<p>Hi, I'm currently in the process of applying to around 7 schools.
But I'm considered "international" for not having US Citizenship
I have been living here in the US for about 15 years and have
attended school consecutively. Does anyone know how the whole
financial aid process would work for me?? Im desperately lost :/
Also, IF admited to any one school, how would I enroll as an international
student if I currently live here with no Visa?</p>
<p>^^^</p>
<p>how are you living here without a visa? Are you an undocumented alien (aka illegal alien)? Or, are you a green card resident?</p>
<p>Depending on the state that you live in, you might get in-state tuition rates, but you will have a hard time getting financial aid. What state are you in?</p>
<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/151609-international-student-aid.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/151609-international-student-aid.html</a>
Try ^ that thread
;)</p>
<p>In a few states including CA, as said above, if you’ve gone to HS there for 3 years, you would qualify for in state tuition. That schold make a community college doable at the very least. </p>
<p>Your other options, if you have good stats, would be colleges offering merit aid to internationals and the colleges that offer need based aid to internationals (a few very top schools).</p>
<p>It’s not easy, but a CC can be a good place to start.</p>
<p>At private colleges, you would have to apply for a student visa, leave the US and return with that visa.</p>
<p>Looking at your other posts, unless you can pay most of the cost, you should add schools to your list. Schools like Penn, Cornell, JHU and NU have very little money for internationals and have many high stats Hispanics internationals. Being in the US for 15 years, they would expect high scores. You should add some less selective schools.</p>
<p>*Your other options, if you have good stats, would be colleges offering merit aid to internationals *</p>
<p>I don’t know how this all works, but as an international who might be here illegally, I dont’ know how many schools (outside of Calif or Texas) will handle this student. Typically, an international has to get an education visa in order to attend. What would this student get? Would he even be able to apply for an education visa without exposing his family to deportation (if they’re here illegally).</p>
<p>I have no idea of how this all works. I’m just asking.</p>
<p>yes, im sadly considered an “illegal alien”
would that mean i can only apply to school’s
in California (i live here) and Texas?</p>
<p>Several states will allow undocumented students who have resided in and graduated from high school in that state to apply as instate students. As you do not live in Texas that would not apply to you. If you live in CA that is probably the only State that will work for you. Schools outside of CA would probably require that you get a student visa. Not sure how that would work or if it would be possible in your situation.</p>
<p>As far as financial aid is concerned you are ineligible for federal financial aid (FAFSA requires that you be a US citizen or permanent resident (legally, with a permanent resident visa such as a green card). So any aid would depend on the school and what they can offer, and possibly the State if they offer any.</p>
<p>You really cannot apply to schools outside of California (the Texas reference was only IF you lived in Texas), because you don’t have a visa. Texas would charge you OOS fees which you can’t afford, and would expect to see a visa since you didn’t go to a Texas school.</p>
<p>While you will get in-state rates for Calif public schools, I don’t think you’ll get the aid that you’ll ned - unless the State of Calif lets undocumented people get Cal grants. Anyone know? How much are Cal Grants these days?</p>
<p>edited to add…</p>
<p>found this on the Cal Grant website…</p>
<p>*If I am undocumented, can I receive financial aid?</p>
<p>Undocumented students are not eligible for state (Cal Grant) and federal (FAFSA) financial aid. Some colleges may offer financial aid to undocumented students, so visit your college’s financial aid office to find out.</p>
<p>*</p>
<p>This doesn’t look good for you. :(</p>
<p>What state colleges and community colleges are close to your home where you could commute? </p>
