Financial Aid for International Students

Much of the financial aid information for international students and scholars presented here is provided by NAFSA: Association of International Educators, of which the University of Hartford and the International Center are members.  Please visit the NAFSA homepage for more information  regarding international education and study in the U.S. 

Financial Aid for Foreign Nationals Studying in the United States

Studying in the United States can be an inspiring, exciting experience, but it can be difficult to finance. Education is very expensive in the United States; students and their families here pay a higher proportion of the cost of education compared to those in other countries, primarily through the payment of tuition and fees. The cost of living, too, can be high relative to that in other countries. Financial aid is limited and difficult to find. Foreign students must often compete with American students and other foreign students for the same limited funding.

You will need to be persistent because searching for financial aid can be long, tedious, and often unrewarding. Unfortunately, many students are unable to study in the United States because it is too expensive and financial aid is not available. Eighty-one percent of the foreign students in the U.S. finance their education through personal and family sources at the undergraduate level, while forty-seven percent of foreign graduate students finance their education in this manner.

Planning 

It is essential that you think about planning your entire U.S. education before you leave your home country. If you plan to study in the U.S. for several years, think beyond the first year; ask yourself, "How will I finance the years that follow?" Unfortunately, some students must return home after only one year of study because they run out of money. Some colleges, universities, and U.S. consulates require foreign students to provide certification of funding for that student's entire planned period of study, even though the I-20 form requires proof of funding for the first year only.

Therefore you should begin research on funding your education well before you leave your home country. Some scholarships and grants are available only to students applying from their home country. You might also investigate all possible home-country sources of funding. You should expect the following expenses when studying in the U.S.: application fees, standardized test fees, tuition, travel expenses, living costs (including room and meals), books and supplies, health insurance, and incidental expenses. You may need to combine several sources of funding in order to fully finance your education in the United States. There is a pamphlet developed by the Department of State (DOS) titled, "If You Want to Study in the United States - Graduate Study." It contains a section on "Evaluating Your Ability to Finance U.S. Study" with a detailed table and explanation of the various costs graduate students in particular must consider. It also contains a financial worksheet to help you plan your expenses more realistically.

For graduate students in particular, one should begin the application process 18 months before the intended date of study. Ideally, planning and researching financial assistance should begin at the same time, but certainly no later than one year (12 months) before the following school year. The steps involved in applying for financial assistance are as follows: 

• Identify and target possible resources; 

• Write for initial information; 

• Organize and complete application requests;

• Return completed financial assistance applications well ahead of the final deadline date indicated on forms. These dates may be much earlier than regular application deadlines - as early as 8-9 months before classes begin.

• Identify and target possible resources;

• Write for initial information;  Organize and complete application requests; 

Return completed financial assistance applications well ahead of the final deadline date indicated on forms. These dates may be much earlier than regular application deadlines - as early as 8-9 months before classes begin. 

Remember, competition for grants is keen in the U.S.; an incomplete, tardy, poorly written, or messy application could make the difference between you and the other applicant. Plan ahead, plan well, prepare carefully, and follow instructions! Give yourself plenty of time to put together a quality request for financial assistance and make sure that your application, including application fee, transcripts, standardized test results, letters of recommendation, and essays are complete and returned to the institution well ahead of all deadlines.

Funding Sources: University of Hartford

International Grant

Undergraduate and Transfer students will be considered for partial tuition grants that range in value from $2,000.00 to $6,000.00. Grants are offered to the most qualified students making application for the Fall Academic Term. These awards will be renewed yearly providing that you maintain satisfactory academic progress.

Academic Talent / Continuing Student Scholarship

If you demonstrate above average performance while enrolled at the University you will be considered for a partial tuition scholarship. You must complete 30 credit hours with a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 out of 4.0. The value of these awards ranges from $1500 to $3000. This Scholarship award can not be combined with an Artistic, Music or Athletic Scholarship or the Family Grant.

Music Scholarship

Students making application for the Bachelor's degree in Music at the Hartt School will be considered for scholarship on the basis of their Musical Audition. These awards range in value from $2,000.00 to Full Tuition (Living Expenses not included). Students seeking admission to study voice, or a voice related subject would be considered for scholarship only after completing an audition in the presence of a Faculty member from the Hartt School.

Art Scholarship

Students making application for the Bachelor of Fine Arts must forward their Art Portfolio prior to January 1 to be considered for an Artistic Talent Scholarship. These scholarships range in value from $2,000.00 to Full Tuition. See Hartford Art School.

Athletic Scholarship

As a NCAA Division I University we are able to offer scholarships to prospective student athletes. Any consideration for scholarship must come after contacting the respective coach for your sport. Please contact the respective coach through the Athletic department.

