<p>Hello! I'm a current international undergraduate applicant. So I recently got accepted into a US college and the deadline for the need based financial aid is March 15th.
I'm really confused about how to fill in the need based aid form. For instance, does need based aid depend on your financial circumstances or your merit?
If it depends on financial circumstances, does that mean if my parents can fairly afford to pay for college I won't get the grant? </p>
<p>Need based aid depends on your financial circumstances. If the school determines you do not have financial need (according to their formula), then you won’t get need based grants.</p>
<p>Merit aid is based on your merit. </p>
<p>What school is this? What forms are they asking you to fill out.</p>
<p>need based aid is based on your family’s situation. </p>
<p>Some schools do give merit aid to int’ls, some do not. </p>
<p>An International Student on F-1 visa, can he get a need based Aid from a School ?? I thought its mostly Federal or State driven for US Residents.</p>
<p>Some schools do give need based aid to Internationals. Generally the more affluent ones that also have generous aid policies for US students.</p>
<p>Many schools do not give need based aid to Internationals.</p>
<p>First of all read the financial aid section of that college. And really of all of the colleges to which you have applied so you know what the rules are. Get a notebook and take notes on each school.</p>
<p>For the bird in hand, first look and see if you are even eligible for financial aid. Some schools say right out that internationals are NOT eligible for financial aid. IF that’s the case, you are out right there. You can call the school and ask about any other availability of funds, but if foreign students are not eligible for fin aid money by school rules, then you aren’t going to get any. </p>
<p>Merit is usually a whole separate thing, though there are often some merit awards within financial aid. Those merit awards in the fin aid picture are distributed to those who qualify for need, and are best suited to get the awards. If you are eligible for fin aid, you will be considered for those awards as they process your fin aid forms unless there are separate forms required for such awards. Again, it’s YOUR responsibility to read through the web site and see what you are eligible to get and what the rules are for those awards. Many schools do award merit through admissions and not financial aid, and again , you should know what awards are available in terms of merit, and what you have to do to be considered for them. Often, just applying and getting accepted is all that takes but some scholarships do have separate forms, procedures and deadlines. It’s up to YOU to know this. </p>
<p>You then fill out the financial form as the instructions say, if you are eligible as an international for fin aid. You will not get financial aid if your family makes or has more assets than the cutoffs by financial aid formula. If you want some idea of what that might be, run the NPC on the website and it will give you a very rough idea as to what kind of package you might get. As an international student, you are not eligible for federal and most state aid so that is something up to the college itself as to how to handle. Is this a school that tends to meet a goodly percentage of need? As an international, be aware that even schools that GUARANTEE to meet full need for ugs, that often does not hold for international students. </p>
<p>Also look for an in school association for international students and get a contact there and get the inside scoop as to what’s available to internationl students. After reading the web site info and jotting down notes, e-mail or call a fin aid, Admissions counselor with any questions.</p>
<p>It appears that this school is need blind for Internationals as it did not ask you for fin aid info before making the admissions decision. Just a guess on my part, but the school likely does not guarantee or meet full need for anybody, and as an international ineligible for certain federal and state funds, you are going to have a tough go getting full need met. If you don’t have need by their definitions, then you aren’t going to get any. Again, merit awards are a whole other thing. You need to talk to admissions about that, but I highly recommend you read the website and do some research so you don’t sound like a fool asking questions that have the answers right there. When you are asking about MERIT money, scholarships, it 's a good idea to look on the ball.</p>