<p>Could you tell me if these schools offer at least some FA to non US citizens?</p>
<p>a) Stanford U
b) Pepperdine U
c) Amherst C
d) Wesleyan U
e) University of Penn
f) Williams C
g) Pomona C
h) Georgetown U
i) Cornell U</p>
<p>I can pay up to 40k per year total, but I can't go above that :s</p>
<p>Kaykays…you can find the information about whether these schools give merit aid to international students yourself by looking on their website. Use the “search” function on the school website and type in “international student financial aid”. Most of these s hooks,also have a tab on their financial aid section for international students.</p>
<p>It his is good research for you to do yourself. If you have any questions about what you find, by all means ask here,</p>
<p>I will say…you say your parents can pay $40,000 per year. This indicates to me that they have either significant assets or income. The schools on your list might not offer you a penny in need based aid. Each school has a Net Price Calculator. It isn’t as accurate for international students, but you might want to run your family financial numbers through EACH of these calculators as the formulas they use are different. The SCHOOL determines your family contribution…and in the case of,the schools on your list, uses the CSS Profile financial aid application form.</p>
<p>But first check to see what each school policy is regarding need based aid and international students.</p>
<p>Many of the schools on your list offer NO merit aid at all, or very competitive merit aid.</p>
<p>One thing you also need to be aware if is that some of these schools are need aware for admissions for international students…which means your ability to pay will be considered along with your application.</p>
<p>Also, in your mix you have some extremely competitive schools for admissions that are even MORE competitive for the international pool of applicants. Your first hurdle would be acceptance…which at a lot of the schools on your list hovers at about 10% or less. Speculation is that for the international applicants, it is about 5%.</p>
<p>Anyway…back to your question…you can find out each school’s policy regarding aid to international students on the schools’ websites.</p>
<p>Thumper1, I’ve actually looked up the info on most of the colleges’ sites a few weeks ago, and they all talk about giving a “limited number of financial aid packages”. I’m not sure if limited for them means 2 or 3 packages, or 150, you see. And yes, most say that asking for FA might (aka WILL CERTAINLY) hinder my chances of getting in.
I can pay up to $40k total, including room + board and personal expenses.
I’ve always wanted to study in the states, but now i’m seriously considering England…no idea I’m expected to pay $65k + !</p>
<p>As far as I can tell, Amherst for example meets 100% of need, apparently for all students even internationals.
However, remember schools will make the decision about how much need your family has.</p>
<p>kaykays…your aid we’d based aid at these schools will largely be based on your parents’ incomes in U.S. dollars. Schools that give limited need based aid to international students do NOT guarantee to meet your need. It sounds like your family income is fairly high for your family to be able to pay $40,000 per year.</p>
<p>I will add…there ARE colleges where this money would pay the full bill (check the SUNY schools, for example).</p>
<p>Kayskays, The last time i checked all of those schools offer some aid to international students. However, things change. What everyone who has a particular need has to do, is to contact each school directly and make sure that the policy has not changed. There are some schools that out and out DO NOT give any financial aid to international students and have very limited or no merit aid for them as well. Those schools you cross off your list as your chances of getting nay money are zip, zero, zilch from any school that gives no merit or need aid to internationals. Just like any kids, US citiizens and internationals aline, who know that they do not qualify for any need based aid should know that they are not going to get any money from those schools, such as all of the ivies, that do not give ANY merit money. </p>
<p>You should run some NPCs on the websites of some of the schools with your parents’ assets and income and see if you even qualify for financial aid. The schools don’t care what your family says they can afford. They have their own formulas and most people get a rude awakening as to how much a school will say they can afford vs what they know or feel they can afford. I am personally in that situation since $40K a year is an over the top figure for us, and yet, all the calculators say we are full pay anywhere. It’s now what we can afford that matters but what the schools calculate what we can afford based on income and asset figures. </p>
<p>Most schools are do not guarantee to meet full need, and out of the few that do, only a few of them extend the guarantee to international students. And then, even fewer of them are even need blind for admissions for internationals students.</p>
<p>Still, that does not mean limiting your school choices only to that small list of need blind for admissions, guarantee to met 100% of need schools gives you the best chance of getting what you want. Those schools that fall in that category, HPY, Amherst, maybe Williams, Stanford, are so competitive that if you do the numbers, the chances of anyone getting into this small group of highly selective schools is very, very small. The competition is fierce, especially in the international circles. Go on ahead and apply to a few of such schools, but you should vary your selections, also including much less competitive schools They may not be need blind, they may not meet full need, but unless they specifically exclude international students, they may be your best bet in getting the best packages if such school find you a very good catch.</p>
<p>Yikes :s
The things is, I don’t really see the point in paying $35-$40k (total cost of attendance) for a not-so-good college when the best ones aren’t MUCH more expensive. I mean, the whole point of going to the states for me is attending a prestigious (not necessarily ivy league though ) institution…besides, my stats are pretty damn good 
Could you please suggest a few schools that might fit the bill for me?
