Hello everyone! I’m an international student from Moldova looking for the undergraduate studies in USA.
I’m going to apply to several colleges for Fall 2016, but I’ve got some questions regarding the financial aid papers.
I have to fill out the CSS Profile and the College Board ISFAA & Certification of Finances.
My family’s financial situation is not one of the best. Let me explain, as this may help with the answer.
My mom is unemployed for most of her last 20 years (she just had a job in a kindergarten for several months 1-2 years ago), so she has no income, she’s a housewife.
My dad isn’t employed officially. He has skills to work with electricity and to repair cars, so he works for his whole life unofficially and occasionally with people who know him and so on. So, all of my family assets are coming from this job. It’s not much, but enough for a five-person family ( I’m the eldest of 3 sisters).
My parents support my choice to study overseas, my dad is ready to offer about $5,000per year for all four years of my studies. ($20,000)
This is why I apply for financial aid, but how to explain this in the application?
I thought that I’d only fill in the spaces for family assets, because I can’t be sure about the family income, not talking about a letter from employer or something like that.
Besides, what about the taxes? What do to with these papers if i don’t have them? We don’t pay them as long as we don’t have official income, I’m not even sure if someone pays them in my country (almost no one I would know).
I’m really confused.
Please, anyone who has any idea of how to help me, write in the comments! I would appreciate that.
Corina, 19 years,
Moldova
My GPA for the last 4 years ( I’m a high school graduate) is 9,85 out of 10. It’s pretty good, considering that it was the best result from the class of 2015.
I expect to take the SAT in November.
You are taking the SAT for the first time in November? Aren’t some of the applications due in Nov/Dec? I hope you are spending every free minute prepping for the SAT then, especially Math and Critical Reading.
Yes, it’s for the first time I will take the SAT. For some college to which I’m applying to, SAT is optional, but I’m going to send the test scores anyway.
The regular deadline is January, but I’m going to submit the applications as early as possible (November-early December), and the scores will be just in time (hopefully).
Thank you for your advice! Thank God I’m good at maths (I can score around 700), now I’m working on the CR section.
Make sure you still do a few practice math sections, even for good math students the way the problems are presented can be challenging and time consuming.
And do lots of practice CR, then go over the wrong answers and see why they were wrong.
Schools that are test scores optional will still want to see them for merit scholarship consideration.
The schools you are planning on applying to, do they offer generous FA to international students? Such that your family would only be expected to pay $5,000 a year?
Just so you know, it would likely be highly unusual for an international who can only pay $5000 per year to be admitted to a meets full needs school in the US.
Don’t get your hopes up and be sure to apply to schools in your own country.
Yes, but they will define your need the way they want to.
I have no experience with CSS profile or the like, but I would think they would want to know household income and bank account balances and value of the home you live in, any other properties you might own or investments, etc.
Try emailing the schools and ask them. I’d be interested in what these schools have to say when you explain that your dad earns enough to support 5 people but chooses not to file/pay income taxes because nobody your family knows does that for unofficial income, thus, you have no proof of income to submit with the financial aid forms.
From a simple internet google search, I can see that your country does have an income tax and even self-employed people like your dad are subject to it.
Are you applying to schools in your own country? How much do they cost per year?
You say you can pay $5000 USD per year, but how much does your dad earn per year? Does he own any property and have savings in the bank?
Do you have any special characteristics that would make you stand out from other applicants to Harvard, Princeton, Yale?
Well seems like there are obstacles, the schools will tell you what they want.
Maybe add up all monthly expenses like rent, food, electric bill, etc. Also how much if any money is left over at the end of the month. That should give you an idea how much money he makes that you live on.
And yes you should have a bank account, does he pay cash for all expenses as well?
My dad doesn’t own a business or company, so can we call him self-employed?
I don’t apply to school in my country. Around $1,000, is the most expensive major (med).
I don’t know exactly how much per year he earns. He can pay that amount from the savings we already have. We only own a house and a car. No bank accounts.
