How do I deal with these two contradictory forms?

Paying for College
1

<p>I need to submit two international student forms to my colleges.</p>

<li>International student certification of finances</li>
<li>International student financial aid application</li>
</ol>

<p>As far as I know,</p>

<h1>1 is to prove that I can afford the college tution and fees in order to get the visa (correct me if i’m wrong)</h1>

<h1>2 is to show that I do not have enough money for college and thus need financial support.</h1>

<p>These two forms seem to totally contradict one another. What do I do?
If I fill in enough amount for the certification of finances, my financial aid application won’t make any sense any more. But if i do NOT fill in enough amount, I will probably have promblems getting the visa, and my colleges won’t accept me unless they can give me financial aid. I still want to have a chance getting into them and attending them, even if i do not get FA. (Theoretically, my family has enough money to support me with college, but if they do so, the rest of the family will have some financal difficulties…that’s why I’m applying for FA.) Some of the schools i’m applying to are not need-blind for internationals. So I need to be careful with what i write for those two forms…</p>

<p>Any help would be greatly appreciated!</p>

2

<ol>
<li>International student certification of finances</li>
<li>International student financial aid application</li>
</ol>

<p>Number 1 is a certification that you have the finances to live in the U.S. </p>

<p>Number 2 is an application for financial aid. Many students complete this because they might be eligible for aid. You are not saying you don’t have the money, you are applying for financial assistance if it is determined that you have need as an international students.</p>

<p>Re: number 1…(someone else correct me if I’m wrong)…this is required of all international students regardless of whether or not they need financial aid. Just FYI…when my son did a study abroad, we needed to provide the same verification for him to travel abroad to another country. They needed verification that he had a means of support.</p>