I am currently an international freshman (from Morocco) at Dartmouth College (under 85% financial aid), and it has been a great year except that my renewed FA award is asking me to pay double my previous EFC (around 10k to now 20k). This has been a genuinely nasty surprise, as there was really no financial increase in assets or family situation (except that my older brother graduated, but he was already in a full-ride, so this could actually count as a potential decrease in family situation…). My father (main breadwinner) is retiring soon and my mother lost a secondary income source. Does anyone have advice on any international student on aid, transfer-friendly schools? If so, what procedures did they have to go through? (If anyone would need me to specify my academic background, I would be glad to in the replies).
I’m sorry about the situation you have found yourself in. Unfortunately, there’s no such thing as a university with generous financial aid for international transfer students. It won’t hurt to try though…
If you haven’t already met one-on-one with a financial aid officer at Dartmouth, that should be your first step. Institutional aid at private colleges is often negotiable, especially if some circumstance has been misinterpreted when your aid determination was made. (And misunderstandings do happen, especially with international students.)
Have you tried to talk with FA officer? It won’t hurt to ask at all.
There IS one school that offers FA to international student, which is Harvard, but I would NOT try to apply for transfer
“my mother lost a secondary income source”
You need to discuss this directly with the head of financial aid. This kind of change is something that they need to know about.
Transfer will not solve your problem as you will likely to get less aid. As all the above suggested, you should talk to your own school first.,
Bump. Thank you all for your input! That’s what I expected at first, my only plan would be to talk to FA (was doing it already). If it really gets worse I can try transferring to another country.
Why on earth woyld you transfer to anothet country? That is so random. I would love to see any university outside the US that gives aid to int. transfer.
Also, credits may not be accepted
Check out the credits that will be allowed to transfer, you will be surprised.
@paul2752 Well, if there’s (practically) no way I can get significant aid as an international transfer student in the US, then I could try applying to other countries with more lenient and/or cheaper admissions (Canada and European countries among others). I am prepared in some sense for that: I had applied for Canada previously, I went through a quasi-European curriculum and knowing German might give me a boost. To fellow CCers, are my aforementioned hopes actually feasible?
Talk to the Financial Aid office NOW (I mean, on Monday, as soon as they open). DOn’t let them put you off, sit in that office until you understand why they doubled your costs and point out how your changes in circumstances actually reduce your ability to contribute. Dartmouth will want you to stay and graduate and it may be an understanding but I don’t understand why you haven’t contacted them already!
Canada is going to be about $40K. You’re better off at Dartmouth.
@MYOS1634 I have already talked to them, you shouldn’t assume otherwise. But I could try to get to talk to them again more technically (meticulously lay out the facts like you advised). @bouders I was thinking of Quebec, there are actually cheaper schools (and I can look at a governmental/Moroccan scholarship thing for Francophone universities there).
OK, I see. Go first thing today, with all your infirmation.
,*information !!;