I am an international student in a family of 4 (sis in an inexpensive college).
People told me that I wouldn’t get any aid because it is usually for families with very low income. But today, one external counselor told me I could have got some aid.
Although I cannot disclose the family income (privacy), I want to know what is the maximum upper limit, above which international families usually don’t receive aid (assuming no properties etc owned). I know it is hard to determine, but just an approximate?
And if the answer is university specific, please consider top universities (ivies + other top 20 worldwide).
No one can give you a specific amount. Here are a few ways you can tell:
Try the net price calculator for the college (on their website on the financial aid web page). If they have an option to say you are international, that would give you an idea. However, very few US colleges are need-blind in admissions for international students; if you need a lot of aid, then you need very high stats in their pool of applicants to get in.
Google " Common Data Set". Many colleges publish this standard set of information, and if you dig in you can find (1) how many international students they have (section B.2) and (2) How many of them get aid and the average amount (section H6, I think).
The net price calculators are not accurate for international students.
Even at the Ivies, the need based aid determination is school specific. In addition, some of those schools are need aware for admissions for international students. This means your ability to pay will be considered when your application for admission is reviewed.
AND…these schools accept roughly 5% of international students who apply. Getting accepted is not a slam dunk for any international student.
If your family income is below $60,000 a year, most of the Ivies will give you very generous need based aid, if accepted.
At the more generous schools, even students with incomes of more than $150,000 a year can get SOME (note…some…not all) need based aid.
ETA…How much will your parents pay? That is an important number.
And I’m looking for some aid only, anything is better than nothing is my credo
Basically, my parents will pay the entire fee. But, I am a strong applicant (not being haughty here, just realistic). I feel that I could have got some aid (if available) at atleast some top schools (not the ivies, other top schools).
I just wanna know whether I missed out or whether I never had a chance.
@intparent
The common data set will not give me the required information. This is because I don’t want to know whether the school gives aid or not. I’m sure a lot of children with low family incomes will get aid, and they should. Common Data Set will not tell me what income bracket students receive how much aid.
Also, I checked out some schools’ Common Data set and unfortunately, they did not have specific data for international students. I have heard that aid for intl students is much more scarce and hence wanted a personal estimate from other people.
The counselor may refer to some merit aid. If you can afford the full CoA, it is not likely you can get any need based aid (even for domestic students).
If your parents can pay $60,000 plus per years for four years, this suggests a very high income…very high. For a rough estimate…very tough, you could run a Neto orice calculator on a school to see. Use your parent incime and asset figures. See what you get. But really, it will be an estimate only.
And if you are that strong an applicant, yes, you could have received merit aid…but not at the Ivies…who don’t give merit aid.
Then you need to provide more information, including details about your family’s financial situation (for need based aid) and your academic stats (for merit aid).
Family Income is higher than 100K. No properties etc.
Stats:
SAT Score: 2330 (800 M, 800 W, 730 CR)
SAT II Score: 2400 (800 Math, 800 Chem, 800 Phy)
Grades: All A+ from grade 9-11. Mid-Sem grades in 12th also all A+.
Predicted Grades for grade 12: Very very high (Almost 100)
Class Rigor: NA (CBSE Curriculum, Indian system, supposed to be quite rigorous)
Class Rank: NA. But my teacher told she has mentioned that I am in the top 1% in my school.
Recomm: Computer Teacher’s LOR should be excellent. Counsellor’s also excellent.
Essays: 8/10
ECs: All 10 sections of CommonApp are stuffed. National and International Level wins.
Leadership: President Student Council in my school.
Negative Points about me: No work experience. Major focused ECs are less.
**Again, I do not expect any aid from ivies/UCB/CMU. Just a small amount of aid from schools like UIUC, UMich, GaTech, UW Seattle etc. **
P.S. I have already received Gold Scholarship (highest available for internationals), Research Scholarship (highest available amount) and been admitted for honors in University of Minnesota at Twin Cities.
Sorry, your post in confusing. You seem to be mixing up need based aid and merit aid. Generally the Ivies give the best need based aid. If your income is only slightly above $100k, you very well could get some need based aid from the top schools that say they will meet need for international students if you are admitted. You certainly may get some merit from schools that offer it, especially if they offer it to international students. Likely you will get little or no need based aid from state schools or public schools.
Did you research this at all before you applied to colleges?
Some schools, like University of Alabama offer very generous merit awards to international students. I believe you would have gotten full tuition there with your stats. However, that deadline was December 1. If I’m not mistaken, you can still apply to University of Alabama Birmingham…I think they award merit aid to international students as well.
Adding…it depends how much higher than $100,000 that income is. If it’s closer to $200,000 a year, need based aid at even the most generous colleges will be nothing.
And it all depends on the Ivy too. Harvard and Yale are more generous than Columbia and Cornell, typically. You can’t just lump the Ivies together…and lump all of the flagship public universities together either.
All schools have THEIR methods of awarding both merit and need based awards.
Okay! Thanks. I’m sorry if the post was confusing, but your answer is exactly what I was looking for
@thumper1
Thanks for the info. Yes, I researched all this. However, I had some set schools in mind. The reason I asked this question is because my mind got skewed after meeting that external counselor. It seemed to me that if I had just ticked the FA box in the apps, I could have saved some money. But I guess that wasn’t the case!
From the discussion, it seems like I did not miss out much. I wouldn’t have got the aid anyways
Determined. You can contact each school, if you want to…and apply for aid…assipuming the deadlines have not passed. Really, at the end of the day, that is the only way to know what need based aid you would qualify for.
Well… what I said means that you very well could have gotten some need based aid. You should have ticked the box at the schools that are need-blind for internationals, I think. You could still go back and email those schools to let them know you do want to apply, but then you will have to move very quickly to get info to the FA offices, as some deadlines have passed (but they may make exceptions).
I’ll stick my neck out. If your family income is less than $150,000 and you get accepted to Yale, Harvard or Princeton, you could get a small amount of need based aid.
