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EducationUSA-Alumni
Newsletter
São Paulo, Issue #9 - April 27, 2011
FINANCIAL AID FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS
Undergraduate and graduate candidates who come to
the EducationUSA Advising Center at Alumni looking for assis-
tance in pursuing education in the U.S. often have the same
concern: MONEY! We’ve decided to dedicate this issue en-
tirely to financial aid in an attempt to demystify financial aid and
the different types of scholarships available out there for inter-
national students.
The first thing we, advisers, always recommend is that
students consult with their parents and other family sponsors to
find out how much money they can commit each year to edu-
cation. It is important that students try to raise as much as
possible from family sources, because most scholarship
awards, when available, cover only part of the total educational
and living costs, which include: room and board, books and
supplies, transportation, and other personal expenses. Re-
member, not all schools in the U.S. have funding for interna-
tional students. If a student depends on outside funding,
whether or not a school offers aid to international students
should most definitely be considered a top research criteria
when a student is making his college list.
As students do their research, we advise them to find
the average financial aid award and the number of awards
made by each school being considered. The EducationUSA
Advising Center at Associação Alumni offers a monthly group
session about the admissions process to undergraduate and
graduate programs in the U.S. During this one hour lecture,
financial aid is also discussed. See page 2 for a list of the next
schedule sessions. In the meantime, here are summarized
definitions of the different types of financial aid to help:
Funding from U.S. institutions of learning:
1) Merit-based scholarships: These awards are based on a stu-
dent's academic or artistic abilities, and often factor in an appli-
cant's extracurricular activities, community service record and
scores on standardized tests.
2) Need-blind vs. need-aware scholarships: Only a handful of
very competitive schools are need-blind to international stu-
dents. These colleges do NOT take into consideration your
finances when deciding to admit you. If you are admitted, they
will work with you to make it happen. All other colleges (need-
aware) will take into account how much money you can contri-
bute before making their final decision. Cruel, yes, but very
true!
3) Sports scholarships: Colleges who have sports teams compet-
ing in NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) Division
I, and sometimes Division II, may recruit international students
and offer some funding in return. For more information about
Sports Scholarships contact the EducationUSA Center nearest
to you.
4) Assistantships: The most common form of financial aid at the
graduate level. Assistantships are cash awards that require the
performance of services (teaching, research or administrative
services) related to the field of study, usually about 20 hours
per week. The amount of aid awarded may vary from a small to
a generous reduction in tuition.
5) Fellowships: Departments and institutions award fellowships on
the basis of academic merit, normally after the first year of
study. Graduate fellowships vary from very modest, covering
only tuition and fees, to full grants, providing the cost of tuition,
fees, and monthly stipends for maintenance. Fellowships rarely
cover the total cost of living and studying.
Funding from home country:
1) Not-for-profit organizations: A handful of organizations in Brazil
can assist students who are strong academically, but who do
not have the financial means to study in the U.S. Contact the
EducationUSA Center nearest to you!
2) Loans: A few reputable agencies make loans available to inter-
national students. Almost all, however, will ask for a co-signer
(“fiador”) who is a U.S. resident. Thus, loans, are not always an
accessible option for international students.
Source: If you Want to Study in the United States: Undergraduate
and Graduate Study
Useful Web Sites:
National Collegiate Athletic Association: www.ncaa.org
General information for International Students:
www.collegeboard.com
www.petersons.com
www.finaid.com
www.edupass.org/finaid
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EducationUSA-Alumni
Newsletter
SAVE THE DATE!
Próximos Eventos
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20, 26 e 31 de maio, 16h-18h
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respostas a dúvidas sobre o essay (por onde começar, o que é importan-
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