What are the options for international students to get financial aid?

Paying for College
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<p>Hi everyone,</p>

<p>I'm currently a gap year student from SE Asia, very much eager to go over to the US to start college this fall. I've been accepted to Hofstra University (applied from home), Hempstead, NY with a $19,000 Presidential scholarship. </p>

<p>While I truly feel blessed enough, the remaining of the tuition fee plus boarding cost (combined, approximately $30,000 for the first year) is still a giant amount. I'll attempt for a campus job to help pay personal expenses, most definitely. I would like to know what other ways can international students get financial aid, both generally and specifically at Hofstra University.</p>

<p>I'm sure Ivy Leagues schools offer need-based scholarship, they're just totally out of my league, as you could guess. </p>

<p>Thank you all who help!</p>

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<p>Your ability to get more FA in this country is very small. Private aid here is mostly for domestic students. What can you get from your own country?</p>

<p>As an int’l, your ability to work in the US will be very limited. </p>

<p>You won’t even be given your VISA until you show that you have all funds for college…including all room, board, personal expense, and travel money.</p>

<p>On your school’s website, it should indicate how much your family will need to show that they have to spend on your college costs. </p>

<p>How much will your family pay each year?</p>

<p>If they can’t pay much, then you need to apply to schools that will give an int’l larger scholarships for stats.</p>

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<p>You won’t find aid in the US accept what your school gave you. Is Hofstra known in your country? Seriously consider spending so much on a school that’s unlikely to be known when when you go home after college.</p>

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<p>@mom2
Thanks for your answer. I’m well aware that there is limited chance for me to get FA. I also have heard that US students are given the priority to hold campus jobs. I can’t expect to get anything from my country, there isn’t a policy :(.</p>

<p>I created this thread on a vague hope that perhaps there might be a generous fund somewhere… :/</p>

<p>My family can afford Hofstra and we can prove that, otherwise I wouldn’t be that thrilled over going to the US. My parents will become very tight-budgeted after this though, so I wonder if there is any way to lower all these cost. We’ll have to sustain at least til my first year is over, cause I intend to move to living off campus once I’m used to the city and the country. On campus housing is so expensive!</p>

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<p>@Waverly: Thanks for the straight forward answer. Also I’m not so worried about Hofstra not being that well-known. Considering 99% of my country mates who study abroad go to community colleges, I hope they’ll appreciate my Bachelor.</p>

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<p>Just an FYI…Hofstra is located where the real estate is mighty pricey. Off campus housing isn’t going to be a bargain.</p>

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<p>@thumper1
I’m sure you’re right…
Just a thought, if I’d be able to do my own cooking, would it be a significant reduce in price?</p>

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<p>If you live off campus in your own apartment, presumably you WILL be doing your own cooking. The rent is what could be pricey. And you would need to be close to the campus so you could still walk to everything you need to get to. I don’t know the prices of off campus housing near Hofstra. I will say…my own kid went to a college in an expensive part of the country also…off campus housing didn’t save us a nickel.</p>

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<p>Thumper makes a great point…once you go off campus, unless you’re talking about “across the street”, then you start having transportation issues…you can’t be walking long distances in freezing weather. Even getting to the store for groceries can be an issue.</p>

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<p>Jolie, I’m not sure where you’re from, but I don’t know of any country, including the US, where Hofstra is considered a school worth stretching much to pay for. Frankly, it’s largely unheard of outside of it’s area. Where it is heard of it’s just an average college. Worlds away from those schools so many sacrifice for like Harvard or even NYU.</p>

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<p>If Jolie is using her real name, it appears that she might be from Vietnam…but that’s just an assumption…and the French-influenced first name also suggests that.</p>

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<p>@mom2collegekids, @Waverly, @thumper1
I would like to thank all who have answered. I have my other options, I’ll consider them more seriously now.</p>

<p>I don’t know if I could still keep this thread intact, but I’ll still post my questions here:</p>

<p>1/What about public transportation? The system is awful at where I come from, so I wonder in the US, what could be unsustainable?
2/I won’t take single-room apartment. What about sharing with 3 or 4 others? </p>

<p>@Waverly, if all the countries you know something of are on par or almost with the US economically, I just realized I can never get you fit into my shoes, lest having you walk around in them. I have my American friends, and I could say that most of the time they’re so ignorant of what real difficulties facing third-world countries (if you have lived, gone to school, worked in one for 5 or 6 years, please excuse me), and take for granted what they have. Don’t get me wrong, cause I think it’s great that you’re never satisfied, that’s why you’re always looking for better ways to do things.</p>

<p>Currently I’m attending a top college in my country, and still feel under appreciated.
Hofstra is then a fresh, new beginning for me. It’s not the best, and no where near NYU I’m aware, but I believe Hofstra can adequately grant me what I’m looking for: liberal art education, choices, opportunities… and hopefully I can go up from there.</p>

<p>I’m the first in my family to ever set foot abroad, I could find guidance at no place other than the online community. I honestly enjoy listening to your perspective about a certain school, post them if you feel the need to, but could you save more space and time explaining about actually living in the US?</p>

<p>I so much appreciate your kind help.</p>

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<p>1) If you are currently studying at a college/university in your home country, Hofstra may consider you to be a transfer student rather than a freshman applicant. You need to sort this out with them. If may change your financial aid. It might not.</p>

<p>2) For general information about studying in the US, the first place to start is at [EducationUSA</a> | Study Abroad, Student Visa, University Fairs, College Applications and Study in the U.S. / America](<a href=“http://www.educationUSA.info%5DEducationUSA”>http://www.educationUSA.info) There probably is an advising center in your country. If there isn’t, there will be one in a neighboring country that is responsible for helping students from your country. These advisors really are expert at helping international students find good places to study here, and they may be able to help you get in touch with people who are already studying at Hofstra or near Hofstra. [EducationUSA</a> - Find an Advising Center](<a href=“http://www.educationusa.info/centers.php#.T0elX4cge9s]EducationUSA”>http://www.educationusa.info/centers.php#.T0elX4cge9s)</p>

<p>3) The International Student Office at Hofstra should also be able to help you get in touch with international students who are there. They will have good ideas for you on adapting to life in the US.</p>

<p>4) Some of your questions probably can be answered by people who are posting in these two forums:
[International</a> Students - College Confidential](<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/international-students/]International”>International Students - College Confidential Forums)
[Hofstra</a> University - College Confidential](<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/hofstra-university/]Hofstra”>Hofstra University - College Confidential Forums)</p>

<p>5) The Hofstra Visitors Center page on the university website has links to some information about transportation in the area: [Directions</a> and Maps - Visitors Center - Hofstra University](<a href=“http://www.hofstra.edu/visitors/visitors_info_dirmaps.html]Directions”>Visitors: Directions & Maps | Hofstra University)
If you click on the link “Directions to Hofstra” and scroll down, you will find the commuter rail and bus information.</p>

<p>What you propose to do is not easy, but it is possible with a great deal of commitment. I do wish you all the very best.</p>

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<p>@happymomof1
Thank you so much for the links. I didn’t know there’s a specific forum for individual schools. I’m a new comers :D</p>

<p>They say US colleges won’t take credits from my country’s colleges, likely they’re too far below your standards. Even first and second-year college students apply as freshmen :/</p>

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<p>Each college and university here sets its own policy about who is and who isn’t a transfer applicant. Most often you are expected to apply as a transfer if you have been in college anywhere else for at least a semester. But even then it is possible that none of your credits will actually transfer to the new place.</p>