International Transfer

HI guys!

I am currently a student at a college in the United States and I am an international student . I want to transfer colleges and I will need aid. I spoke to the counsellors at a few schools and I am hopeful but one thing came to mind: they mentioned that every class year has some availability due to people transferring out and things like that. Since I would require aid I would basically be receiving the aid that they has set aside for those students who left those class years. Now, I recall being able to see first -year retention rates but I am transferring to be a junior and I am wondering how I can check this information to ensure I don’t waste my time. Thank you.

I can’t comment on the financial aid piece (and not all students receive FA or in the amount you may require) but the common data set of each school shows the number of transfer applicants and acceptances in section D.

This is going to depend upon a lot that you have not told us. Certainly some students do transfer each year. Getting some financial aid is more difficult. Transferring into one of the small handful of universities in the US that offer full need based aid for international students will be even more difficult.

If you need enough financial aid to cover essentially the full cost of your education as an international transfer student is relatively likely to require both exceptional academic and other credentials, and a very good reason to transfer, and perhaps a bit of luck.

Some things that might help us give better advice would be to know: (i) How much aid you need and how much you can afford to spend for each year of university; (ii) What your academic credentials look like (high school GPA, test scores, college GPA, …); (iii) Where you are currently; (iv) Where you would prefer to transfer to (this might be a list of schools, or a description of what sort of schools you would prefer); (v) Why you want to transfer.

If you are at a community college then just this fact plus the state might be enough information if you do not want to say which college (eg, if you are Foothill College, just “community college in California” would provide us what we need to know without giving away enough information to defeat the “confidential” part of this web site’s name).

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You don’t say how much aid you will need. Transferring as an international student is difficult if you need aid. Transfer aid for anyone overall is very difficult because most of the funding comes from the university themselves and they’ve already divided that funding pie.

You don’t get the same “replacement aid” for whomever has left their university.

Each financial aid package is based on the person that’s applying.

If a person has left their university and they are a US citizen, they may have been eligible for funding that is only specifically for US citizens like PELL grants, federal loans, work study and university grants that may only be available for American citizens. In other words, you don’t know the financial situation of the transfer who has left the university; that’s all private information.

Also, a lot of students are full pay. (We paid full fees for our three children). So, if you have a student that leaves the university, and they were full pay, then how is that private funding now available to you?

Are their parents going to pay for your tuition and fees? As a former full-time employee working 60-70 hours to help pay my children’s tuition, I know I wouldn’t shell out $60,000+ for someone who isn’t my child.
The funding has to come from somewhere and usually that’s the Bank of Mom and Dad. Federal funding is limited to US citizens and isn’t a whole lot of money but it helps to pay the tuition and fees. The best funding comes from the universities themselves and they reserve the best funding to entice entering freshman not transfers so much.

I’m not sure why you think this is true.

You need to check policies on the awarding of need based aid to international transfer students. There are colleges where you will find either limited or no need based aid as an international transfer student.

Some colleges do give aid to international transfers. Just about all are need aware so your level of need will be considered when your application for admission is reviewed.

What is the academic reason you will be stating for transferring? That will be needed on your transfer application.

From what you hack written, it sounds like you are receiving significant aid at your current school.

How much aid do you need. Or rather…how much can your family pay for you to attend college here each year?

What colleges are you considering for your transfer? Are you at a four year college now?

I have a similar problem right now! I am still collecting information and looking for the best ways to finance my studies! And then a lot is written here and about various sources of financing education!

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