I have been admitted to UMass-Amherst and the Commonwealth Honors College.
Also, I have been awarded 12,000$ in merit-aid but my COA is still out of my reach. Here is my Resume
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B58211sfosJRS2JOZW00a3FzT2s/view
I want to know about option such as RAship and TAship for the undergraduate students.
PS I have given the April ACT and the results will be out on 19th. I will update it here.
bump.
You could be a residence hall assistant - check whether this comes with free room and board. In order to get that job you’d have to be very involved in residence life, organizing committee for entertainment, student Senate, the type I’d thing, and probably upperclass students would give you tips on how to do well. It’s typically much sought after.
Undergraduate learning assistants often get credit for their work and may not get paid.
I will contact the officers there and check about residence hall assistant.
As I am admitted to Honors College I was thinking of getting a Research Assistance position in my sophomore year. Even if I get credits that will also be beneficial right, my tuition would get decreased as I would need to take less classes.
Thanks
You have received the maximum of what can be expected, really a good award for that school as they don’t give regular financial aid to Internationals (most publics don’t). Undergrads can get paid jobs, but you don’t have federal work/study so some jobs will be restricted on that basis. The school does have more jobs available then just W/S that you can get but they may not be RA or TA as grad students will usually get those at large state schools. You really couldn’t expect one at all until you are an upperclassman. Normal undergrad jobs are for 10 or 12 hours a week and get you 2.000 a year. But you can, if you find a position, work up to 20 hours a week and will likely get $11 or 12 an hour. How much do you need?. See the student employment pages, there are listings for jobs available although there may not be so many currently listed, there are some and you can see how it goes. Review the student employment handbook and the restrictions for International students on page 10.
https://www.umass.edu/umfa/seo
No one can predict if you can get a Residence Hall position, they are said to be extremely competitive as not that many are available they it takes up a lot of time.
So if you can squeeze the cost, you may be able to get some relief of the cost, but no more than 20 hours a week, 40 on break, and they limit undergrad pay to 12 per hour unless the department gets approval. If you can’t come up with the funds for 4 years, you just can’t rely on anything. It isn’t possible if you need thousands more.
Contact financial aid and the student employment office to see.
OP can request BC for work study to help pay for personal expenses.
Work study is good because it MUST coordinate with your study hours.
If op has some qualifications (IT, EMT) s/he may be paid more off campus.
@BrownParent That’s what I thought RA/TA positions that I would not get it unless I am upperclassman. I suppose I would have to work part-time for the first two years then get an RA/TA position.
I can pay up to 25,000$ per year for 4 years. But right now my cost of attendance is 33,000$. So if can bring my cost to 30,000$ for the first two years then I would need to bring the cost to 20,000$ for the last two years.
Still it’s very critical and I think that this kind of pressure would not be good for my studies.
@MYOS1634 What kind of qualifications am I looking at here?
Also can anybody please tell me if the aid amount would increase if my April ACT score gets increased. I mean do they reconsider you for aid if something aspect of out application changes.
Thanks.
Nobody can tell you if the aid amount would increase, you have to ask them, but odds are that the answer’s no.
It = fixing computer problems for people.
Emt= emergency tech. Riding in an ambulance helping people in distress.
@MYOS1634 I meant people who might have got their award increased. I just want to if it’s at all possible.
How do they select people for IT job. I mean is there some kind of exam or what.
No, you bring a resume with examples of stuff you can do. You work for a few hours. If you do a good job, you stay on.
@MYOS1634 Ok… Thanks… Do you know anybody who had their aid package increased? I just want an assurance that it will increase.
Thanks btw.
There are 20,000 students and new ones each year. In any case, the fact it’s happened has no relevance to you. You must ask them.
@MYOS1634 Ok… I will ask them too… Thanks for the input.
There is no assurance that it will increase and the only assurance would have to come from the Financial Aid office… I very much doubt it. Only a few colleges I know of do that and they put it on their website. U of Alabama and UA-Huntsville, maybe Louisiana Tech.and a few others that give automatic aid. UMass aid isn’t automatic for ‘stats’.
UNIVERSITY COSTS - International Student Expenses
Tuition $31,050
Technology Fee $250
Student Activities Fee $130
International Student Service Fee $200
Student Health Benefit Plan (SHBP) $2,200
Room and Board $12,000
Total Fixed Costs $45,830
VARIABLE COSTS
(Not incurred by all students, considered personal expenses, and will not appear on your university bill)
Living expenses (winter & spring break) $2,095
Miscellaneous (books, supplies, laundry, etc.) $2,075
Subtotal Variable Costs $4,170
Total: $50,000
And
Honors College Fee $600
Engineering College fee $800 - not sure you are in this college\
Grant Total 51,400
Less Grant 39,400
So how do you see you rate of 33k? Add in honors and if you are in engineering those are fix cost too. Looks like you have to pay to stay winter and spring break for room and board either. And you have to have books, you have to buy some personal item and not even listed is plane fare home. Some expenses can save a few hundred here and there.
But if there is extra money and you just want to talk about cost of 33,000 x 4= 132,000 then you need 32k extra or 8k a year. Did you read the handbook? See the restrictions on international student job hours and pay for undergraduates? Are you going to be staying summers?
