Understand how the American student finance system works.
If you want to study in the United States, but you don’t have the money, know that this is not a problem. Many American colleges offer scholarships with 100% financial aid. Other options are scholarships that help with some student expenses, but not 100%. Even with these options, it’s important to save money, because you’ll need to pay for some things that colleges can’t pay for you.
The English proficiency test is very important, and all universities require a minimum grade to accept you as a student. Search which universities you would like to enter. Many of them offer information about proficiency test scores on their website, but you can contact them by email. American universities always respond to emails from students interested in courses and usually offer instructions so you don’t have any further questions.
But if you have US citizenship or studied at a high school recognized by American educational institutions, you can skip this phase of the test. In the case of a citizen, you will not need to spend money on a visa, but if you only studied in high school under the American regime and do not have a citizenship, then you will need a visa. After regularizing all your documentation, it is necessary to think about how you will live in another country, so we have brought you some tips in the topics below.
Foreigners with no US citizenship and high school education
In this case, look for the colleges you are interested in. Many colleges in the United States have a type of partnership with some countries and offer a scholarship to citizens of partner countries or countries that are experiencing wars or social and financial insecurity.
If this is the case for you, find out if the college you are interested in has this type of scholarship. When the college does not offer this option, it usually has the student finance option. A bank or financial institution in partnership with the college offers a student loan to guarantee the student’s basic needs.
Foreigners with no US high school education, but with citizenship
American citizenship makes life a lot easier for immigrants who want to study in the United States. For most foreigners who have citizenship, the proficiency test is not required, but some colleges may ask for it if you don’t have a high school education in America. Regardless, there are scholarships for foreigners with American citizenship. In fact, this type of profile gets student funding much easier, because it has a direct connection with the country.
More about student finance
There is no national rule for student funding in the US, because states can follow their own laws, so you need to pick one or two US states and study their rules. It is normal for many Americans to resort to student financing, but being an American or having American citizenship is a factor that makes life a lot easier for those who want to study in the United States, because there is a connection with the country, so some bureaucracy is not necessary.
But if none of these cases is yours, saving money for the visa and for the proficiency test, being accepted by the college will be the most important process. After demonstrating your value and knowledge, the university itself will ask if you need funding or you can apply for funding together with your college application.
We cover how student finance works in the United States for foreigners who want to live and study in the country. Do you want to study in the USA? If so, the lack of money is not a relevant factor to prevent your dreams, as you saw in the article there are many options and opportunities for those who need a scholarship to stay in the US.
