<p>Hey, are any of you internationals living in the us? do any of you know how much harder it is to get into a university as an international living in the US, as compared to US citizens or internationals living in their respective countries? I only know one other person in my situation, and neither of us had luck with our EA. The whole college process seems to be tougher this year, and I'm just nervous and wondering if there are many others in my situation. It seems like it's impossible to get financial aid too! Ahhhh.</p>
<p>I think you made the correct observation: the problem is not the admission process itself but the (in)availability of financial aid. I am afraid I don't have any practical advice for you, so I will just say Good Luck!</p>
<p>Internationals living in the US are counted as domestic students if they attend a US highschool.
When it comes to FA, some schools are need-blind to internationals, so you would be counted as domestic.
But the majority of schools are need-aware and they will count you as international if you ask for aid and do not have a greencard or citizenship.
But if you live in the US and are international but don't ask for aid, then you'll be counted as Domestic, but you'll end up having to pay full for your college.</p>
<p>I know that UVA accepts international students as domestic as long as they attended a high school in Virginia and they only have to pay in-state tuition. For colleges like UPenn, Columbia, and Cornell, they are Canadian and Mexican-friendly; meaning they treat them like US applicants.</p>
<p>I'm a Canadian citizen and I've been attending an American high school in Texas for the past 3 years. I'm currently on a H4 visa. Should I be using the international application or the normal (domestic) one? </p>
<p>Also, is it true that international students get in easier than domestic students?</p>
<p>@Zester:
So if I want financial aid, I should apply as an international student?</p>
<p>tmt64, there is no clear-cut distinction between "international" and "domestic". All applicants use the same basic application form. You would just answer the questions about the country of your citizenship and your visa status accordingly.</p>
<p>There are two forms that are just for 'international' applicants though. One is a supplement to the school report which explains your school system more in detail. You won't need that since you have attended high school in the US. The other one is a separate application for financial aid. I believe that colleges want Canadian applicants to complete Collegeboard's PROFILE and <em>not</em> the international financial aid application, but you should check that.</p>
<p>An H-4 visa technically makes you an international student, but your Canadian citizenship helps a lot. Some colleges (mostly rich private colleges) will treat Canadian applicants like domestic students financial aid wise, other will treat you like international students, still others put you in a separate pile. None of that is really relevant to you. All you need to check is: does this college offer financial aid to Canadian citizens?</p>
<p>Talking about financial aid, a different issue is whether or not you would qualify for in-state tuition in Texas. That is something you should check.</p>
<p>
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Also, is it true that international students get in easier than domestic students?
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<p>There is a rumor that full-paying international applicants are sometimes admitted with a less stellar academic record than domestic applicants, but the opposite is true for international applicants seeking financial aid. If you need financial aid, it is generally a disadvantage to be international because you don't qualify for federal financial aid and thus colleges have to cover 100% of your need with their own money.</p>
<p>
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there is no clear-cut distinction between "international" and "domestic". All applicants use the same basic application form. You would just answer the questions about the country of your citizenship and your visa status accordingly.
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<p>I wish that's the case, but some schools such as Washington and Illinois have separate online application forms for domestic and international students. But I agree, the forms are basically the same. </p>
<p>My main concern is the Financial statement form that many public schools require international students to fill out in order for them to issue the I-20, which I will use to obtain an F1 (student) visa. Since I already have a H4 visa, do I need to fill out this form? They also require a bank statement showing enough money for the first year's costs.</p>
<p>My main priority right now is to get the applications done correctly. I'm not really sure about financial aid. My family makes around 200k a year, how much financial aid will I be able to receive even if I am eligible?</p>
<p>I am sorry for the misinformation - I wasn't aware that some colleges do have separate application forms because none of the colleges that I applied to a few years ago did. In that case I would expect the colleges to be very explicit about who needs to use what form though. (By the way, I checked the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign's website and I could only find a single online application form which explicitly asked if the applicant was a US citizen, permanent resident or international student.)</p>
<p>I don't know if colleges want financial documentation in case you don't want to apply for a F-1 visa. You should contact every school individually about that. Did you consider getting an F-1 visa though? The biggest advantage of an F-1 visa is that it allows you to work in the US, while an H-4 visa does not. Even if you don't want to work while school is in session, you probably want to be able to do internships during the summer. And you could still get your green card if your family is applying for permanent residency at some point, if that is a concern at all. </p>
<p>I would guess that a family income of $200K a year would probably not qualify you for need-based aid at most colleges, unless you have some extenuating circumstances (e.g. several kids in college) or the college is very generous (Harvard?). If you need financial aid, your best bet is merit aid. With the right academic credentials, it's not too hard to get a half-tuition scholarship or an out-of-state tuition waiver somewhere. Merit aid gets more tricky if you need a full-tuition or above scholarship.</p>
<p>Thanks. I think I'll just use call some schools tomorrow about the financial documentation.</p>
<p>My family has already applied for permanent residency and our application has already been approved. However it will not be issued for at least another year. I think I'll just wait for it and hope that it will be issued before the summer of 2010. </p>
<p>What exactly is merit aid?</p>
<p>It's just a fancy word for an academic scholarship. </p>
<p>Btw, your approved permanent residency application changes a few things. I am not sure at which point in the adjustment of status process you become eligible for federal financial aid, but if you need financial aid (which would mostly be loans in your income bracket) you should investigate that further.</p>
<p>You're only eligible once your green card is approved and you have it, since you need the SSN and A-number to fill out FAFSA, and the government would have you on their list of permanent residents.
But once you do get it, colleges will change their financial aid package for you.</p>