<p>Hi,
I'm a US (as well as a German) citizen who currently goes to school in Germany and lives there. I really want to return to the United States and go to college there, but I can hardly get information on to which extent I can receive financial aid as I'm a bit of a special case. While I'm a dual citizen, my parents are only German, so they don't pay American taxes. This and the fact that we simply don't live in the US right now makes it pretty much impossible to use any EFC or NPC. I've been searching a lot, but I haven't found a single calculator usable for non-residents (of the country, not only the state).
Are there any others in this forum who've had a situation like that and know what to do? Am I just supposed to apply for any college and see what happens? I'd rather have something like a rough estimate on what I can expect to pay...</p>
<p>As a US citizen, you’d be eligible for the same need-based or merit aid as any other applicant . . . with the sole exception that you wouldn’t be “in-state” for any state school, so your tuition for state schools would be at the much higher “non-resident” rate.</p>
<p>Maybe I’m missing something, but I don’t see why you wouldn’t be able to use the net price calculators. Just convert all figures from euros into dollars. If you’re confused by a question that asks you to enter the figure from “Line X” on your parents’ tax return, then just look at Line X and see what it’s asking for. Then enter that amount. I can see that it might be somewhat challenging, but I don’t see that it would be impossible.</p>
<p>So you think if I just insert the German equivalent of the required tax information, the results will be more or less accurate?</p>
<p>Most NPC’s paint with a fairly broad brush . . . they’re looking for a general overview of income, assets, etc. Some are more detailed, but I’d expect that many would still give you a fairly accurate estimate. </p>
<p>Keep in mind, though, that the NPC’s will be just as inaccurate for you as they would be for someone living in the U.S. if there is a family-owned business or other complex financial situation.</p>
<p>danthe1 -</p>
<p>If your parents weren’t educated in the US, all three of you should read through the information at [EducationUSA</a> | Study Abroad, Student Visa, University Fairs, College Applications and Study in the U.S. / America](<a href=“http://www.educationusa.state.gov%5DEducationUSA”>http://www.educationusa.state.gov) to learn more about how colleges and universities here function. It also would be worth your time to get in touch with the counselors at the advising center closest to where you live. There are several in Germany: <a href=“https://www.educationusa.info/Germany[/url]”>https://www.educationusa.info/Germany</a> If none of the counselors at that advising center have worked with US citizens lately, they have colleagues in other centers who can help you out. You definitely aren’t the only one in your situation!</p>
<p>Wishing you all the best!</p>
<p>Yes, convert your parents’ income into US dollars and use that. </p>
<p>what schools are you interested in? </p>
<p>What is your GPA and test scores?</p>
<p>Most publics will not give you much/any need-based aid since you’re not a state resident. However, some may give you a good sized merit scholarship based on high stats. </p>
<p>FAFSA is for federal aid, which isn’t much. It sounds like your parents earn too much for you to get a Pell Grant. FAFSA EFC is just a federal number. Schools aren’t required to expect families to only pay their EFC. </p>
<p>Aid can be confusing. Most schools do not have much aid to give. Most schools “gap” students, so families should expect to pay more than their EFC. </p>
<p>CSS Profile is used most of the schools that give the “best aid”. Aid is based on “determined need” after the school thoroughly looks over your parents’ income and assets, including home equity. </p>
<p>How much aid do you need? How much will your parents pay? </p>
<p>As someone who is not “instate” for any state school, you need to have a very carefully planned school list.</p>
<p>Keep in mind that a school’s COA does not take into acct international travel. You’ll need to expect to pay a couple thousand more (at least) to cover those costs as well.</p>