<p>I have a few questions about the options an international student has for college in the US. My cousin recently arrived from overseas on a visa with the plans of applying for a greencard. He wants to attend college here and work. The biggest bottleneck is the price of colleges - does anyone know what the various policies are regarding international students and scholarships?</p>
<p>Are there any particularly cheap schools or universities that provide full financial aid to qualified international students that just can't afford to pay? We are totally new to this process so any information would be greatly appreciated!! Thanks:)</p>
<p>You could go to an upper Ivy and request Fin.Aid but that is not nearly as easy as it sounds. Need-blind schools are especially hard to get into (not to be a dampener or anything :)) He could apply to some more affordable schools depending on his EFC but only if prestige/name is of little value to him. In the end, if he works super-hard and gets great SATs, EC’s. comm work, essays etc… then you could figure something out I reckon.</p>
<p>No, many schools do not offer FA to international students. Cornell offers FA to Canadians and Mexicans, but not outside of that. Each school is different, you need to on each school website to see their policies. I met an international student from Colgate with full FA.</p>
<p>What kind of visa does this person hold now? Can he work with that visa? Can he study with that visa? Before he gets too excited about going to college, he needs to find out about the rules that govern his current visa.</p>
<p>Has he already applied for the green card, and when does he expect to get it? Please be aware that this can take a long time. When he has the green card, he can get a job and establish residency. Each state has its own policies about how long one must be living and working there before being considered an in-state resident for college tuition purposes. In Maryland, you are in-state for tuition and fees at community colleges after three months, but you must be a resident for a year to qualify for in-state rates at the public universities.</p>
<p>Nationwide, the largest numbers of recent immigrants are studying part-time at local community colleges and working full-time to support themselves (and their families). Chances are that your cousin will have to do it that way too.</p>