Hello,
I am an international student and I applied for financial aid and I submitted the CSS Profile. Since I’m not very familiar with the system in US universities, I had a few doubts and I would appreciate it a lot if someone answered them.
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The FA notification I received mentioned the aid for the next year. So will I have to fill the CSS again after my freshman year? Or will the aid amount remain the same for all four years?
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If there is no significant change in the net family income, will the aid amount remain nearly the same? If there is a significant change, could it reduce or increase the aid accordingly?
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If there is a change (or even if there is not) and there is a lot of remaining need, what options will I have to prevent dropping out? Are there subsidized or non subsidized loans to help such students or some kind of work-study for international students?
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You will need to fill out the CSS every year and provided any needed documentation.
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So long as there are no significant changes to your family financial situation, your aid should remain more or less the same. If your family’s financial situation changes significantly, your aid may increase or decrease.
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if you have uncovered financial need, your options are very limited.
International students cannot take out loans of any kind without a qualifying, credit-worthy US citizen or permanent resident co-signer.
International students’ work hours are severely limited by their visa. International students are prohibited from taking off campus jobs (including summer jobs). Many on-campus work-study jobs are subsidized by federal funds and are not open to international students. There may be a limited number of non-work study, on-campus jobs you can apply for, but your visa limits the number of hours worked to less than 20 hours per week during the academic year. Any violation of work rules will result in the loss of your visa.
You best options for finding additional funding for college will be in your home country.
Thank you very much @WayOutWestMom
That answers all my doubts. Just a few more questions.
Are international students allowed to take paid or unpaid internships?
If yes, how much can a STEM major expect to make from a paid internship in one summer? (I know it varies a lot but just a ballpark would be nice)
Under a limited set of circumstances, international student may take paid and/or unpaid internships.
See the rules here:
https://www.uscis.gov/working-united-states/students-and-exchange-visitors/students-and-employment
As for STEM internships–it depends on the specific STEM field. Some fields pay more than others. Ball park figure–probably $3000-$6000 (before taxes) for a 12 week full time summer position. Paid internships are typically offered only to upperclassmen (rising juniors & seniors) and are competitive.
Thank you again @WayOutWestMom 
@hatter22 Hi! I am also an international student and have a few questions regarding the financial aid:
- I received my acceptance yesterday, how long did you have to wait until they told you about your FA package?
- Did they cover the entire amount that you showed that you would not be able to pay in your IFSF?
Thanks!
@hatter22 Thanks for the help! I am really keen on University of Rochester but it’s really expensive, I hope they give me a nice FA package. It’s so weird they haven’t emailed me to check my portal yet, but I checked it everyday and my decision popped up. Where are you from?
@imansoor14 Glad I could help. I guess all US universities are expensive by my standards. I hope you get good FA . I think that’s the way it works…first they update the portal and then send email a few days later. I’m from India and I’m guessing you’re from India too, right?
@hatter22 Hi! yes, you’re right I am from India as well. I just checked my portal and they’ve given me the Dean’s Scholarship too! Now, I am waiting for the FA