I have been accepted to a couple of colleges, which are offering me scholarships, but even with them its still a bit expensive. I have tried applying to some scholarships online but they all want a US address or high school in the US. The problem with that is that I am a US citizen but currently live and study in Europe so I’m considered an international student.
I was wandering if anyone knows any websites where I can apply for a scholarship or grant that don’t require living in the US.
If you’re a US citizen, you’re an internationally educated US applicant. Did you apply to the colleges you applied to as an international or as a domestic applicant?
Which colleges are those?
I applied as an international applicant.
Email each university’s financial aid office and indicate that you’re sorry but you’ve realized there was an error in classification, you’re NOT an international applicant but a US citizen who’s internationally educated due to parents living abroad, as a result your financial aid package doesn’t reflect what you expected based on the NPC. Would they be able to recalculate your FA package so that you can see if you can afford to attend and thus deposit by May 1st, or perhaps be given a later date for the deposit?
Use that wording (in italics) for your email.
Hopefully they’ll change your FA package to reflect any Pell Grant and/or federal loans you’re eligible for.
Oh wait, maybe I’m wrong.
I keep getting confused because I had a meeting with one person from one the colleges I applied for and they said that I was an international applicant.
But I filled out my FAFSA and have been given a Pell Grant. So does that mean that I am a domestic applicant?
If they gave you a Pell grant and federal loans then yes they considered you a domestic applicant (“internationally educated” but a citizen). It also means you’re a lower-income applicant and maxed out their financial aid offer, so the colleges aren’t affordable.
If none of your colleges are affordable, then you need to take a gap year and apply to colleges that meet need.
Which colleges did you apply to? What are your stats?
Depending on your stats, there may be colleges you can apply to in early May, when a list of colleges that miscalculated yield is published (I’m guessing it’ll be a long list this year due to covid).
I don’t think I would need to take a gap year. I was just wandering if there were any other options for scholarships that would help. I found a bunch of places where you can apply but they’re all asking for either an address or high school in the US.
Also, what are these colleges I can apply to in May? I haven’t heard of them…
are you applying is a freshman or transfer? Cause if transfer, there are colleges that still accept applicants, like Fordham
As a freshman
Those scholarships tend to be local, small, and one-year only. If you rely on them to afford a college without loans, then the college is unaffordable. If you’re looking for them in order to pay for books then it’s another matter.
Colleges have yield management software and officers to predict who will enroll. However covid upended everything, as a result there will be places open after everyone’s deposited on May 1st. A few days later all the colleges that had places will say so and you can apply there to see if you get a better offer than at your current choice. (You must deposit somewhere by May 1st).
Will I be able to apply to those colleges if I have already accepted an offer from one of my current choices?
Yes. That’s the idea in fact. 
Ah ok. Thank you!
It’ll be nice to apply for some of them too, to see if they give me a better offer.