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Financial Aid Opportunities for International Students
Information on scholarships, student loans, grants, and other funding possibilities for your U.S. studies

Getting financial aid for attending college in the United States can be a major challenge for international students. But research and persistence pay—and so does planning in advance.

Most grants, scholarships, and loans available in the United States are restricted to U.S. citizens. In fact, according to NAFSA: Association of International Educators, less than 20 percent of financial aid for international students comes from U.S. sources.
While the outlook isn’t encouraging, some students are receiving aid—why not you?

Explore these sources:

Family Funds
According to the Institute of International Education,
some 67 percent of international students rely on family funds. Many students use their own assets or ask their immediate or extended
family for assistance.

Aid from Your Country
Your own government may be a source of funding. Get in touch with your minister of education to see what awards are available. Also, find out if there are foundations, organizations, or companies in your country that assist students wanting to study in the United States.

Loans
A few U.S. banks offer student loans to international students. Usually the loan must be co-signed by a creditworthy U.S. citizen or permanent resident. Carefully study any loan offer; it’s wise to get advice from your family’s personal financial advisor.

Host University
Your university’s international student office is the best resource for financial aid. Approximately ten percent of international undergraduates receive financial support from their host institution, including a reduction in tuition. “You need to ask questions of many people,” advises James M. Bauer, director of financial assistance at the University of Miami. “Talk to not only the admissions office but also to people in the specific academic department in which you will be studying. Sometimes scholarships are offered departmentally.”

Other Scholarships
Because most scholarships are for U.S. citizens only, avoid services that charge a fee to match you with a scholarship. Instead, use a free personalized search service that compares your background with a database of awards. FastWeb claims to
be the largest and most accurate scholarship search database. You can
also search just using your favorite Web search engine. Caution: if  a scholarship has an application fee, don’t apply. It probably is a dishonest enterprise.


Just for Graduate Students

The outlook for financial aid is better for international graduate students. In addition to the information listed above for undergrads, consider these opportunities…


International Organizations
Some organizations offer highly competitive awards for international graduate students. Check the United Nations, the Organization of American States, the League of Red Cross Societies, and the World Health Organization.

Host Institution
Good news: 41 percent of all graduate students receive financial support from their host university. “At many universities, including ours, international graduate students have opportunities for teaching assistantships, graduate assistantships, and research assistantships,” points out Shawn T. Bascom of the International Programs at Idaho State University. “Assistantships are excellent opportunities for international students to make graduate education more affordable.”

With an assistantship, in exchange for receiving financial support, you perform part-time work in teaching, research, or other professional areas as you earn your degree. The experiences you have during your assistantship often prove valuable in your future career.

By the way, you will find more funds available for PhD programs than for master’s programs and, likewise, more funds in the sciences than in social sciences and humanities. And generally you’ll find more money for academic programs than for professional programs.

Incidentally, the chances of receiving financial aid from the host institution increase during your second year of studies.

Fellowships
A merit scholarship for a graduate student is often called a fellowship, and may be awarded by universities or by other organizations. Talk to your host institution about fellowship opportunities.

Fulbright Scholarships are awarded to approximately 4,700 graduate students worldwide every year. Visit www.iie.org or contact the nearest U.S. embassy.


Learn More

Start your research early, preferably 15–18 months before your studies begin. Be on time in submitting your applications for loans, scholarships, and other financial aid.
Undergraduate and graduate students should visit many Web sites to learn more about financing their U.S. education. Here are some informative sites to explore:

Jane Schreier Jones, a graduate of Miami University in Oxford, Ohio,
is a freelance writer whose work includes extensive writing in the field
of education.