“An int’l student isn’t going to find a true free ride merit scholarship into a US school.”
Well perhaps not airfare and health insurance but international students at the very topmost level (like those capable of getting into Stanford) do sometimes get tuition, room and board, for example http://talk.qa.collegeconfidential.com/discussion/comment/22165444/#Comment_22165444
But don’t get your hopes up. It seems one common target for international students needing a full ride is the Pearson scholarship at U Toronto.
@Twoin18 this family has $123,000 annual income. I believe he might get need based aid to meet tuition costs at Stanford, H, Y, P…but I think there would still be a family contribution to make. Not a totally free ride.
And of course…he would have to be in the 5% or so of accepted international students at these schools…and that certainly is not a slam dunk.
Plus this…about Stanford…
And read this:
https://financialaid.stanford.edu/undergrad/how/international.html
I have a two friends whose dads wanted the. to be doctors. Neither did well in the premed coursework, so it became a moot point. Don’t know if they tanked intentionally, but it is possible. A well placed C or two in organic chem could do the trick. Not sure about the system in your country, though.
Here in the US, financial aid is given to undergraduates based on their parents finances. FAFSA which opens federal funds to college students is not for international students because no federal aid is forthcoming to you.
You are dependent on money colleges and private organizations give that do not exclude international students.
You should read the many threads in the archives for international students looking for money to study in this country
Most colleges that have extensive financial aid do require the finances of both parents (all four parents, in many cases, when parents have remarried) to be taken into consideration. This is for US students as well as for international students. These are the rules of our system. If a parent refuses to give out financial info, complete the forms can, let alone pay what the college expects under formula, that’s too bad for the student.
Such students look for scholarship money that does not require parental input, or go to school part time or not at all. That’s the way it works here
@thumper1 The link was to a thread by a British girl who has chosen to attend UNC with a full ride Carolina scholarship. I was simply pointing out that she was also admitted to Stanford so that gives some indication of the ability level that is required for an international student to receive a full ride merit scholarship.
Oh totally agree on the ability level for Stanford @Twoin18
Stanford doesn’t give merit awards…so this student would need to have financial need. And that would impact potentially admissions.
I think this student needs to either play the hand he has been dealt…or have a serious talk with his family about college.
Fleeing to the U.S. with the notion that he might get a free full ride is not a plan he should even remotely count on as an international student.
@Twoin18
My quote
At the topmost level like Stanford, there are NO merit scholarships for anyone. Those schools give need based aid.
That said, this student wouldn’t get a free need-based ride to Stanford, either.
And everyone knows that low income students will get free rides at schools like Stanford.
OP’s question was can he leave father’s info off the CSS. No, he cannot.
Even with parental support it is difficult for international students to attend college in the US if they have high financial need. Their employment options are limited. Their travel costs are expensive. Their loan options are very limited. Most schools are need-aware for admissions for internationals.
It’s just very difficult.
@Twoin18 The British girl DIDN’T need financial aid. She’s also superbly qualified, and got in some of the most prestigious universities in the US. She ended up accepting a significant merit scholarship to UNC, but she was able to pay full tuition anywhere, that’s how she applied, and although she got into Stanford, I don’t believe she was offered a “free ride” there.
@katliamom It was said earlier in the thread that “An int’l student isn’t going to find a true free ride merit scholarship into a US school”. I was simply pointing out an example of an international student who did receive an almost full ride merit scholarship this year at UNC (though presumably not flight and health insurance). But I noted how difficult that was and how talented you needed to be to get such a scholarship: in this case the student was so talented that she also got admitted to Stanford. I didn’t say anything about being offered a full ride at Stanford.
The CSS formula is correct as asked. Your custodial father’s income should absolutely be counted when asking for a US school to give aid. Sorry but otherwise would be patently unfair to households where fathers do support their custodial children. Your problem lies with your father, not the formula. Just my 2 cents…
^Yes, if it were otherwise, every father would be tempted to say, “I’m not paying a dime!”