<p>As a middle class international student, I've searched for colleges that give financial aid to international student, and I found out the only ones that meet 100% of a student's need are the six need blind schools and the need aware schools (requesting financial aid makes it MUCH harder to get in, I know that, but they meet all the need once the student gets in). Now I'd like to ask: Are there any lesser colleges/universities that give generous financial aid/loans (need-based, i.e. guaranteed) to internationals? By lesser I mean non-Ivies and non-top LACs. Thank you very much :D</p>
<p>Look for smaller private schools. They have the ability to give whatever financial aid they want and they often use it to attract good students. Expect to pay a significant part of the costs yourself though.</p>
<p>Can you please exemplify?</p>
<p>US colleges and universities have their hands full trying to get appropriate financial aid to US citizens. Helping international citizens just isn’t a high priority. Frankly, I continue to find it a little offputting that so many people come to the US expecting US colleges to hand them money.</p>
<p>But Ms. Pizzagirl, there are many top schools giving free rides to international students out there. The worst thing is some cheating, they are from rich family in their country, but they lied on their assets & incomes, and US top schools just give them a free ride. I know people getting full rides to HYPS, turning around and blogging about being in the most expensive restaurants in Paris, Boston, New York, San Francisco … etc …</p>
<p>Sure you do, and you’ve turned them in, right?</p>
<p>Hard to give examples without knowing your major of choice and the kind of school you are looking for</p>
<p>Compaq…I know this happens. It is so hard to investigate the income/assets of int’ls, which is why most schools don’t bother and just don’t give to int’ls. At least with FAFSA, schools have some help in determining what US families earn and have.</p>
<p>There’s a student on CC who bragged to me in a PM that his family is really quite affluent, but their income is from the Black Market so no records. He claimed that that is how it is in his country…few people report what they actually earn. He’s now attending a top school here on a free ride…because the school thinks he’s poor. BUT…every summer he and his family vacation on their yacht.</p>
<p>I, too, find it off-putting that so many int’ls expect huge need-based aid in this country when so many low income students here can’t get the aid they need. But, these schools are free to do what they want with their own money. That said, it is especially annoying to know that there are many int’ls lying about their financial info on the apps. </p>
<p>*Now I’d like to ask: Are there any lesser colleges/universities that give generous financial aid/loans (need-based, i.e. guaranteed) to internationals? *</p>
<p>Think about it…if there were “lesser schools” that were easy to get into that gave generous need-based aid to int’ls, guess what would happen? Those schools would soon get a gazillion apps from int’ls like you and then suddenly those schools’ acceptance numbers would drop.</p>
<p>However, there are some “lesser schools” that will give some merit scholarship money (not close to full COA) to int’ls with very high stats. If your parents can pay $15k-20k per year, you might consider those.</p>
<p>b@r!um who often posts in the International Students Forum, has written about her research process, and the fact that she investigated 300 (yes, you read that number correctly) colleges and universities in order to define her application list. If you’d like advice specific to your situation, pop over to that forum, track her down, and send her a PM.</p>
<p>Remember that the internet is your friend. Use the college-matching search engines to find places that offer your major and that do offer some aid to international students. Then investigate each of those further, to determine whether or not they might meet your financial need.</p>
<p>Wishing you all the best!</p>
<p>Oakster, have you seen the following list already?</p>
<p>[Top</a> 25 Financial Aid Colleges in US for International Students (Need-aware) - Desperate Guide: Undergraduate College Financial Aid, Scholarship](<a href=“http://www.desperateguide.com/us/top-25-financial-aid-colleges-in-us-for-international-students-need-aware]Top”>http://www.desperateguide.com/us/top-25-financial-aid-colleges-in-us-for-international-students-need-aware)</p>
<p>Many of these are small, private liberal arts colleges.
You might consider some of them “not top-tier”, although they all are at least fairly selective.</p>
<p>The Common Data Set, section H, indicates how much aid a school gives to internationals, but does not break it down into need-based v. merit. Neither does the above list.</p>