<p>My niece was born in Italy and has lived and attended school there her whole life. However, she has dual citizenship with the US as her mom is American. Would she be considered an international student? I assume as a US citizen she would be eligible for financial aid. Does the definition of international student vary by school?</p>
<p>Thanks for any information.</p>
<p>Every school has their own definition of “international” for marketing purposes (“Our student body is 20% international!!!”) but for practical purposes, the distinction is much more fine-grained than a single label. </p>
<p>For example, your niece will apply for federal and institutional financial aid as a US citizen. However, she may not qualify for state-based financial aid programs since she is probably not a resident of any US state. Same goes for tuition at public universities: if her mom did not retain any ties to her home state (paying state taxes, etc), she will probably not qualify for in-state tuition anywhere.</p>
<p>Her application will probably be read by someone familiar with foreign school systems, who may be the designated “international admission officer.” Some colleges require an external evaluation of high school transcripts from foreign high schools. If your niece did not attend an English-speaking high school, she may have to take the TOEFL to document her proficiency in English, regardless of her citizenship status. </p>
<p>I would recommend that your niece read both the general and the international admission information for each college she applies to, and then follow the instructions that apply to her in each section. (e.g. the instructions on how to apply for financial aid as a US citizens, and the instructions on how to submit credentials from non-American high schools in the international student section) </p>
<p>If your niece ever gets confused about what applies to her and what does not, she can email the admissions office for clarification. </p>