Students may work up to 20 hours per week during the academic year and up to 40 hours during Intersession and Spring Break. You will have to take any job you can get. Even if it is cafeteria worker, a common undergrad job. I doubt you will get a TA or RA. Often student will do unpaid undergrad research. If you are lucky to get on a research team later maybe a prof will have a budget to pay you something. This just can’ be counted on. If you are really very skilled and experienced in something, then maybe you may eventually find something more than $10 or 12 per hour. But the department has to file for an exception to pay more than $15 per hour so you can see that it isn’t usual.Remember there is no guarantee that you can get a job at all. But it is reasonable to think you can make 4 or 5k the first two years and 8 the next 2 years. Maybe you can make more the next two years.
You might want to talk to the aid officer or the employment office about CPT (not sure which). If you school will give you credits, at least one, you might be able to get an internship or co-op outside the school that pays more. Read up on CPT and also for after you graduate OPT where you can work for one year and a STEM extension.
What are you other options?
@BrownParent Thanks for the input.
Yes I am admitted to college fo engineering
I did not take into account the variable cost in my calculation.
I might stay in the US if will get work. If not then I will have to come back.
If I get a part-time job there for 10$ per hour and I work 15 hours per week then for 9 months the amount would be 5400$.
Also from second year the college of engineering will be giving scholarships. I know it will be tough getting it But if I get even 5000$ out of max 13,000$ then my yearly cost would get reduced to 27,600$. That still leaves out 2600$.
I was really hoping that my Honors admit would make it easy for me to get and RA or TA position but as it seems it’s not the case.
And all of this is not even guaranteed. In the holidays, I was expecting on working in for paid internships gathering some amount from there.
My other option is MSU where I have got 19,000$ in scholarships but the catch is that it includes me working for 3,000$ during the session.
However, my Honors admission makes me eligible to get an RA position with a chance of getting my fees reduced to that of a instate student. Also, I would be paid a 2500$ stipend for the first year and it would be increased based on my performance. I know is tough but if I get that then the scholarship will take care of the tuition and the living cost will be under 25,000$.
For getting the RA position I would need an ACT score of at least 33. I have given the April ACT but the scores have not yet come out.
What do you mean if you can get ‘even 5,000’? That would be a huge department scholarship, are you sure such exists? I doubt it, that would be very unusual. Where are you seeing such scholarships? Scholarships are mostly offered as incoming freshmen. Departmental scholarships for continuing students are more like a few hundred or 1k. And it is still a big if. Honors college doesn’t matter for RA or TA. What matters is your relation to a department or prof. RA and TA is a grad school job most places, a way to pay grad students. If a prof wants to work with an undergrad it is usually done on your time for free. This isn’t UMass specific advice, just general, schools don’t look good if the undergrad TA’s and they are not usually considered qualified. Iif someone knows more about UMass that would be great. But I do know at large publics, they have enough grad students for that. That doesn’t mean you can’t find a meaningful position in a tutoring center or something. I know at Brown undergrads can TA and get paid but that is an entirely different system in a much smaller controlled and mentored environment.
What I am trying to tell you is that as an international you may not work when and where you please. That is why I am saying you should be reading all about this and the restrictions and calculating what is the min and max that you may be making. You just seem to assume this is easy.
I don’t want to be so discouraging, I wish it could work for you but I don’t see it. I am afraid for a situation where you over extend your finances and cannot finish with a degree because of lack of funds. To me the seems great risk if you really can’t borrow, then work OPT for a year or so to get money to pay back a loan from someone or your family. So close but so far.
I don’t understand the finances of MSU it is not laid out clearly enough. I would prefer UMass but you have to make sure you have a 4 year plan. Can’t tell if MSU will do. Did you apply to UA or UA Huntsville? Your funds would work there. UA Huntsville still takes acceptances with guaranteed merit awards. It is not as ‘prestigious’ but it does have many opportunities.
So, the RA or TA opportunity is going to vary by college. I don’t think you can count on it. It is just something to help if you can pay, to reduce.
I meant to give your the page for the figures above:
http://www.umass.edu/ipo/sites/default/files/Ugrad%20Degree%20Expense%20Estimate%209%20month%2016-17.pdf
@BrownParent Yes, I suppose this is not as easy as it seems. I will email the officers about the work restrictions and see what is the minimum and the maximum I can get.
I emailed the department and they gave me the info about the departmental scholarships. They, however, are not renewable so there is not guarantee as to if I would get the same amount in the next year or not.
I just saw that College Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) is only for US citizens so that’s out of the window.
I am going to email the International Programs Office about internships and Co-Op programs. Hopefully, they will tell me a good news.
MSU has given various scholarships which amount to 19,000$ per year.
This award is administered by the Office for International Students and Scholars (OISS) and is designed to help international students better compete for on-campus jobs. Only selected international students have access to this opportunity, opening up a broader range of potential work settings at the University. Taking advantage of this opportunity can help you build your personal and professional portfolio by gaining practical skills and experiences that employers look for in hiring interns and college graduates while also earning funds to help cover your living expenses.
I have not yet completely understood what this entails so I going to write an email to the office about it.
2.Global Spartan Scholarship ($1,000 one-time/nonrenewable award)
3.Presidential Study Abroad Scholarship ($3,000-$5,000 one-time award) cannot be used for tuition purposes.
4.Global Neighbors Scholarship ($6,000 annually for four years)
5.International Spartan Grant ($10,000 annually for four years) I could not find info about this on the internet. I guess this must be very rare. I don’t know about this.
Also, there are Undergraduate research opportunities at MSU for internationals. I also talked to my counsellor and he said that you can also save money by living off campus after freshmen year.
I finally decide to go to MSU… They gave additional scholarship which made the cost of attendance only 2000$ shorter than my budget of 25000… Thanks everyone for their time… Go Spartans… 