How to enter an American university and study for free

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Financial assistance to international students is provided by the best universities in the United States.

Education in America is one of the most expensive in the world. Indeed, the United States does not have what it is customary to call budget-funded places in Russia. All applicants enter on equal terms, but after enrollment, everyone can apply for financial assistance - a scholarship that will fully or partially cover the cost of training.

Most universities in the United States have multimillion-dollar funds, and they are ready to provide payments, including to international students. Here's what you need to know about education in America and student financial aid.

What types of higher education are there in the USA

In America, there are several stages of higher education: community college (community college), undergraduate, graduate and graduate school. Bachelor's degree and community college are options for high school graduates, the rest of the steps are suitable for those foreigners who have already graduated from a university in their homeland.

Community College

This is something like Russian technical schools and colleges. Students of such an institution go through the first two years of the educational program, after which they can transfer to the third year of the university. This direction has its advantages: there are practically no exams (only TOEFL or IELTS language proficiency tests), so it is very easy to enroll, and the training is relatively cheap. For comparison: a bachelor's degree at a state university costs from $ 30 thousand per year, in a private one - from $ 60 thousand per year. Whereas for education in a community college you need to pay in the region of 8-10 thousand dollars per year.

It is worth considering that the reputation of community colleges is worse than that of universities. And in order to graduate from the bachelor's degree, after the second year, you will need to go to the university. At the same time, no financial assistance will be provided for foreign students.

Undergraduate

They enter here after school, as well as after graduating from a Russian secondary educational institution or community college (after an American college, they immediately enter the third year). Undergraduate studies last 4 years.

An important fact: when entering American universities, you do not need to choose a specialty. For a bachelor's degree in the United States, it is possible to do this within the first two years. So, if you do not yet know what you would like to specialize in, American universities allow you to study, try, choose classes and decide only by the end of the second year.

For admission to the undergraduate program, you need to pass the TOEFL / IELTS and SAT / ACT English proficiency exams. Optional - SAT Subject.

SAT is a test of knowledge of the school curriculum. It is similar to the Russian Unified State Exam, but includes questions in two subjects at once: English and mathematics. ACT is analogous to the SAT, but this test includes an additional section with questions from several natural science areas: physics, chemistry, geography, and others. All American universities take both examinations. None of them offer any benefits.

SAT Subject is an optional exam; it is something like a USE by choice. The results of this test can be attached to the application for admission if you want to demonstrate excellent knowledge in any of the subjects.

Each exam has an expiration date. SAT and ACT scores are valid for 5 years, TOEFL and IELTS scores are valid for 2 years.

If you are already a student and have completed 1–2 undergraduate courses in Russia, then you will not be able to start studying at an American university from scratch. A transfer is suitable for you - transfer from one university to another. Students who have used the transfer cannot apply for financial assistance.

Master's degree

This is the next step after the undergraduate degree. This is training in a certain specialty, and it lasts a year or two years. You can choose a master's degree in any direction: medicine, law, creative specialties. The direction of business master's degree - MBA is very popular.

For admission, you also need to pass an exam in language proficiency (TOEFL or IELTS), as well as GRE - an exam in English and mathematics. It is similar to the SAT / ACT, but more complex, as it is intended for those who already have a university degree. There is an analogue of the GRE called GMAT, designed specifically for business graduate programs. But it is accepted in other programs as well.

The GRE and GMAT certificates are valid for 5 years.

Postgraduate studies

Option for those who want to become a teacher and work at a university. Postgraduate studies last at least four years, you can apply after a Russian master's degree, and in some cases after a bachelor's degree (you need to check with a specific educational institution).

This program is always free, but as you study, you will need to teach and do science seriously. Therefore, before choosing a graduate school, you should decide whether you are ready to devote your life to this.

Required exams are TOEFL or IELTS and GRE.

What documents are required for admission and when to send them

Acceptance of applications and selection of prospective students in America begins much earlier than in Russia. For example, if you plan to start studying in September 2021, then the documents must be submitted by the end of December 2020. Answers from universities come in April.

