<p>My family is seriously in low financial circumstances because my dad started his own company
We're barely paying for the private high school my brother and I are in.
I'll be applying to college soon, but I don't know how we'll earn the money</p>
<p>I am definitely not going to lower my chances to apply for aid, and I am not good enough for a merit-based.</p>
<p>Those who think I can get student loans from school, do more research because most schools don't even give that out to internationals.</p>
<p>Ways to cut costs: 1) target schools you can afford, search on the costs and go from there, 2) Do the research and target colleges/unis that are more generous with aid to foreign students 3) you say you are international, look at colleges in your eligible country, 4) 2 years in the community college system and transfer to a 4-year institution, 5) finish up your senior year in a public high school use the private tuition toward college 6) if you aren’t working, get a job and sock away as much as you can this year, and there are probably some I haven’t thought of. Most important of all before you start applying in the fall make sure you clearly understand how much money your parents can put toward college - talk to them until you have a clear understanding, pin them down on the numbers - as it sounds like you will not be eligible for Federal aid. Do not kid yourself into believing that the Magic Money Fairy is going to drop a huge scholarship into your lap… put a realistic course of action in place.</p>
<p>Are you currently in the USA? If so, what is your visa status? Can you study in that visa status, or do you need to change to an F-1 in order to do so? Can you work in your current visa status, or will you need a different visa status in order to do so? Check the links at [Visa</a> Types for Temporary Visitors](<a href=“404 - Page Not Found”>404 - Page Not Found) for the specific rules.</p>
<p>If you are in the USA, check the regulations about in-state tuition and fees in the state where you reside. Some states will classify you for in-state tuition based on the number of years that you have lived in that state and/or studied in that state. </p>
<p>You may want to take a long hard look at colleges and universities in Canada. They often are cheaper for international students than their peer institutions in the USA.</p>
<p>That would be a huge mistake, especially given your circumstances, and may well result in you not having an education at all. Cost does not necessarily mean quality, especially at US colleges. Some of the best educational opportunities exist at public universities here. Many pricey schools offer similar educational programs, but may have fancier athletic complexes and dorms. Carefully research schools to see who offers the best programs for your intended field of study. Apply to some of the public schools.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>If you’re not good enough for merit aid, and not applying for need-based aid, how in the world are you going to pay for college? There is no magic money tree - you need to look for, and take, any opportunity you can find to help lower your cost if you’re serious about studying in the US. It does you absolutely no good to waste time applying to schools that you cannot afford.</p>
<p>The tip you get for being a full pay isn’t that huge. If you are not a competitive admit for a highly competitive school, just being able to pay the bill isn’t going to buy you a spot. If you don’t think you are competitive for merit aid anywhere, personally, I find it unlikely that you will be accepted at the very competitive schools…but then…I’m not sure what you are considering since you didn’t say.</p>
<p>International students (in the U.S.), I believe (someone will surely correct me if I’m wrong), MUST complete a form that clearly states that they have the resources to support themselves while here as students. If you can’t prove you have these resources, you won’t be able to come here. I would guess (not sure) that financial aid might come into play in this but I don’t exactly know.</p>
<p>You need to check EACH school that you have any interest in for their policies about international students. Some schools have very different admission and/or financial aid for international students than for U.S. citizens. Some schools do not. There is no way to know unless you read each schools information. I’m quite sure that if you put the specific schools here, folks will be able to tell you their policies for international applicants.</p>
<p>In any event…you SHOULD be considering finances. You must have a way to pay for college or you will not be permitted to enroll.</p>
You are correct - it is part of the student visa application process. </p>
<p>If you have neither proof of the funds available from home or proof of financial aid then you won’t be able to get a student visa. Magical thinking about not considering the cost of colleges and refusing to apply for aid is not going to get you very far.</p>
<p>thumper1, for international students the difference is HUGE. Except for several colleges which are need-blind for internationals, the acceptance rate for “need” students is drastically different from the acceptance rate for “no-need students”. For latter, the rate is close to that of domestic students; for former, it falls under 1%. Couple years ago, Colgate accepted 25 “need” internationals out of 900, and for Lehigh the rate was 13/300. </p>
<p>And yes, definitely, the financial aid (if any) will be considered towards the “available funds” required for the student visa. If OP is already in the country, he may keep his current status in most cases.</p>
<p>I agree that the OP should be considering finances; he might want to apply to lower-tier colleges where he may get merit finaid; and/or look for outside scholarships; and/or look at cheaper public colleges in low cost-of-living areas. AP/IB/CLEP credits may help to reduce the time spent in college. In some states, community colleges have much higher tuition for internationals (~$300/credit), so the CC route should be researched carefully. </p>
<p>As for education in “home” country, that can be complicated if the OP is graduating from a US school. Some countries do not accept the US high school diploma for admission purposes, so it may become impossible to get postsecondary education there.</p>
<p>Yes…actually in many cases schools DO consider ability to pay for international students. BUT this student also says he can’t pay. So what good is THAT for him???</p>
<p>This student can check the “NOT APPLYING FOR AID” box…but the bottom line is that if he is then accepted, he will be fully expected to pay the bill. His implication in these posts is that he is looking at very competitive schools and those are also mighty expensive. He will have to demonstrate to the INS that his family CAN pay the bills or he won’t get a student visa. He MUST pay the bills to the college or he won’t be allowed to register…never mind attend.</p>
<p>It does absolutely NO GOOD to get accepted to a college if you don’t have a way to pay the bills.</p>
<p>Hmmm…
troubling situation here…
I think I’ll just have to try to earn a lot of money during the summer, and get private loans…
Again, I am not reducing my chances by applying for aid, and I am not applying to lower tier just for lower tuition.</p>
<p>I’m hoping you’re taking this attitude because somewhere you have wealthy friends and relatives who will loan you money and cosign for loans.</p>
<p>A truly poor student could not take this approach, he’d end up with nowhere to go. Even if one is willing to take the huge loans, they would need someone with very good credit to cosign them. And as an international they will be all private, unsubsidized loans. I shudder to think what the total with interest at the end of 4 years would be if attending a top college.</p>
<p>The monthly payments are bound to be more than even the best jobs pay. So unless there’s a slush fund somewhere, this is really not achievable.</p>
<p>I hope this strategy works for you…but I still advise you…the college bills will need to be paid BEFORE you are allowed to enroll. Don’t be pennywise and pound foolish. If you REALLY want to go to college, cast a wide net and don’t be so restrictive in your criteria.</p>
<p>If you get accepted to a school and have no way to pay for it then you won’t be able to go. Part of the application process for an international student to get a student visa is that you must supply financial statements showing that you have the money to pay for the school. Without that you will not get a student visa. This is not school specific, it is required for all internationals applying for student visas.</p>