I’ve been accepted to the Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM) for a master’s program as an American student, but I am having trouble proving that I will be able to afford my first year there in order to get the certificat d’acceptation du Québec (CAQ). UQAM has informed me that I will not be eligible for any scholarships until after my first semester, US federal financial aid/loans are not available for students going to UQAM, and it appears as if loans that the government of Quebec offers are solely for Canadian citizens. My current bank statement is basically non-existent and, while I have a job here in the US, it does not pay me the requisite $24k, nor would I be able to continue working there if I’m living in Montreal.
I’ve made it through my undergraduate studies in the US mostly on scholarships with mostly federal loans for whatever portions the scholarships haven’t covered. I assumed I’d be doing the same thing in Montreal since I graduated with a 3.98 GPA and numerous academic honors, but it’s looking like the only way I can even get a student visa to begin with is by taking out an enormous amount of money in private student loans. Is there any alternative to this? Considering how uncompromising private lenders are when in repayment, I really don’t want to be taking on such a huge amount of debt through them if there is any other possibility.
I’ve already attempted to contact a few different people at UQAM and have mostly just had my e-mails forwarded to other people who then never respond, so any help that you all could provide me would be greatly appreciated.