<p>Yes you can apply for aid after you are accepted. My friend, who was accepted to MIT, only filled out his financial aid forms after he got admitted. He initially didn't know about financial aid, so he didn't bother applying. So does Yale. We are both internationals.</p>
<p>The only disadvantage to filing in late is that you don't get your financial aid offer AFTER you chosen the university for sure - this means you can't compare aid offers... sometimes one univ's financial aid's offer is really terrible.</p>
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<p>Thanks for pointing that out, upandover. How are your friend's and your financial aid offers? Are they reasonable? Are they made up mostly of grants or loans?</p>
<p>The only disadvantage to filing in late is that you don't get your financial aid offer AFTER you chosen the university for sure >></p>
<p>Upandover, there are a few more disadvantages. Every US college sets aside a certain amount of financial aid money for the freshman class. That money is given out first to those who have met the filing deadline. Apply after admissions, or later, and chances are VERY GOOD that the vast majority of the aid set aside will already have been given out. Thus, you may very well end up receiving a smaller award - or no money -, even at schools that "guarantee to meet need." MIT on its web site, for instance, specifies that priority will be given to those who meet the deadlines and that MIT reserves the right to stop considering aid applications submitted after May 1.</p>
<p>Another issue that is important to consider is the effect on your ability to apply for your student Visa. A student Visa requires you to to prove that you have the financial resources to attend the school of your choice. Waiting until after you are accepted, or even later, to apply for aid may delay your ability to complete your Visa application, thus potentially harming your chances of starting in the fall.</p>
<p>It's ALWAYS best to comply with financial aid deadlines, especially for international students.</p>
<p>Some liberal arts colleges provide excellent financial aid for international students. Unfortunately, and perhaps understandably, there is a tendency for international students to prefer universities because they are unaware of some of the excellent Liberal arts institutions in the U.S. Some LAC's that do provide very good aid to internationals: Macalester, Grinnell, Occidental, Colgate, Lawrence U, Middlebury, The College of Wooster, but there are others out there as well.</p>
<p>Thanks Astrix for pointing that out. So, another point to take away is to always ask not just "do you give aid to internationals" but "are there any limits on the amount of aid you give to internationals?"</p>