<p>I am a canadian citizen living abroad and don't pay taxes in canada
does my son qualify for financial aid in US universities. Are canadians given same status as international students or are they given same status as US residents</p>
<p>For private funds from the school they would likely look at you on par with US citizens and offer similar support, but as for state and federal funds I don't think you'll get any help. </p>
<p>Why should US taxpayers pay for subsidies for foreigners? ;-) I know when I've lived in foreign countries as a long term resident, but not a citizen, the fine print of my visa documents always said something to the effect of "you can live here, but don't expect us to give you any taxpayer funded financial aid."</p>
<p>I believe he will be put into the pool of "international students." Some colleges are more generous towards international students than others. If you seek need-based aid, because your resources are limited, look for schools that say they have "need blind admission policies for international students." That means they will admit according to his application without looking at whether or not he needs aid; following the admission decision, then they will calculate and provide help to ensure that financial problems do not keep him from being able to afford to attend. </p>
<p>Most colleges do not have the above policy. </p>
<p>If you have plenty of money, and can afford the stated tuition and housing costs, don't apply for aid as it might reduce his chances of getting the "yes" on admissions.</p>
<p>Canadian students do not flock to US schools because Canada has such affordable schools with quality education provided. </p>
<p>I'm good at family advice, and less so at financials, so if I've misstated anything above, others please jump in and correct me.</p>
<p>-- dual citizen, US and Canada</p>
<p>I know that many Ivies and privates like Colgate do offer need based aid to Canadians, but I think it is schol by school and does not include federal aid, just private school assistance</p>
<p>As other posters have said, a few schools are need-blind to Canadians, Americans, and Mexicans (the Ivy Leagues plus some other colleges, such as Amherst, and MIT); most however, are need-aware, so applying for aid will affect the applicant's admissions decision. Check the websites of the schools you are interested in; it'll state pretty clearly whether Canadians are considered need-blind or need-aware. With schools that are need-aware, you can still get aid based on your financial situation, but it can be more difficult to gain admissions to such schools.</p>
<p>In all schools though, as far as I know, Canadians would be placed in the international pool of applicants.</p>
<p>Also be aware that many of the major Canadian scholarships (Loran, Millennium, TD, Terry Fox, etc.) will not be available for students attending US universities; those are only open for Canadian schools (the exception being the Loran-Morehead, which is only valid for UNC-Chapel Hill)</p>
<p>Edit: I think there are some public schools which have merit scholarships that Canadians are eligible to receive; I haven't really looked into this, but I remember getting some emails from various schools inviting me to apply for their merit scholarships...</p>