Studying in the United States is expensive. Annual costs can range from $18,000 to $65,000 for tuition, fees and living expenses. But there is a secret you may not know – most families do not pay the full cost of attendance themselves! Many students receive scholarships or financial aid. Colleges and universities in the U.S. do expect families to pay as much as they possibly can, but they also want to help good students to be able to afford to attend. In fact, the United States is the only country where universities award significant funding to international students.
So what is financial aid? Money! Financial aid is money to help you pay for the expenses associated with attending a college or university. The funding can come from a variety of sources, such as directly from the university; from your home country's government; from private foundations, civic groups, or community organizations; or from an employer or business.
Many U.S. universities have financial aid for international students. Why would they do that? Financial aid is an investment in the student. U.S. universities want the best students. The best students will enrich life on campus, add diversity to the student body, and bring prestige to the university now and in the future.
