Financial Aid
How US colleges decide financial aid for international students and what forms you need to file.
14 terms in this category
FAFSA
The FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) is the US government form used to determine eligibility for federal financial aid — but it cannot be filed by international students.
CSS Profile
The CSS Profile is the financial aid application used by most selective private US universities to determine institutional need-based aid, including for international students.
Merit Scholarship
A merit scholarship is financial aid awarded based on a student's academic, artistic, or athletic achievements — independent of family financial need.
Need-Blind Admission
Need-blind admission means the college makes its admit decision without considering whether the applicant will need financial aid — for domestic students, at many US universities, and for international students, at only six.
International Financial Aid
International financial aid is the institutional need-based and merit-based funding US universities provide to non-US-citizen applicants, which differs significantly from aid available to domestic students.
Need-Aware Admission
Need-aware (also called need-sensitive) admission is a US college policy under which the admissions committee can see whether an applicant has requested financial aid and may factor that into the admit decision — the default for international students at all but six US universities.
Need-Based Aid
Need-based aid is financial assistance — usually grants, sometimes loans or work-study — awarded by US colleges based on a family's documented inability to pay full cost of attendance, calculated from forms like the CSS Profile and FAFSA (or institutional forms for international students).
Financial Aid Package / Award Letter
A financial aid package (also called an award letter) is the official document a US college sends to admitted students detailing the specific combination of grants, scholarships, loans, and work-study funds the school is offering for the upcoming academic year.
Cost of Attendance (COA)
Cost of Attendance (COA) is the official total estimate of one academic year at a US college, including tuition, fees, room, board, books, personal expenses, and travel — published by every US college and used as the baseline for all financial aid calculations.
Certification of Finances
Certification of Finances is a form (and the supporting bank documents) that international students must submit to a US college after admission, proving the family has enough money to cover at least the first year of cost of attendance — required before the school will issue an I-20, which is required to apply for an F-1 student visa.
F-1 Student Visa
The F-1 visa is the United States non-immigrant student visa for international students enrolled full-time at an accredited US college or university — issued by US embassies after the student presents an I-20 form, proves financial means, and demonstrates intent to return home after studies.
I-20 Form
The I-20 (officially the 'Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant Student Status') is a multi-page document issued by a US college after admission, listing the student's program, dates, financial details, and SEVIS ID — the form an international student must present at the US embassy to apply for an F-1 visa.
Student Aid Index (SAI)
Student Aid Index (SAI) is the number a US college's financial aid office calculates as how much your family is expected to contribute toward your education each year — replacing the older 'Expected Family Contribution' (EFC) metric in the 2024–25 financial aid year and used as the baseline for need-based aid offers.
Net Price Calculator
A Net Price Calculator (NPC) is an interactive tool that every US college is legally required to publish on its website, letting prospective students enter their family financial information and receive an estimate of what they would pay out-of-pocket to attend that school after typical financial aid is applied.