<p>I know that a lot of you is very well informed, when it comes to the topic of universities in the US. I am asking you for providing me with informations, when it comes to financial aid/scholarships for an international student at the USC. Time is running out, because of deadline on 1st of December for financial aid forms and such.
I looked at USC website million times, but still I haven't find anything useful for me.</p>
<p>I am an international student from Poland and my SAT scores are not high at all, they are actually very low. I was an exchange student in Michigan and considered as a senior, even though I went there after 9th grade. Class rank from my exchange year was 27 out of 236 and GPA 3.72. Currently I do attend private, catholic high school just for girls in Poland and finishing up my IB Diploma Programme. </p>
<p>Can you please tell me what should I fill out? What send to the USC to get any money to finance my study? I can't find any forms and actually I can't find any details.
I would really appreciate your responds. </p>
<p>Thank you and good luck everyone with their admission :)</p>
<p>There is a great deal of information on the International Student section of this website. To find topics, there is a search function on this site, plus the posts show up on a google search if you type: site:collegeconfidential.com and then the search terms into google.</p>
<p>Doesn’t it apply for me?
And going further I fo qualify for NATIONAL MERIT FINALIST PRESIDENTIAL SCHOLARSHIPS, but I have no idea what to fill out for this kind of scholarship.</p>
<p>National Merit Scholarships are based upon the PSAT test, which is usually taken by 11th graders in the US. I don’t know if international students are eligible. The national awards are not large, but many colleges offer their own large merit scholarships for the bragging rights of saying how many National Merit Scholars they have in their student body.</p>
<p>Int’l students are not eligible for NMF scholarships because they can’t become NMFs unless they are in the process of getting permanent resident process (which it doesn’t sound like this student is). It also is doubtful that this student had a high enough PSAT to become a NMSF.</p>
<p>I’m not seeing on the website that USC gives need-based aid to int’ls…but maybe I’m missing something.</p>
<p>And, since you say that your SAT scores are quite low, you won’t qualify for merit aid.</p>
<p>It looks like USC is not going to work for you financially.</p>
<p>I was thinking also about California State University in LA and Long Beach, University of Miami, Florida International University and University of Michigan. </p>
<p>So there is no possibility of getting any financial support?</p>
<p>Oh it seems impossible for international students to study in the US. I am more than positive all those int’ls don’t have money to pay for school.
I am already back in Poland. I was in Michigan though. </p>
<p>But is this CSU LA even a good school?</p>
<p>I was thinking about taking a loan, but this is soooooo much money </p>
<p>SAT was lower than 1500. I don’t how it is possible, cause my ACT is 34 and I am retaking it next weekend. So I guess I will send them my ACT, but first they do require financial aid forms and all that. Somehow they have to provide such things since they send me informations about it to my home, here in Poland, so they are aware I am a prospective international student.</p>
<p>Don’t submit your SAT at all…submit your ACT. Your SAT score will not help you in admittance but your ACT will. The first hurdle you have is to get accepted and a 1500 SAT is barely the mean for students here. I believe getting accepted to USC with that kind of SAT score is not realistic…BUT the ACT of 34 is a very good one…so submit that.</p>
<p>You can get ALL of the information about the deadlines for financial aid submissions and what is required for international student on EACH college’s website. Just type in “international student financial aid” in their search area. It will come up. You will find out IF they award international students aid and the forms required and most importantly the DEADLINES for submissions of the required information for financial aid consideration.</p>
<p>You do need to know that all but a handful of schools WILL consider your ability to pay for their school when they consider your admissions application. In other words, these schools do consider ability to pay the costs of attending their school and whether you can fund these costs when they make their admissions decisions.</p>
<p>USC does **not **offer need-based financial aid to International students. International students ARE eligible for merit aid (but not for the National Merit Presidential Scholarship as mentioned earlier). In order to be considered for Merit Scholarships, your online application, test scores, recommendation(s) and transcripts must be submitted by December 1st, 2010. </p>
<p>Before a letter of admission can be sent, International applicants must submit a “Financial Statement of Personal or Family Support” form (a US Gov’t requirement for an I-20 visa). You do not have to have that for the December 1st deadline, but it should be submitted by the first week of January.</p>
<p>Financial aid deadlines begin in January, but they do not apply to you because USC does not offer need-based financial aid to International students.</p>
<p>Many of your questions about international admissions are answered at [EducationUSA</a> | Study Abroad, Student Visa, University Fairs, College Applications and Study in the U.S. / America](<a href=“http://www.educationusa.info/]EducationUSA”>http://www.educationusa.info/) You should read through that website, and then you should make an appointment with the counselors at the advising center closest to where you live. There are several in Poland [EducationUSA</a> - Find an Advising Center](<a href=“http://www.educationusa.info/Poland]EducationUSA”>http://www.educationusa.info/Poland) These counselors are expert at helping students from your country find good places to study in the US. They will be able to tell you whether or not you are likely to receive financial aid at the places you have been thinking about.</p>
<p>Many international students with average scores and limited finances start at US community colleges. They are the most affordable colleges - I imagine you could study at many of them for $15K a year including very basic room and board if you choose one in a less expensive part of the country. </p>
<p>I understand that many internationals attend community colleges in Houston, Texas for example. That also is a great way to perfect your English before you take more advanced college classes. If you prove yourself in college level studies, there are many 4 year colleges that would then be happy to accept you as a transfer. However, at that time, I would still look at public colleges with low out of state tuition rates. The University of Michigan which you mentioned has very expensive out of state tuition and is very selective. </p>
<p>You might also look at Canadian colleges, which are often cheaper for non-residents than US colleges.</p>
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