i live in ethiopia and i study architecture at a university here i am top of my class pretty impressive for a girl of 19 in my country. i am not satisfied by the standard of education here but alternatives are bleek so i was ok untill i got notified that i had won a dv lottery and will qualify for a green card in 2007 so i'm coming to the us and the first thing on my mind is to join a college and continue my education. i love architecture and if i get in the right school and study i know i can do something spectacular in architecture
i tried applying to universities in the states and i meet all their qualifications other than the required application fee (which i can't afford) and affidavit for financial support which i don't have.
i plan on applying for student loans when i get to the states but i need to be accepted right so how do i do that before hand with these barries in front of me
the right answer to this question could really change my life so let me know.
2006-11-02 22:54:28 · 3 answers · asked by selam 1 in Education & Reference ➔ Financial Aid
Look for private universities which will offer financial aid to international students (you're still classed as one at the moment, until you actually get your green card) - they should be able to waive the fee as well if you can prove your economic hardship. I'm assuming you mean that you can't show you have enough money to pay the fees, and not that you can't provide any financial information - you'll definitely have to give them details of your finances to get accepted.
It's a strange situation really, since you will be applying as an international and then changing status once you get the green card, and I presume you're applying as a transfer student too.
The best advice I can offer you is to contact the admissions reps for the universities you wish to apply to, and ask them what can be done in your specific case. You could also try contacting federal loan agencies, but I don't know how helpful they would be.
Unfortunately it seems that the best thing to do might be to wait until you are actually in the US before you apply, so that your finances and residency status will be cleared from the start. I know you want to continue with your education as soon as possible, but you may be able to enter university as a spring transfer, so you would only lose one semester of your schooling, and not a whole year.
Best of luck to you, hope everything works out...financial aid is a pain in the butt!
2006-11-03 12:16:00 · answer #1 · answered by lauriekins 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I would say, call the office of the college(s) you are applying to and tell them your situation, and find out what you can do. Each college is different. Some may waive the application fee for you; others may be able to help you qualify for FAFSA (Federal Application for Student Aid), which I'm sure you would qualify for based on your financial status. You can find college phone numbers by looking them up (the colleges) on the internet. With your level of intelligence and determination, any college would be foolish to reject you! Good luck and God bless.
2006-11-02 23:03:18 · answer #2 · answered by peachy78 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Standardized tests! American universities are ranked, in part, by SAT score averages (perhaps ACT as well). The higher your score, the better your chances.
2006-11-02 23:02:42 · answer #3 · answered by ptstrobl 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