Financial aid and student visa requirements in the USA
Cost of college in the US
American colleges vary dramatically in cost; prices can range from about $5,000 to well over $50,000 per year. Costs do include tuition, board, books and personal expenses. The reason why colleges use larger figures is because most of the really expensive schools are residential schools, where students are required to live in a dorm room for at least one and as many as three years.
Status of citizenship
Any student who does not have US citizenship or permanent residency is considered international. In order to gain admission into a US tertiary institution as an international student it is necessary to apply for a student visa as well as provide proof that you can pay the required tuition.
Application for student visa
After 9/11 and the attack on the World Trade Center, the visa requirements for international students have become more stringent and the application process more tedious; expats planning to apply should note that it takes time to wind through the cumbersome maze of red tape. A student who is neither a citizen nor a resident, for example, needs to apply for an I-20 form from the college that accepted him or her, and then take that form to the embassy to apply for an actual visa (there are a couple of student visa categories). There are fees involved with this, though some wealthier institutions will pay those fees for students who applied for financial aid.
Proof of Finances
One of the visa requirements is that international students show proof that they can support themselves and pay for their tuition. When a student applies to a college, there is usually a statement of finances form that is required for such proof. Students who cannot support themselves through the years of college will need to apply for financial aid.
Getting financial aid in the US
American students who need financial aid can access it through various federal programs; however, these programs are largely limited to US citizens and permanent residents since they are funded with US taxes. International students are therefore not eligible for such aid.
Instead, expat students will need to apply to the college of their acceptance. Unfortunately, there are very few institutions in the US that will have an unlimited foreign financial aid budget, and applying for aid can therefore play a role in whether or not a student can be admitted. Applying in a timely fashion may be crucial to a student’s chances of securing such aid.
