Hi all,
I’m an international student and I REALLY need need-based financial aid. My parents are jobless and I can’t pay for the tuition.
I know that there are only 5 US universities that offer a need-blind admission to international students: MIT, Harvard, Yale, Princeton and Amherst.
What universities offer 100% demonstrated need-based financial aid to international students? Correct me if I’m wrong but as far as I know, Caltech, Columbia, Stanford and NYU are need sensitive for admission but offer 100% demonstrated financial aid.
From your posting history you are Canadian. What are your stats? Are they in the range for these topmost schools? What is your SAT/ACT score. Otherwise given your family situation you would likely be better off attending a Canadian university.
@TomSrOfBoston I actually can’t go to a Canadian university. I live in Canada but I’m not Canadian. My family is trying to immigrate but it’s taking forever.
Canadian universities do not give any financial aid for international students because we’re expected to ask for aid from our home country, which will not work because we’re not eligible for that either since we are not studying in our home country. I’m applying to American universities because some of them offer need based financial aid to international students. I’m taking ACT this September and based on practice tests expect around 32.
Many Canadian universities do give need and merit based aid to international students. A 32 ACT would put you at the low end for admission to topmost American schools.
While only a few places guarantee to meet what they consider to be financial need for all students who are admitted, there are many more that will meet the full need of one or two international students each year. Provided you are that one student who gets the money, you are fine.
What do you want to study?
Can your family contribute anything, or do you need all books, materials, travel costs, and personal expenses covered as well as tuition/fees/housing/meals?
@happymomof1 I’m planning to study math and computer science. I can pay for other expenses but I need the tuition+housing/meals covered.
Not what you want to hear, but you should explore options in your home country.
Can’t do that either. I went to school in Canada. Can’t go back at this point.
You might want to look at schools that you can commute to. Maybe between some merit and a PT job and living at home you can come up with an affordable option.
A gap year until your Canadian residency is finished is a good option.
So hard to get into the schools you lost for internationals. Maybe look at merit aid instead? Somewhere like Alabama or a HBCU?
Those five schools you listed are not the only options. Many wealthy colleges offer full need aid to internationals… they just choose not to admit very many of them and so needing aid can hurt your chances of getting in. But if you get in you will get help.
Here’s a list. It might be out of date but it’s a start.
http://thecollegematchmaker.com/65-colleges-give-generous-aid-international-students/
Also, NYU does not promise to cover financial need, for internationals or anyone else
Are you a boy or a girl?
What are your Canadian grades?
Waterloo would be a must - they do offer significant aid for internationals who are good at math and the co ops add to that.
Quebec universities are $6,800 and have merit aid. Mount Allison, UNBC, Lethbridge, have scholarships too.
In the US, look at the LAC list from USNWR. Williams, Oberlin, Reed, the women’s colleges (of you’re a girl), all offer need-based scholarships.
Depending on where you live in Canada, there may be an agreement with Maine or Minnesota.
Can your parents get jobs?
You are going to need a visa through your country of citizenship. That may add an additional expense if you have to return to that country to get the visa. You may have issues traveling between the US and Canada during the time you are a student.
Waiting until you are a Canadian citizen may work better.
Answering few questions:
I’m a girl, and my overall grades are in low 90s ATM, which I think will increase this fall when I don’t have to take mandatory humanities courses I needed for just grade 11.
My parents are trying but employment is really hard. It’s not like we’re not trying.
I live in Ottawa so I can go to the embassy for visa and stuff, that’s not much of a problem.
Thanks for the list @MYOS1634
OP’s challenge is still a challenge because none of these schools are need blind to international students. Her parent’s ability to pay will be a factor in admissions even at the women’s colleges.
Reed had 34 international students matriculate in 2016-2017
Op will run into long running gender balancing issues at Oberlin
In addition…these colleges will require submission of the CSS Profile. If the family has zero income…there is no question the colleges are going to ask how the family pays its day to day living expenses. So…be prepared to provide that documentation.
Also…if you are applying for 2018-2019, you will be using 2016 income. Did your parents work that year?
No they’ve been unemployed since 2014. We’re living on child benefit and bank balances right now. My parents have some property in our country that is literally a burden. If those sell out, I could probably pay for some tuition but still not a significant amount. (<20,000)