<p>Hi. I decided to apply to some colleges in US, but now I'm a bit worried.
I have to pay for SAT I, SAT II and TOEFL, and it's fine, I can afford it. But I don't think I'll be able to pay any application fee (all are above $60 and I'm going to apply to 5 colleges). I know I can get fee waivers, still I've no idea what are the chances I'll get it, but all this colleges offer Financial Aid for international students so I think I won't have a big problem with getting it, am I right?
And the next thing is sending scores, but I've read on collegeboard that I get 4 free reports with every registration, so hopefully I'd have to pay only $10 for fifth report.</p>
<p>I'm wondering if I'm missing anything? Are there any other costs besides SAT I/SAT II (and the fee for international processing), TOEFL, app fees and sending scores to colleges?</p>
<p>Thanks in advance!</p>
<p>That’s pretty much it unless you are required to mail something over to them in your application. For example, portfolios etc.</p>
<p>I just want to say that you are really brave to consider studying abroad with money being so tight. Would you have a source of emergency funding once you get to college? For example, I cracked a tooth two months into college (the first time I had problems with my teeth) and dental treatment was about a thousand dollars. Application fees are peanuts compared to the cost of living.</p>
<p>Once I get to college I’d have source of emergency founding - I don’t see any other option - money for doctor, if possible - for emergency flight to Eutope etc. Still, paying at least $300 when I don’t really know if I even get admitted is big deal for me.</p>
<p>Also, I’m wondering - if school is full need, doesn’t Financial Aid cover such things as dentist or so?</p>
<p>
No. Your financial aid package would have a yearly allowance for personal expenses, which is supposed (but often does not) cover everything that the average student might need: textbooks, laundry detergent, hair cuts, entertainment, medical expenses, vacation break housing (the dorms might be closed during breaks!), etc.</p>
<p>I have a friend from a third-world country who is on full financial aid: she gets tuition, room, board, airfare (for the move-in - no allowance for trips back home during her undergraduate years) and medical insurance. She was offered (and has accepted) a campus job worth $2,000 per school year for personal expenses. She’s also working on campus during the summer, but most of her summer salary goes towards summer housing.</p>
<p>It took her two years to save up for a cheap laptop (almost a necessity in college nowadays). She still doesn’t have a cell phone; and she was walking around with tooth pain for half a year before she saw a dentist, because she didn’t have the money to pay for it initially. She is certainly not in an enviable position.</p>
<p>Re medical insurance: American medical insurance usually does not cover dental expenses, vision or preventative care. And it won’t usually cover the full cost of insured expenses either. For example, it’s common that you might have to pay the first $100 of every bill yourself (co-pay) or that the insurance would only pay for 80% of your expenses (co-insurance). Needless to say, medical debt is the #1 reason of personal bankruptcy in the US. Luckily college health centers provide free or cheap treatment for common minor conditions (e.g. the cold or UTIs), but you might need to seek outside treatment for major medical problems.</p>
<p>Ok, thanks.
Since we’re talking about Financial Aid etc. I’d like to ask you (to actually make sure, because I was reading about it) - is student (getting FA) able to afford anything more than room, food and schower gel? I mean, and I know it might sound stupid, things like clothes (of course I’m not thinking about any extra stuff), face cream or, I don’t know, lipstick? And the other question is - my family’s income is less than $60,000 so I’d qualify for, for example, full Financial Aid at Harvard, but can my mother send me like $1,000 or $2,000 a year to make my life’s standard higher?
I read about your friend, but I think it’s an extreme case, right?</p>
<p>By all means, give it a go, but be well aware that money is very short at colleges, and international students are at the end of the line. Many of internationals think that they are going into gold paved roads and an easy life here. Not the case, when you need full financial aid. It’s rarely enough money. </p>
<p>Each school has an official Cost of Attendance (COA) that it uses for funding purposes. I don’t know if a separate one is set for international students and how travel is covered in such cases, but for full need students, that is the most they will cover most of the time.</p>
<p>My friend is an extreme case only in that she doesn’t get any money from her family, so she had to rely 100% on financial aid. If you can get extra spending money from your family, you’ll be in a much better position. (If she was an American student, she would probably be working a second job off campus or take out additional loans for some spending money, but neither is an option for international students.)</p>
<p>Also be aware that not every college is as generous as Harvard. My family (of 7) makes slightly less than $60,000 a year, and my financial aid offer has a family contribution of $5,000.</p>