Family Grant Program

A full-time undergraduate student attending the University of Hartford who has a brother, sister, parent or spouse also attending the University of Hartford during the academic year as a full time undergraduate student may qualify for a Family Grant. Under the Family Grant Program, one family member will pay full tuition and each additional family member will pay half tuition. The following conditions must be met by all family members in order to qualify for the the Family Grant. Each family member:

1. Must be enrolled as a full time, matriculated undergraduate student;

2. Must be assessed full-time undergraduate tuition charges;

3. Must be enrolled during the fall and /or Spring Terms;

4. Is ineligible for payment from a third party source (Embassy, Company)

5. Must be of the same household and, if siblings, be dependent upon the same parent(s) and;

6. Must not have previously earned a baccalaureate degree.

The University reserves the right to choose the family member to whom the grant will apply. The grant is renewable provided that the recipient maintains full-time academic status and meets the satisfactory academic progress requirements as defined by the student's school or college of the University and the other family member maintains full-time undergraduate status at the University. The Family Grant may not be combined with other scholarships or grants.

Web Sites with Multiple Scholarship Resources

• Abroad Planet Scholarship Resources
  Online community of international students studying in the United States.
• College Board
  Free online financial aid source for scholarships, grants, and loans for all college-bound students, including permanent residents and international students wishing to study in the United States.
• FastWeb
  Free online scholarship search service.
• International Education Financial Aid
  Free online scholarship search service designed for international students.
• International Scholarships
  Free online scholarship database for international students wishing to study worldwide.
• Mobility International USA
  Free online scholarship resource for non–U.S. citizens with disabilities.
• United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
  Free online searchable database for scholarships to international students.

Private Loans

Interest-Free Loans

Sources of Information

Information is available about the above funding sources. While in your home country, contact the Department of State  post or the educational advising center designated by the American Embassy in your country. These centers have libraries with useful publications for you to review at no charge for information on colleges and universities in the U.S. and those institutions or organizations that offer financial aid to foreign students. Foreign students may also be able to review the College Explorer Plus or ExPAN, a computerized database of information on U.S. institutions, at their DOS educational advising office. These offices can always be found in the capital city but there may be branch offices elsewhere in the country.

If you are already in the United States, foreign student offices and career planning and placement offices on college campuses can be valuable sources of current financial aid information. They often have catalogs and books on scholarships, fellowships, and grants which you can review.

Below is a list of some of the books and Internet resources you may want to use while searching for financial aid, and many may be found at the DOS post library (prices, listed in U.S. dollars, are subject to change):

Useful Publications

Carol Weeg, Ellen Stern and Jim Bauer, Funding for US Study - A Guide for International Students and Professionals, Institute for International Education (IIE), Princeton, New Jersey, 1996. ISBN 0-87206-219-8 ($39.95 + $4 shipping in US or $16 shipping to other countries). 462 pages. This book provides information about financial assistance for international students to study in the US, including more than 600 sources of funding for international students (mostly for graduate and postdoctoral programs, but some for undergraduate students). To order a copy, call 1-301-617-7804 or 1-800-445-0443, fax 1-301-953-2838, write to IIE Books, PO Box 371, Annapolis Junction, MD 20701-0371, or send email to iiebooks@iie.org. Payment should be by Visa, Mastercard, or check in US dollars drawn on a US bank. For more information about IIE programs, call 1-212-984-5330 or 1-212-883-8200, or write to US Student Programs, 809 United Nations Plaza, New York, NY 10017-3580.

College Board, International Student Handbook of US Colleges, 1999. ISBN 0-87447-593-7 ($21.95). 330 pages. This book provides information about more than 3,000 colleges and universities, including average and minimum TOEFL scores, required admissions tests, college costs, availability of financial aid for international students, and ESL programs. You can order the book for $21.95 plus $8.31 for overseas shipping from College Board Publications, Box 886, New York, NY 10101-0886 USA, fax 1-212-713-8143. If you are in the US, you can call 1-800-323-7155 to place an order.

Marguerite J. Dennis, Complete College Financing Guide 1995, 3rd Edition, Barron's Educational Series, Inc., Hauppauge, New York, 1995. ISBN 0-81-201-635-1 ($17.50 plus $2.32 shipping in the US or $15.69 for overseas shipping). 282 pages. One chapter is devoted to funding for international students wishing to study in the US. To order a copy, call 1-800-645-3476 or write to Barron's Educational Series, 250 Wireless Blvd., Hauppauge, NY 11788.

W. Wickremasinghe, Scholarships and Grants for Study or Research in the USA, 2nd edition, American Collegiate Service, Houston, TX, 1989, 151 pages, ISBN 0-940937-01-8. This book contains a compilation of financial aid opportunities available from colleges, US foundations, and international organizations. You can order the book for $21.95 from American Collegiate Service, PO Box 442008, Houston, TX 77244. Call 1-714-493-9863 for more information. http://www.petersons.com

The A's and B's of Academic Scholarships (annual, September). This describes undergraduate scholarships not based on need (generally academic or talent awards available at about 1,200 colleges and universities.

