Hi!
I was accepted to Williams College for RD this winter, and I am slightly concerned about the tuition and how to afford it 
When I applied to colleges for regular decision, my parents reassured me that I don’t have to apply for FA, so I didn’t.
But it turns out that it would help them and our family a great deal if I could get some help from the school.
My dad’s income is not drastically low, but my brother is currently attending a private boarding school.
It would strain my parents to afford both college and boarding school.
So basically my question is: can I still email the school admissions office/bursary and explain my situation to the school, and ask them for at least a small portion of funding?
Even more troublesome is that I am an international student, and from what I’ve heard, international students are not often eligible to financial aid
I really really want to go to Williams, but I don’t want to strain my parents’ budget too much…
Hope you could give me some help!
Since nobody more knowledgeable is answering: Call and email the financial aid department right away! My (limited) understanding is that some international students can receive financial aid. I don’t know what the deadlines are for winter semester; you don’t mean fall? (If you do mean fall, you’re probably late – again, call and email!)
International students DO receive aid, (source, me). In fact, many international students pay nothing or close to nothing to go to Williams. What you should do immediately is to email the Financial Aid Office. You have put yourself in a bad position by not initially applying, but there’s a chance that that could be fixed if you speak to them. Being an ED admit might help. Good luck!
I just solved a similar situation actually! I also applied RD and I’m an international applicant. The only difference is that I did ask for FA. However, my parents’ financial situations both changed since I applied in January, and when I received my acceptance letter in April, I realized there was no way I’d be to afford Williams with the small grant they had given me. Very heartbreaking, because Williams was my first choice!
Anyway, I contacted the financial aid office to get more aid, and I attached more financial documents for them to review as well as a letter of confirmation from my headmistress. Fortunately, they revised their financial aid proposal, and I’ll be attending Williams this fall!
Williams will meet 100 % of your demonstrated need. That being said, you didn’t initially apply for FA, so I’m not sure what will happen. Either way, Williams is very generous so you should definitely contact them asap. Yes, Williams is need-aware for international students, but once you are accepted, regardless of whether you are a domestic student or not, they will make your education affordable.