<p>Hi. I am an international student. In a recent email that I received from the admissions office of TAMU, I learned that international students are ineligible for need based financial aid for their freshman year. I am quite shocked after learning this, because they don't mention it on their website(or at least I didn't see it) and I am looking for a financial aid package that's quite close to a full ride. So is it really true, or did I just get trolled by a misinformed TAMU admissions officer? Is there anything that I can do about it or should I just give up on the idea of applying to TAMU? Are there any international students here that attended TAMU?</p>
<p>Rarely do public univs give need-based aid to int’ls. I can’t think of any that do. So, the Admin Officer was telling the truth.</p>
<p>Public univ have little funds to give and rely on fed and state aid for American students. Even OOS domestic students get very little aid. TAMU’s aid is mostly for TEXAS students ONLY. That is typical for most state schools.</p>
<p>Public univ charge HIGH tuition for students who don’t live in that state. If a school were going to cover those high charges with need-based aid, why would they bother charging the high price???</p>
<p>The int’ls that go to TAMU and other public univ (and most privates) are paying all costs themselves.</p>
<p>There are very few US privates that give full need based aid to int’ls. </p>
<p>Are you applying to schools this fall? If so, and you need a “full ride”, there are very few schools that would work, and they’re the hardest to get into.</p>
<p>If you have high stats, you might get a large scholarship to a FEW schools that give large merit to int’ls, but it won’t be a full ride cover cost of attendance.</p>
<p>Well I’d be okay with subsidized loans in my FA package if not a full ride, since it is so rare. But thanks anyway. I guess it’s bye bye to TAMU now.</p>
<p>Subsidized loans are loan provided by the US government for domestic US students and permanent residents. International students are not eligible for them.</p>
<p>International students ae not eligible to take out any loans in the US unless they have a credit-worthy US co-signer. And those loans would be private unsubsidized loans offered thru a bank or other lending institution.</p>
<p>You won’t get any loans at all in your FA pkg. Loans are from the fed gov’t, and int’ls don’t qualify. </p>
<p>Frankly, you wouldn’t even get a FA pkg from TAMU or most colleges since most colleges don’t give any aid or loans to int’ls. </p>
<p>Unless you get accepted to one of the few schools that give FA or large merit to int’ls, you won’t get any help at all.</p>
<p>How much can your family contribute each year? If nothing, then your chances are tiny that you’ll be able to go to school here. Only a handful of US schools gives full aid to int’ls.</p>
<p>eltanin: I hate to break the news to you, but you wouldn’t even be able to get federal unsubsidized loans, let alone federal subsidized loans, let alone enough loans to cover the entire cost of attendance, if I read the government website correctly.</p>
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<p>Just so there’s no misunderstanding . . . I suspect what the admissions officer wrote is that there’s no financial aid for freshman applicants - not for freshman year. There would be no financial aid for any of your four years at TAMU!</p>
<p>There is a spot that goes into financial aid for international students <a href=“https://financialaid.tamu.edu/apply/isfaa.aspx[/url]”>https://financialaid.tamu.edu/apply/isfaa.aspx</a>. " International" is a broad term. </p>
<p>Ironically, those who are illegally in this country often have more aid options than those applying through legal venues to get here.</p>
<p>It is a particularly challenging time to be an international student. Programs that used to be available have been shuttered due to the economy. The OP might see if his/her own country has anything for overseas study.</p>