Foundation Grants to Individuals, 9th edition. Undergraduate and graduate scholarship sources are described. Also included are fellowships, residences, internships, and grants by U.S. foundations to foreign nationals and citizens as well as company-sponsored aid. This book costs $65.00 plus $4.50 ($13.00 overseas) postage and handling, (subject to change) and is available from The Foundation Center, 79 Fifth Avenue, 8th floor, New York, NY 10003, Tel.: 1-(800) 424-9836.

Funding for U.S. Study: A Guide for Foreign Nationals. This book advises students on planning for financial aid and describes over 600 grants and fellowships open to foreign nationals in varying fields of studies and countries of origin. It does not include financial aid offered directly by U.S. colleges and universities. However, the 1996 edition, available as of August 1996, will include financial aid offered by U.S. colleges and universities, both named awards and more general financial aid. Contact IIE Books at Institute of International Education, P.O. Box 371, Annapolis, MD 20701-0301, Tel.: 1- (800) 445-0443; or e-mail: iiebooks@iie.org. Cost is $39.95 plus $4 shipping and handling - $16 for overseas shipping (subject to change). (To request a catalog of publications electronically, send an e-mail message to this address with the word, Available?, in the subject line. Leave the text empty.)


CISP International Studies Funding Book. Available from Council Intercultural Studies and Programs, 60 E. 42 St., New York, NY 10017, Tel.: 1- (800) 316-2739. 

Other places where you can find additional information:

International Education Finance Corporation. Loans for international students (must have U.S. citizen or permanent resident co-applicant). http://www.iefc.com

International Education Financial Aid. IEFA is the premier resource for financial aid, college scholarship and grant information for US and international students wishing to study abroad. At this site, you will find the most comprehensive college scholarship search and grant listings plus international student loan programs and other information to promote study abroad. http://www.iefa.org/

Edupass: http://www.edupass.com/finaid

The ASEAN Student Assistance Awards Program (ASAAP) is a public-private partnership, providing scholarships to students from Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, and the Philippines enrolled at U.S. colleges and universities. Initiated in 1998, in response to the Asian economic crisis, the program provides matching funds to deserving students who have demonstrated academic excellence and financial need. With funding from the Sumitomo Bank Global Foundation and Unocal Corporation, and assistance from the U.S. State Department Bureau of Education and Cultural Affairs, NAFSA will provide grants, ranging from $1,000 to $3,000, to U.S. colleges and universities on behalf of qualified students. http://www.nafsa.org

NAFSA administers the Korean Student Assistance Awards Program (KSAAP), with funding from the Sumitomo Bank Global Foundation and Goldman, Sachs and Co., and assistance from the U.S State Department Bureau of Education and Cultural Affairs. KSAAP is a national grant competition for all accredited 4-year academic institutions in the U.S. currently enrolling students from the Republic of Korea.  With Funding from the Sumitomo Bank Global Foundation and Goldman, Sachs and Co., NAFSA will provide grants, ranging from $1,000 to $3,000 to U.S. colleges and universities on behalf of deserving students. http://www.nafsa.org

Latin American and Caribbean Student Loan Program / Interest Free: Citizens of Latin America and Caribbean member countries of the Organization of American States may apply for a loan from the Leo S. Rowe Pan American Fund. http://www.oas.org/rowe

JobLatino: Scholarships and Fellowships. Primarily a job matching service for U.S. Hispanics, this site provides a long list of links to funding opportunities, not all of them limited to U.S. citizens. http://www.joblatino.com/scholar.html

The College Board Online, the College Board's World Wide Web site, offers college search, general advice, and ordering information on useful publications. The address is http://www.collegeboard.org.

FinAid: The Financial Aid Information Page, http://www.finaid.org, a comprehensive Internet guide to financial aid, contains sections pertaining to foreign students coming to the United States and U.S. students going abroad.

Financial Aid from the U.S. Department of Education. Visit the department's World Wide Web site for available resources, http://www.ed.gov/prog_info/SFA/StudentGuide/.

Organization of American States, Department of Fellowship and Training Program, Washington, DC 20006, Tel.: (202) 458-3900.

Fellowships Section, Office of Technical Cooperation of Development, United Nations, New York, NY 10017

Phelps-Stokes Fund, 10 East 87th St., New York, NY 10128 (for African Students). http://www.psfdc.org

The African-American Institute, Chanin Bldg., 380 Lexington Ave. at 42nd St., New York, NY 10168-4298, Tel.: (212) 949-5666, Fax: (212) 682-6174.