<p>Hey guys, I am a US citizen by birth living in Hong Kong with non tax paying non US citizen parents. Am I considered an International or US when applying to universities in the US and for financial aid?</p>
<p>In terms of need, I have no idea about the financial situation of my parents, but I do know that they do feel very much pressured about paying for college and in addition to the mortgage on out house (ridiciously expensive prices in Hong Kong).</p>
<p>Another off topic question, why does everybody here seem to be so academically brilliant? Like everybody has SAT scores of ~2300-2400, really high GPAs and all aiming for the best colleges! I feel a little small lol</p>
<p>You are a US applicant because you are a citizen. You can file the FAFSA and be considered for federally determined aid. Convert your family financial information to US $ at the exchange rate of the day, and use 000000000 for your parents’ social security numbers. There are a number of students like you here at CC. When Happydad gets off the computer that has those files, I will send you a list.</p>
<p>Wow thank you for your very informative and concise reply:). But what does FAFSA mean? And what is federally determined aid?</p>
<p>FAFSA is the federal application for federal aid.</p>
<p>However, if your parents have a decent income and assets (which it sounds like they do), you won’t qualify for the small grants from the federal gov’t. To qualify for federal grants you have to have a lowish income and/or a few siblings in college. You probably will qualify for a small student loan ($5500). </p>
<p>Fed aid is very small…it doesn’t pay for college. </p>
<p>What are your stats?</p>
<p>Are you a junior? What is your likely major?</p>
<p>You do need to talk to your parents about how much they will spend each year for college.</p>
<p>Since you’ll be considered a non-resident for all state schools, you’ll need to consider how much those schools would cost you.</p>
<p>Again, find out from your parents how much they will pay.</p>
<p>I am the equivalant of a US junior doing the IB diploma. My current estimated grades are very average around 32/42 with an A in TOK. My GCSE results were 6 A’s, 3 A’s and a B in additional maths. My frist SAT in december was 2110. How likely is it that I will be accepted(I will spend a lot of time on the essay/questions required)?</p>
<p>*</p>
<p>Ok…from other info from that post, I’m inferring that your family has a very good income (and possibly assets). If this is the case, your family will be expected to pay for most/all of your college costs. </p>
<p>There are some schools that might give you some merit scholarships, but not top schools (Ivies and similar don’t give merit scholarships)…</p>
<p>Some financial aid is determined by the Free Application for Federal Student Aid [Home</a> - FAFSA on the Web-Federal Student Aid](<a href=“http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/]Home”>http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/) The FAFSA formula will determine if your family resources qualify you for a Pell Grant, Federal Work Study, a Subsidized Stafford Loan (you would not need to pay any interest while you were in college), or for an Unsubsidized Stafford Loan (the loan interest would accumulate while you were in college). Even if your family is super rich, just filing the FAFSA will make it possible for you to get an Unsubsidized Stafford Loan. You can get a good idea of what your FAFSA results will be by running the calculator at [EFC</a> Calculator: How Much Money for College Will You Be Expected to Contribute?](<a href=“http://apps.collegeboard.com/fincalc/efc_welcome.jsp]EFC”>http://apps.collegeboard.com/fincalc/efc_welcome.jsp)</p>
<p>Some colleges and universities will require you to file the CSS Profile in addition to the FAFSA <a href=“https://profileonline.collegeboard.com/prf/index.jsp[/url]”>https://profileonline.collegeboard.com/prf/index.jsp</a></p>
<p>What year do you want to start college? If you won’t start until Fall 2013, you may be able to take the NMSQT/PSAT as a citizen abroad. Contact the College Board about sites in Hong Kong [PSAT/NMSQT</a> - The Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test](<a href=“College Board - SAT, AP, College Search and Admission Tools”>The PSAT/NMSQT – SAT Suite | College Board) If you will be starting in Fall 2012, you probably have missed the opportunity to compete for those scholarships. But, don’t worry about it.</p>
<p>Since your family is outside the US, it will be difficult for you to qualify for in-state tuition and fees at a public college or university. In most states, you would need to move to the US, get a job and a place to live, and become self-supporting for 12 months. This would work in Maryland, but in some other states it still would not be enough. </p>
<p>If you are in an “international school” that follows a US style program, your teachers and counselors probably are familiar with all of the steps you need to follow to apply to colleges in the US. If you are in a school that follows a different type of program, you will probably need a bit more help. In either case, you and your parents should read through everything at [EducationUSA</a> | Study Abroad, Student Visa, University Fairs, College Applications and Study in the U.S. / America](<a href=“http://www.educationusa.info/]EducationUSA”>http://www.educationusa.info/) and then you should make an appointment with the counselors at the advising center closest to where you live. There is one in Hong Kong [EducationUSA</a> - Center Profile - PAS - Hong Kong](<a href=“http://www.educationusa.info/PASHongKong]EducationUSA”>http://www.educationusa.info/PASHongKong) The counselors in that office are expert at helping students from Hong Kong find good places to study in the US. If none of them have worked with a US citizen lately, they have colleagues in other offices who have!</p>
<p>One last thing: If you don’t yet have a Social Security Number (a fair number of children who were born when their non-citizen parents were living in the US don’t have them), you need to get one now. Pop by the US consulate and ask the people in Citizens Services to help you take care of this.</p>
<p>Lol, I never considered my family to be super rich. We are well off enough for my asian parents to manage to send me to an international school, but $200,000 is a very, very daunting number if my EFC is 100% of the college cost. I will look up the resources you mentioned and have the talk about finances with my parents.</p>
<p>A family doesn’t have to be “super rich” to learn that they don’t qualify for aid. We’re not “super rich” but our EFC is higher than what any school costs.</p>
<p>Keep in mind that even if your family’s EFC comes in somewhere below the school’s cost, that doesn’t mean that you’ll get any free aid. Most schools “gap” because they can’t meet need. </p>
<p>Your FAFSA EFC is going to be irrelevant because your income/assets are too high for any free aid from the federal gov’t.</p>
<p>Your CSS Profile “family contribution” is what’s going to matter at the schools you’re considering. Don’t wait to talk to your parents. Find out now how much they’re willing to pay.</p>
<p>I just talked with them, and they do want me to be able to go to the best college I get into, even if they have to take a unsubsidized loan.</p>
<p>How is the CSS profile any different from the FAFSA EFC in terms of getting aid?
Was your CSS profile result different from your FAFSA result of 100% of the cost and did that difference allow you to get aid?</p>