<p>How much can your parents give you for college?</p>
<p>He can apply to schools outside of CA. He would need to apply for a student visa and leave the US to actually get the visa. It’s done all the time. The visa can be gotten in any country other than the US at an embassy once the accepting college issues the paperwork.</p>
<p>But if the US is aware that the student has already been living here illegally might there not be some risk that they will not grant a student visa? I am no expert in this area but I would have thought there might be.</p>
<p>I know when I applied for a green card I was already married for several years to a US citizen and had a son who was a US citizen. Nevertheless I had to jump through some hoops to get a visa approved - getting a visa for the US is not really a friendly warm and fuzzy process. So I would be surprised if having lived illegally over here did not cause some problems. </p>
<p>As an aside going to a police station in Egypt to be fingerprinted for the interpol searches was a memorable experience (both because getting anyone to actually do it without a ‘fee’ is next to impossible and because having someone pour gasoline on my hands to remove the fingerprint ink while surrounded by smoking Egyptian police officers was a little scary).</p>
<p>*He can apply to schools outside of CA. He would need to apply for a student visa and leave the US to actually get the visa. It’s done all the time. The visa can be gotten in any country other than the US at an embassy once the accepting college issues the paperwork. *</p>
<p>So, after he graduates from High school, he’d have to go back to his home country and then get his visa?</p>
<p>Well, either way…I doubt he could get the funds he’d need to go OOS, since he can’t get any federal aid. Unless he has steller stats for an ivy type of school (which I guess is possible), that would pay for everything IF he got accepted. However, anything less than an elite would leave him with a big ole gap.</p>
<p>teknos…what are your stats? And to what Calif state schools did you apply?</p>
<p>thnks for all ur input everyone!</p>
<p>mom2collegekids - my stats are:</p>
<p>Hispanic Male
Rank 10 of 570
Come from a single parent household (father passed away 5yrs ago)
Unweighted GPA 3.81
Weighted GPA 4.5
SAT’s: 1790 (im retaking in Jan)
ACT: 27
SAT II: Math II 600
Spanish 770
Biology M 600
AP’s:
Environmental 4
Spanish Lang 5
Spanish Lit 4
English 2
Biology 2</p>
<p>Awards:
Top Male Student Award
District Recognition
Most Improved Student
Academic Recognition in Music
Academic Recognition in Science
Academic Recognition in Foreign Language
Academic Recognition in Social Studies
National Honors Society</p>
<p>EC’s:
Marching Band 4yrs
Concert Band 6yrs
Jazz Band 3yrs
Drum Line 4yrs
KEY Club International 2yrs
Mathematics Engineering Science Achievement 5yrs
Architecture Construction Engineering 2yrs
Cancer Society 3yrs
Volunteer Youth Group 4yrs
Intern at local Hospital 1yr
Volunteer at Children’s Hospital 1yr</p>
<p>CA schools I applied to: UCLA, UCSD, UCI, UCB, CalPoly Pomona, and Pepperdine
Outside CA: UofPortland, Cornell, JHU, Princeton, Penn, Vanderbilt, WUSTL, and UChicago</p>
<p>There are 4 CC’s I live near to, 2 UC’s, and 3 CSU’s…
My mom would only be able to pay off $3000 or so a yr 
IF i were to get into an IVY, do i need to apply for FinAid or is money given to me automatically?</p>
<p>You have to apply for financial aid at an Ivy. But I would say Ivys are a big reach for your stats.</p>
<p>Financial aid is not given automatically anywhere.</p>
<p>Of the ivies you applied to, only Princeton is need blind to internationals. Unfortunately, your list is not a great one for an international needing aid. Keep your fingers crossed for a big jump on the SAT to be competitive at some of the more generous schools.</p>
<p>You probably don’t have a social security number, so you will have to apply as an international which definitely disqualifies you for federal aid (FAFSA form). </p>
<p>A few private schools require international students to complete a CSS Profile. </p>
<p>I’m sorry but you’re in a tough spot…</p>
<p>*IF i were to get into an IVY, do i need to apply for FinAid or is money given to me automatically? *</p>
