Higher Education... Helpful tips. Review on Applying for Financial Aid

Going off to college can be very scary. One of the first questions that one might think of is how do I pay for this education? Were will I receive the money or what can I do to get help paying for my education? I am in this position right now. My son graduates from High School on Friday and he is going off to college to be a dentist. So I had to go through all this Financial Aid already. I will give you information for those who live in the US and for those who live outside the US and want to study in the US.

Financial Aid for Foreign Students to study in the US

1. First you need to determine how much money you or your parents can afford to pay to send you to college in the US. Once you determine this amount then your next step is to search which school you want to apply to. Make sure you apply to several schools, don’t just pick one and stick with it because you might find out that another college is cheaper then the one you first chose.

   
   




2. Check out https://fastweb.com here you can put in all type of information about were you live and what your test scores are and they will search to see what types of scholarship you might qualify for. This is also a free site to use.

   
   




3. Be aware that there is little financial aid for foreign nationals . Most of the grants, loans and scholarships are restricted to US citizens. However I recommend that you check with your nearest educational advising center to receive more information.

   
   




4. Your own government might have financial aid for you however you may be required to return back home after your education is complete. Contact your cultural section of your embassy or ministry of education for these awards that your own government mike have.

   
   




5. In some countries they may have private aid from businesses, foundations, and religious groups. Some of these people might have aid to help you study abroad.

   
   




6. Fulbright Scholarships are awarded to 4,700 students world wide every year. You must take the TOEFL and GRE or GMAT exams and also have a J-1 Visa to qualify for this scholarship. Contact your embassy for more information on how to apply for this.

   
   




7. Other awards can be given from the UN, OAS, AMIDEAST, ITU, Red Cross World Health Organization, but these awards are extremely competitive.

   
   




8. Check to see if the US has any aid for study abroad for students from your country. PELL, Stafford and Plus loans are not available to foreign students.

   
   

Financial Aid for US students

Make sure your parents fill out a FAFSA form as soon as possible. Most people submit their FAFSA form as early as the end of January. Once your FAFSA is sent in you will receive a Student Aid Report, this will tell you what types of Aid you qualify for. Some colleges will give you financial aid from their school.

There are several things that can help pay for your education Items like Scholarships, loans, grants, work-study and private help. Scholarships are free money that doesn’t need to be payed back to anyone. Loans you will have to pay back once you graduate from college, grants are free,. Work study is another option that will help pay for your education. You can work on campus to help pay for tuition. Remember every year you have to reapply for student aid and each year the price may increase. You have to take a SAT test to be eligible for college.