<p>I have short listed some universities, all the top 10 fall under it. I would like to ask:</p>
<ol>
<li>How much does it really cost to attend the top universities?</li>
<li>How much of aid is available for International Students for all the top 10?</li>
<li>If i am admitted into top 10 universities? What are my chances so that i can afford?</li>
<li>What is the annual cost of living in United States for an average middle class person?</li>
<li>I might just afford the total first year cost of a top university that too on the basis of a loan? What about the remaining years?</li>
</ol>
<p>The answer to your questions is “it depends”.</p>
<p>There absolutely is no one answer fits all.</p>
<p>What is your income, what are your stats. </p>
<p>As an international, I’m not sure that you’d be granted a visa (or whatever necessary paperwork), if you don’t have the ability to pay for your education. </p>
<p>Do you just want to go to a top 10 school to say you went to a top 10 school? Or do all of those schools provide the best education for your specific major? </p>
<p>The policies of financial aid vary among those schools as well.</p>
<p>The cost of living depends on where you live and how much you choose to spend.</p>
<p>You can get the answers to your questions by checking out each school’s website, as well, then find an area you want to live in and google “cost of living” for that area.</p>
<p>The chances of you getting admitted to all top 10 is low. They are different schools with different student bodies.</p>
<p>The top universities are running about $60K a year and more these days. That is full sticker price, and most of them give zero or very little merit aid. They do tend to give financial aid. So the cost will vary as to how they define need and ability to pay, and that can differ more widely than their sticker cots.</p>
<p>How much aid is available to international students vary as well. There is a short list of schools that will meet full need for international students as they will for all students. Some will meet your need fully IF accepted but do not have need blind admissions procedures, particularly not for internationals. I don’t know where that info is broken down.Also schools do have preferences as to what internationals they would rather have, and if you came from a country where there are a lot of students in that school from there, you are not going to be as likely to be picked. There are even quotas for internationals at some schools. Some schools will out and out say that they have zero money for internationals. So it can range from zip to full ride that is available with everything in between.</p>
<p>I don’t know how you come up with the top 10 universities and don’t know what your family is willing to pay or able. Are you using an international listing , US News, your own selection?</p>
<p>Don’t know. You can look it up but it isn’t going to be relevant as it varies on where you live. I live in an expensive area where the average income per family is close to a $100K a year. But in the township just minutes away, it drops to $50K a year. There are places where a large number of the population is poverty level by definition.</p>
<p>The way it works with colleges is that you have to apply for financial aid each year. For some schools, in order to get aid for future years, you have to have applied that first year, and PROFILE, the form often used, often asks for two years of financial info. They don’t want students applying to get accepted as a full pay, especially when the school is not need blind in admissions, and then trying to get money from the school in future years. Not that it matters in that if a school does not guarantee to meet need for internationals (or for anyone), the likelihood of getting money in future years is slimmer than in the first year. Most of the funding in terms of aid and merit awards are for first year, students, and then returning students to keep the commitment made first year, and then transfers and then students who have suffered some catastrophe (has to be documented ) between first and future years that make them need money later when they could afford it that first year. So, yes, schools are on to that trick.</p>