So, taking into account my stats and what I would need in need-based aid from the college, what colleges do you think are a fit for me?</p>

<p>I was thinking about Case Western. Although I'm not crazy about it being in Cleveland (which I've heard is dangerous and not so pretty), I would be very proud to go there. So if they'd be willing to offer me 15,000$ in aid, I'd be most definitely going there. Is CWRU stingy with financial aid? Or are they generous?</p>

<p>I also like Emory, for example, but I don't think I can get in with my stats. I really love George Washington too, I doubt they'll give me enough merit-based scholarships.
What other colleges do you think would offer me that amount of needbased aid or merit (15,000$ or more depending on the college's cost)? Or what colleges have the same academic quality and cost less than 45,000$ COA?
I'd prefer an urban environment, with lots of food options and entertainment, but I'm more interested in academics. Of course I'm also considering schools I can afford without aid. They're mostly publics though (UIUC, UIC, UMN, OSU), and they're all SO big (40,000 students), which is something I don't really like. I'm also considering schools like Butler University, Seattle University, DePaul, Elon, but none of them is a top choice for me. </p>

<p>Thank you for reading! </p>

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<p>Each university is different, but most don’t offer financial aid to international students. Your grades are okay, but your SAT scores are not “merit” competitive. There are only a few universities that offer aid and those are extremely difficult to gain admission. Additionally, the visa process requires you to have money saved for your 4 years of education. </p>

<p>If you apply to state schools, their obligations are to the state residents who pay taxes. As an out of state /international student you would be subject to additional fees along with paying full fees for admission. </p>

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<p>There are lots of $20,000 scholarships for international students who can afford $35-45,000.
If you like Emory, what about Emory’s Oxford college?
Case Western is located in a great area of Cleveland - the city is experiencing great dynamic rebirth, similar to what Pittsburgh went through 20 years ago - it’s not quite where Pittsburgh is, but it’s getting there with University Circle.
BTW, if you’re interested in an urban environment, good academics, and lots of options, look into Pitt (University of Pittsburgh).
American University: urban, strong academics in the social sciences.
Wheaton, MA<em>, would be a good choice - historical and prestigious, in a city, with a major city within driving distance.
(</em>MA is important since there’s another Wheaton in Illinois and they’re very different from each other!)
Stevens faces NYC and has strong business programs.
Chapman is another one for you to look into.
Many private schools in the Midwest and South will welcome you.</p>

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<p>Wow, if you are so picky about schools in the US, then why not simply attend one in your home country?</p>

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<p>A bit of unsolicited advice: budget conservatively. You’ll probably need more money than you expect. Amongst the variables that will mess with your budget:</p>

<ul>
<li><p>The exchange rate. During my 4 years in college, the exchange has fluctuated between $1.20 to $1.50 / 1 Euro. </p></li>
<li><p>Yearly increases in tuition and room&board. When I applied, my college charged $43.000 for tuition, room and board. in my 4th year there, fees had increased to $52.000. Those rate increases are fairly typical.</p></li>
<li><p>Medical expenses. You will probably have a “dental emergency” and will want to see a US dentist at some point over the next 4 years. (Dental work is usually not covered by health insurance and can easily cost > $1.000 for one procedure.) You might even have a medical emergency that will result in charges not covered by insurance. Medical insurance in the US does not typically cover all of the cost of medical care. For example, you may need to pay 20% of your medical bills yourself. Foreign travel health insurances usually don’t cover the whole cost either. They look great at first, but when you read the contract you’ll realize that there’s lots of exclusions in the fine print. For example, they may exclude sport injuries or only pay for institutional care with pre-authorization. Easier said than done. If you break your arm, do you really want to spend half an hour on the phone with your health insurance company before you go to the ER?</p></li>
<li><p>Other unexpected expenses. Computers break down. Cell phones get lost. You might have to book an extra flight home because of a family emergency. Maybe you’ll need a new wardrobe for a consulting internship. </p></li>
</ul>

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<p>I won’t say the OP is uncompetitive for merit, but not from top schools.</p>