<p>Ivies don’t give money out automatically to anyone, because they have to make sure that they aren’t giving money to rich people. Therefore, you must apply.</p>
<p>*Hispanic Male
Rank 10 of 570
Come from a single parent household (father passed away 5yrs ago)
Unweighted GPA 3.81
Weighted GPA 4.5
SAT’s: 1790 (im retaking in Jan)
ACT: 27
SAT II: Math II 600
Spanish 770
Biology M 600
AP’s:
Environmental 4
Spanish Lang 5
Spanish Lit 4
English 2
Biology 2
*
*CA schools I applied to: UCLA, UCSD, UCI, UCB, CalPoly Pomona, and Pepperdine</p>
<h2>Outside CA: UofPortland, Cornell, JHU, Princeton, Penn, Vanderbilt, WUSTL, and UChicago *</h2>
<p>Wow, you’ve got some reaches. However, you have a decent chance for your UC schools since they give “some” consideration for being a URM. You have a good ranking! :)</p>
<p>*There are 4 CC’s I live near to, 2 UC’s, and 3 CSU’s…
My mom would only be able to pay off $3000 or so a yr
*</p>
<p>How come you didn’t apply to any of the CSUs by your home?<br>
I hope that you applied to some of the UCs by your home. Did you? </p>
<p>I’m concerned that you don’t have any financial safeties since you didn’t apply to any CSU’s by your home. </p>
<p>The problem I see is this…It is unlikely that you’ll get into your reaches (ivies, Vandy, WUSL, JHU, and UChicago), since your scores are not in their mid 50’s range. </p>
<p>UPortland does not meet need, so you’d have a huge gap with them.</p>
<p>So, that pretty much leaves the Calif state schools. Without federal or state funds (that can’t be given to you), I don’t see a way that you’d get the funding to pay to “go away” to a UC school. Therefore, (to me) it looks like you can only hope to scrape the money together to commute to a CSU (but you didn’t apply to any) or commute to a UC (which costs more). Without a CSU to commute to, you may end up at a CC for 2 years.</p>
<p>Do you have a financial safety that I’m not seeing?</p>
<p>Do you see what I mean? 
</p>
<p>BTW…did your guidance counselor advise you in regards to your application choices?</p>
<p>i applied to 2 CSU’s (including CalPoly Pomona)
but i had to pay for them since i didnt qualify for
a fee waiver based on my citizenship status, so i
canceled one application and paid off CalPoly Pomona’s fee
i was notified of admission and am being considered into their
Honors College, they also said I am eligible for a 10k scholarship
but is highly competitive and several other small scholarships</p>
<p>if i do have a jump in my Jan SAT, do you think
I would be in the reach of a private? perhaps Cornell??</p>
<p>my counselor did go over my application choices
but I guess I’m considered a top student in my school
as it rarely send any students to privates or even top UC’s
we have an extremely high level of students in financial need
and a little under half the school has kids that are ELD :/</p>
<p>I also qualified for ELC so i guess my chances for the UC’s are higher right?
UCI is about a 10min drive and the other closest ones are UCLA and UCSD both
about an hr and a half drive.</p>
<p>as for financial safety all i have is:
$2k saved up, $1k in scholarships and im applying to as many as i can
would looking for sponsors help me? and how does that work?</p>
<p>What I meant by “financial safety school” is which school is the one that you’ll go to if you don’t get any financial aid. Everyone needs to have an inexpensive school choice. </p>
<p>You’re at a disadvantage because you can’t get federal student loans.</p>
<p>As for your SAT and ivies/privates…you would have to have at least a 200 point jump to be a contender for your privates/ivies. While that’s not impossible, it can be hard to have that big of a jump. Do you know what months these schools will accept scores? I think Vandy prefers Dec as the last test date. </p>
<p>Do you know if Vandy, UChi, and WUSL give much aid to int’ls? Are they need blind for int’ls?</p>
<p>Your GC didn’t advise you very well based on your current scores. She may not have know that you aren’t a US resident, therefore she didn’t consider that you wouldn’t get much (if any) aid outide of ivies. She should have insisted that you apply to a Cal State Fullerton (in addition to Pomona).</p>
<p>I have a feeling that Pomona or UCI is going to be where you’ll end up because of lack of funding.</p>