<p>I'm a senior and have been researching colleges for quite some time.</p>
<p>I've lived in this country for 9 years ( moved when I was in 4th grade) and still don't have a citizenship.</p>
<p>I do love America and I wish to stay here until I die, but that doesn't help me get a citizenship. </p>
<p>I've researched a bit and found that International students have it worst when it comes to financial aid. and the fact that the govt. won't be helping me either with FAFSA or something.</p>
<p>My parents don't make much money and I don't they have enough money to pay for my tuition, especially if I'm going into big schools. (Like Penn state, U of M, etc).</p>
<p>I'm not sure what to do... money is a big part of my college app.</p>
<p>You need to stay in-state or go to community college. The big schools are funded by the local taxpayers and if you don’t reside in those states, you will be paying full fees for the Out-of-State tuition.
You need to list your stats for possible help on merit aid.</p>
<p>ok…sounds like you are undocumented. That’s going to severely limit your options unless your family can pay all costs…and even that could still present some issues.</p>
<p>What state are you in? In many states, if you graduate from one of their high schools, you’ll be charged instate rates. However, in many cases you would still have to pay for ALL costs. </p>
<p>I’m not sure if any states give aid to undocumented.</p>
<p>You need to look at affordable options. You are not eligible for federally funded need based aid.</p>
<p>Where do you reside? Some states will grant you instate status at their public universities, including community colleges, if you have resided here for a number of years and graduated from HS in that state. Some don’t, and will consider you international.</p>
<p>I’m always curious what kind of immigration documents a person holds that allows them to reside in the U.S. For a long period of time? Just curious. Have you or your family applied for permanent resident status?</p>
<p>But anyway…check the policies in the state in which you reside.</p>
<p>Is a community college affordable for you…maybe part time?</p>
<p>The family probably doesn’t have any immigration docs. They either came over the border or they came here on a visitors’ visa and then just didn’t leave. </p>
<p>Our K-12 public system doesn’t check for any of this, so students just go to school…and then they are shocked to find out that they can’t get aid for college at 99% of schools. Harvard is one of the few that gives aid to undocumented students that they accept. Most/all of state schools don’t give aid to those who are illegally here.</p>
<p>His home state MIGHT have a rule that allows him to pay instate rates, but that still means the family has to pay all costs. If he’s in a pricey state like Michigan or Pennsylvania, then he’ll have few options since their instate rates are very high…unless his parents can pay. </p>
<p>He might be able to start at a CC at a lowish cost and pay as he goes, but transferring to a 4 year will be limited by who will accept him and help him with costs. </p>
<p>This is very upsetting, but that’s what happens when parents don’t look ahead and see what the consequences are for bringing children here illegally. If they WANT their kids to go to college (which this student’s parents likely do since they care a lot about grades, etc), then they need to look ahead and see if their kids will be able to go to college here.</p>
<p>He’s in a worse situation than a true international in some ways. He can’t get an education visa unless he leaves the US first.</p>
<p>@Katsuii Have your parents applied for legal status? Some states will only give you instate rates if you have applied for residency.</p>
<p>You need to talk to your school guidance counselor about what options are available to your The Dream Act might have some benefits, some states have requirements that you might meet if your own state is in that group, where you can get in state tuition if you grad from high school in that state and/or can prove you’ve lived in state for a certain period of time.</p>
<p>Also a number of schools will be sympathetic about your situation and may offer fin aid even though you are not able to complete FAFSA. You might want to start calling around and asking. Merit awards are also a way to go. Make sure that they do not require FAFSA to collect on them.</p>
<p>Does the NM undocumented student have to be from NM (grad from a NM high school)? I’m wondering if they would give aid to a student coming from another state. </p>
<p>The University of Notre Dame has adopted changes in its admission policies that will make possible the admission of undocumented students who successfully compete for a place in its first-year and transfer classes.</p>
<p>“In making the decision to admit academically qualified men and women who are undocumented,” said Don Bishop, associate vice president for undergraduate enrollment, “we will strengthen our incoming class and give deserving young people the chance for a Notre Dame education.”</p>
<p>Notre Dame is committed to meeting the full demonstrated financial need for all admitted students.</p>
<p>Before Colorado gave money to instate students, the guidance counselors were funneling them all to NM. I don’t know what the exact rules are, or even if NM was following the rules, I just know it was happening. It was sort of an open secret.</p>
<p>Colorado is a border state to NM. U NM has special scholarships with the states that border it, particularly CO.</p>
<p>Colorado Reciprocal</p>
<p>For best consideration: Admitted to UNM by
December 1 for Fall Semester, October 1 for Spring Semester
Recipient pays New Mexico resident tuition rates (valued at approximately $16,138/year).
Renewable for 4 years</p>
<p>^^^Seriously, that is a decision you might have to make. Many of the schools in the west, Wyoming, Utah, NM, South Dakota, offer excellent deals to OOS students. Many of the southern schools do too. But the student has to be open to those opportunities. If you’d prefer a local community college, that’s fine. </p>
<p>What doesn’t work is for a student with issues (like in this case no citizenship, but it could be scores or grades or special needs) only wanting to go to a big public school in the northeast or a small LAC that costs $60k and then being disappointed that no one can make that happen because there just isn’t enough money. Because there isn’t enough money, there really isn’t. Most loans require citizenship. Many if not most scholarships require citizenship. One scholarship I looked at for my daughter required citizenship and that she be 18 (she isn’t yet). The more exceptions you need, the harder getting the money is. Sometimes you just have to drop one of your preference for location, size, facilities, or school colors in order to get the one thing that is really important, an education.</p>
<p>Well I’m planning to be an engineer and I have a chance of going into some good engineering schools like Virginia Tech, and they’re not as expensive as the other colleges. I think my parents might be able to afford it.</p>
<p>Well, ask your parents if they’ll pay that much. You said that your dad earns about $70k per year. To pay for VT would cost $40k per year. That is a large chunk of your dad’s pay. </p>
<p>Do you have any siblings that they’ll also have to put thru college?</p>
<p>just curious…what kind of work does your dad do? It is unusual for an undocumented person to earn so much money.</p>