It is a fact that very few colleges in the world offer financial aid to students who are not citizens of that country. Students who are not US citizens or permanent residents should plan on finding their own sources of money to pay for their college education, and thus the cost of a particular college may become a large factor in your choice. If you plan to study in the US, you will not be granted a visa unless you can prove you have sufficient financial resources to pay for your college, living expenses, and a return trip to your home country. 

Only a small percentage of colleges offer financial aid for international students. If you are an international student and you must have aid, don’t waste your time applying to schools that don’t offer it. Because the amount of aid available to international students is limited, colleges will only offer it to the very strongest applicants in their applicant pool. A general rule of thumb is that if you are a non-US citizen who requires financial aid, you will need to be among a college’s top applicants in order to receive an offer of aid. If your scores or grades are marginal for that college, you will most likely be rejected, since money will be allocated among the top students, and the college cannot admit you without proof that your family will be able to pay your bills.

If you are not a US citizen but are looking for financial aid to attend a US university, download this Excel document that lists US colleges and universities offering financial aid to international students from Doug Thompson of the Overseas Association for College Admission Counseling (of which SAS counselors are members). eduPASS also provides a list of colleges and universities that provide aid to international students is included. The Council of International Schools (CIS) also provides information on financial aid for the US, Canada, and the UK.

You should realize that some colleges and universities are less expensive than others. Cost doesn't always equate to quality, but may be based upon the school's endowment and location. If cost is an issue for your family, please be upfront about that as you're meeting with your SAS counselor. You might also want to look at Canada or Australia where the cost of education is lower than it is in the US.

Merit Based Scholarships

By Ivy League agreement, the most selective schools provide only need, as opposed to merit-based, financial aid. Less selective colleges do, however, sometimes provide merit awards. These awards are used to encourage talented students to consider attending these schools. Colleges realize that talented students will have a number of acceptance offers and use merit awards as an incentive to attract them. Talent grants are given to students who demonstrate a particular talent in sports, the arts, leadership, social service, or academics. These grants are offered regardless of a student’s financial need and are often open to international students.

Students can attract merit aid by applying to schools where their class rank and test scores will place them in the top 25% of the applicant pool. The most generous colleges tend to be private liberal-arts colleges that boast large endowments but face stiff competition from more-affordable and academically comparable state schools.

Merit-based aid is based on a student's achievements in areas such as academics or special talents such as music or athletics and is almost always open to international students.. A free website named MeritAid allows students to complete a profile and a summary of colleges with merit scholarships will be generated based upon the information provided in the profile. Be aware that while the site says they don't sell your email to third parties, students do end up getting a lot of email from the site.

Local Scholarships

Three community organizations offer scholarships to SAS students: the Singapore American Community Action Council (SACAC), the SAS PTA, and the American Chamber of Commerce. Applications are available in the Counseling Office each March. Each of these scholarships has its own application and eligibility requirements. Private Scholarship Searches

A number of foundations and other private organizations have developed scholarship programs. The following search engines can help you sort through them. Beware of scholarship scams. If anyone asks you for money to apply for a scholarship, it's probably a scam. Also, before applying for a scholarship, be sure to verify that non-US citizens are eligible.

• Wired Scholar - This is a reputable scholarship search program, some say the best online. It takes 15 - 20 minutes to fill out the profile, but for a national scholarship search it does the job.
• FastWeb - a free scholarship search engine.
• GoCollege - information on financial aid and more.
• College specific scholarships - colleges sometimes offer scholarships to all admitted students meeting narrowly defined objective criteria (e.g., 3.0 GPA and 1100 SAT)

Summer Jobs

There are several ways to pay for college in addition to seeking financial aid. Students can also work! The American Association in Singapore sponsors a Summer Employment Program for SAS students between the ages of 14 and 18. Full details are available on the AAS website. Immigration and Visa

If you are not a US citizen, you will be required to obtain a visa from the US Department of Immigration before you travel to the US to attend college. For most schools you must complete a certification of finances form and attach documentation showing that your family has sufficient financial resources to pay for your schooling. You can download this certificate here, or use the form provided by most colleges. For details, please go to our Immigration and Visa page.