<p>Hi,</p>
<p>i'm going this fall to a rather expensive institution on the east coast, where the total cost pr semester is 42 900$. It is not certain that i will receive financial aid from home, and so i was wondering; Am i eligble to receive financial aid from the states? It said on the homepage that i had to be either american or eligble alien, but they didn't state what an eligble alien was...</p>
<p>I'm from norway, and will receive an F-1 VISA.</p>
<p>eligible alien is lawful migrant who hold a green card (live here for one year and meet some other qualifications). So sorry, I dont believe your case will make you an eligible alien</p>
<p>Lars, did you apply for financial aid? It does not just automatically come. Also in order to get your visa, you need to list how you are meeting the cost of the school and living expenses.</p>
<p>You can try institution merit-based scholarships</p>
<p>here a tip to get a green card, get marry to a American! Yeah, it sound extreme, but i know certain people who go to school here, get married, and then become eligible alien and get their college expenses reduced.</p>
<p>"get married?"--that's a brilliant idea!!!!</p>
<p>Lars should pick a random woman off the street, and ask her for her hand in marriage? I'm sure that she would say yes.</p>
<p>No better yet, Lars should put an advertisement in the newspaper for an American bride. That's an even more brilliant idea.</p>
<p>Lars, if you are starting in Sept. and haven't applied for financial aid, it is virtually impossible that they'll give you any now.</p>
<p>Thank you for the replies and answers you've provided me with.
Hamimom; I know about having to show my financial availability in order to get a visa, and also to be accepted at the school. I have done so, but i thought; Why spend 40k a year, when i can spend less...</p>
<p>:)</p>
<p>Financial aid for international students is very limited. Admissions to American universities, in general, is not need blind for internationals. There are only a few schools that are need blind for foreign students. But those schools provide financial aid only for those students who NEED it. If you can come up with the money; that is, show your financial availability in order to get a vias and also to get accepted to the school, you are not going to be eligible for financial aid. That money is for the very few who are accepted despite being needy and they truly do not have the money and could not and would not be here without the aid. Many end up not being able to come because they cannot scrape up what the college says they should be able to afford. It is not a generous process.</p>
<p>However, your school may have merit awards available to all students. Check on this, and whether you qualify for them as an international student. I think it is too late to get anything this year, but maybe next year. I doubt you missed out, since most of those awards are automatically given based on application, but sometimes there are merit awards for upperclassmen based on performance and it does not hurt to let the school know you are eyeing them. You need to talk directly to the school about these possibilities as not all schools give merit awards, and sometimes eligiblility does not include international students.</p>
<p>Actually, marrying a citizen used to be a fairly common practice among immigrants. The period of time necessary was only like 1 or 2 years before the immigrant became a permanent resident. Then, the couple could divorce. However, INS has increased the duration to 5-10 years so that it's much more difficult to do this without the marriage being a true one.</p>
<p>which university are you attending, it might help if we knew which one</p>
<p>Suburbian,</p>
<p>you may be correct. However, you just can't marry anyone just to become a citizen.</p>
<p>Haha, marrying someone for financial aid is for me as absurd as it sounds to you (at least i hope so).
I'll be attending Fairfield University in Connecticut.. Thanks for the many replies.</p>
<p>Lars, check out the merit scholarships at Farfield.</p>