Thanks!!</p>
<p>The problem is that the "best"ones are MUCH more expensive. They do NOT give any merit money. Unless you have need, you don’t get a dime. The sticker price does not matter, it’s what YOU have to pay that counts. And you have to get accepted to even have the privilege of paying it when it comes to the "best"colleges. Even with pretty darn good stats, the chances of getting accepted are very small.</p>
<p>Go on ahead and apply to the top schools, the one you alike the most, and then pick some schools that do not eliminate aid to internationals and those with generous merit aid as well. LIke everyone else have a mixed bouquet and see which ones “bloom” for you. I’ve seen international kids get into some very unlikely schools, ones that are not need blind in admissions, don’t give 100% of need ot anyone and have little merit money, but the school like the numbers and info of the student and gave him/her a nice package. As long as the school does not have specific policies against giving you money, there is that chance. Do fill in some NPRs for some of those schools, however, to see if you even qualify for a dime of financial aid. You might not, in which case, only those schools that have merit awards for internationals and give out amounts in the $20K range are the ones you can afford in a best case scenario. If the NPCs say your family can afford $70K a year, they don’t care that they in reality cannot. That’s what you are accepted to pay, and you get nothing in financial aid.</p>
<p>Look at Uof Alabama, Troy State, Cleveland State, U South Dakota. Just to name a few. The lists are on the board. If you have the numbers, these such school might have some money for you, and you are highly likely to get accepted. Getting into a school like Stanford is a single digit chance, and you haven’t checked on the NPC what THEY calculate your family can pay. If it’s over the cost of the school, the chances are zero that even if you get accepted, you will get enough money to bring the cost down to the $40K or get any money at ll to go there. And for Stanford, it doesn’t matter if you are international or a US citizen. ANyon ei nthat situation gets NO grants, no money from the school even if they are one of the top picks because the school gives ZERO in merit money and your famil;y does not qualify for financial aid.</p>
<p>Do check the British school and those of your own country and other countries as well. IF you need money, you need a lot of different eggs in your basket.</p>
<p>Are you the parent or the student?</p>
<p>If you can pay up to $40k per year, then it’s likely that schools will expect you to pay more. </p>
<p>If you want to pay $40k or LESS, then provide the student’s stats and major, and we’ll tell you where he/she can get large merit.</p>
<p>Those more prestigious schools have costs of attendance in the $60,000 range. I personally think an additional $20,000 is a LOT of money. </p>
<p>I’m going to give the same advice to you as to U.S citizens hoping for aid from the most prestigious schools. You need to broaden your horizons a bit. Your application list needs to include colleges you can pay for (including any need based or merit aid you might receive). Those tippy top schools accept perhaps 5% of international applicants. Even with outstanding stats, you are not guaranteed acceptance at any of these schools. In the 90% or so of denied students, there are a ton of very well qualified applicants. </p>
<p>Your family has $40,000 a YEAR to spend on college. You haven’t mentioned your areas of interest, or any other criteria for your college search. BUT $40,000 a year can fully fund college at any number of places. And many of these other places are excellent as well in terms of the education you will get.</p>
<p>If your family can afford $40,000 a year…it is very possible that you won’t qualify for a penny of need based aid at even the most generous colleges. And many on your list do NOT give a penny of merit aid. If you got accepted and had to come up with an additional $20,000 a year, would you be able to do so for all FOUR years? If not, you need to rethink your list at least partially.</p>