10 Ways International Students Pay for US Universities
1) Home Country Assistance
International students can receive funding offered by the government and other organisations in their home country. Beware that this funding may come with certain conditions such as returning home to work for a number of years.
2) Private Loans
Loans must be paid back, normally with interest. Beware that many lenders will require international students to have a cosigner who is a US resident or a permanent resident.
3) Crowdfunding
Some students have been able to cover tuition with small donations from many different people collected via GoFundMe and other crowdfunding websites. Beware, sourcing funding from crowdfunding websites will require time and effort.
4) Scholarships
Some schools and private organisations offer scholarships for international students. Scholarships can be found by using searching databases maintained by EducationUSA and The Institute of International Education. Beware, if a website is asking you for a credit card or other financial information before you can use it, stay away! Searching for scholarships is free.
5) Family Support
Some international students may be fortunate enough to have some help from their families when it comes to paying for college. While this certainly isn’t the case for everyone, those who have the means should discuss it with their families.
6) Grants
A good place to start looking for grants geared toward international students is the Institute of International Education. This is an organisation dedicated to helping international students get a good education and stay on top of grant opportunities.
7) University Aid
Your financial need is calculated by subtracting the amount your family is able to contribute towards your university education from a university's published cost of attendance. Dozens of universities will fund the full demonstrated financial need of admitted international students. However, many of these will factor an applicant's financial circumstances into their admissions decision.
8) Sports Scholarships
American universities provide opportunities for elite athletes from outside the U.S. to pursue their university degree while continuing to train and compete at a high athletic level, an opportunity not possible in many other countries.
9) Fellowships
A fellowship is a monetary award that sometimes comes with a teaching or research requirement. Fellowships are given to particular students pursuing training in a particular field and are mostly merit based.
10) On Campus Employment
International students can work part time on campus as a means to supplement part of the costs associated with university fees. Students can work up to 20 hours a week part time on campus while taking classes and full time during school breaks.
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