<p>Hi, I am a Junior in HS, a US permanent resident (green card) and have spent most of my life in the US. My family is considering to move to Kazakhstan for 1 year, and I would apply to college from Kazakhstan, would I be considered an international student? would I be eligible for fin aid? Would the move hurt or help my chances of getting in?
I was thinking that there arent too many Kazakh Citizens applying to US college (especially liberal arts colleges) so maybe that would help.
I will be applying to top liberal arts colleges.</p>
<p>If you have a green card, you are a domestic applicant. You can file the FAFSA, and you are eligible for federally determined financial aid.</p>
<p>If you are living outside the US when you apply to college, depending on the type of school you are attending, your records may be sent to the international admissions officer for review. You also will probably lose your state residence, which means that you will be an out-of-state applicant everywhere. So before you go, do find out if there is anything that your family can do to retain your residence in your current state.</p>
<p>The biggest risk is of losing your green card. If you want to keep it, you should apply for a re-entry permit well before the time of departure. With a re-entry permit you can stay outside the US for almost two years. Without a re-entry permit, you will need to travel back here every six months or so and stay for a couple of weeks each time. USCIS doesn’t publish formal rules about this, but a good immigration lawyer will be able to tell you how often (and for how long) you would need to do this based on your nationality and the country where you will be living while abroad.</p>
<p>It is perfectly fine for you to apply to “top liberal arts colleges”. However, all of them are very selective, and there is no way that you can guarantee admission to any of them. You need to be certain to have a solid list that includes match and safety schools as well. Talk with your parents about how much money they can pay for your education, and talk with your guidance counselor about which colleges/universities students with grades and test scores like yours have been admitted to in recent years.</p>
<p>Good luck!</p>
<p>If you’re a permanent US resident, you’re a domestic student for tuition purposes.</p>