Here's what is included in the application:

• Recommendations from teachers. Not formal phrases about good behavior during lessons, but a text in the style of a letter to a colleague, in which your Russian teacher talks about how you showed yourself in the study of subjects, what projects you did, extracurricular activities and personal qualities. Samples can be viewed here.
• Transcript. This is a list of your high school or university grades. Since the documents must be sent in the middle of the school year, these will be preliminary marks: if you are a student, then for the 10th grade and the first half of the 11th grade. For those who enroll in a master's program - grades from a diploma. The transcript is sent online in the form of a table compiled according to a specific template: the name of the subject, the number of hours and the grade mark. Confirmed by the seal and signature of the school or university administration.
• Application form. Contains basic information about you, including education, awards, and other achievements. Also, information about the parents is entered into the questionnaire: full name, date of birth, education, place of work. Here you need to attach the exam results and motivational essay (or letter). A questionnaire is filled out on the university website at the time of application.

It is the essay, not the tests, that makes the difference between students. About 50 thousand STANFORD UNIVERSITY, APPLICANT, ADMIT AND MATRICULANT TRENDS people apply to Stanford every year. All of them tend to have high exam scores, but only 4–5% of Admission Statistics become students. They are chosen precisely by essay - this is a free-form story about your past, personal interests, qualities and achievements, and most importantly, about what you want to learn and why in this particular university. More about essays can be found, for example, here.

• Summary. This is an optional item if you are applying for an undergraduate degree. But applicants for a postgraduate or graduate degree should write a detailed resume that shows your personal and professional development. The American version has its own peculiarities: for example, you do not need to attach a photo, indicate gender and date of birth - this is unnecessary information. In the US, a resume is dry data about education and work experience. There are many good samples on the Internet, you can focus on them when compiling your own.
• Portfolio. These are examples of creative work, and you do not need to attach them. But if you are entering a creative specialty and painting, doing music or playing in the theater, then your drawings and notes should be included in the portfolio.

How to get financial assistance

What are the types of payments for students

First, let's figure out what makes up the amount for education in the United States. It includes two main positions: tuition fees and room and board fees.

The amount for these items adds up to the total cost of training. In private universities it is 60-70 thousand dollars a year, in state universities - about 30 thousand dollars a year. It should be borne in mind that US state universities do not provide financial assistance to foreign students at all.

There are two main types of payments. There is the term need-based aid - it means financial assistance that is given to those in need, that is, in a situation when the family does not have enough money to pay for education. This kind of support for admission to the undergraduate program is also provided to foreign students. The university can reimburse you for the full cost of tuition, accommodation and meals if the family earns less than $ 60 thousand per year, and only tuition fees if the family's income does not exceed $ 120 thousand per year. To get the maximum funding, you need great grades, great exams, great essays, and good references.

When entering a master's program, a foreign student can, as a rule, apply only for merit-based aid. This is financial assistance that is rendered for merit - if you are, say, a talented athlete or a young scientist and you have excellent grades. This subsidy does not depend on your financial situation.

What you have to pay for anyway

There are expenses that cannot be avoided. Among the compulsory expenses is the examination fee. One attempt to pass the SAT will cost $ 110, TOEFL - an average of $ 250 per attempt. GRE costs $ 205. You will also need to pay an application fee - so that the university of your choice gets acquainted with your application. In different establishments, it ranges from $ 30 to $ 250.

You will also have to pay for sending exam results - on average, $ 20 per test result to one university. Four submissions are included in the cost of the exam, for additional ones you will need to pay extra.

Well, and, most likely, you have to spend a certain amount on tutors, textbooks and other ways to prepare for admission. But these costs are purely individual and depend on the level of knowledge in each specific case.

Who Can't Access Financial Assistance

• Students from families whose income exceeds 120 thousand a year are not given need-based aid. However, they can apply for a merit-based aid - a scholarship for achievements.
• Students who make a transfer, that is, are transferred from a Russian university immediately to the 2nd or 3rd year of the American Bachelor's degree, are not provided with financial assistance.
• Scholarships are not eligible for students who came to university after community college.
• There is also no financial assistance for foreign students who enroll in US public universities. It can only be received by residents - residents of the respective state.

How to apply for financial assistance

To inform universities about their intentions to receive need-based aid, you need to fill out a universal CSS form - most universities accept it. Create a page in CSS Profile and enter information about the financial condition of the family. In order to fill in all the items, you need to receive a bank statement and a certificate from the parents' work, which will indicate the salary for the last two years. You will also need to enter data on the cost of the apartment, the presence of large investments, annual spending on utilities, entertainment, food, clothing.

It is not necessary to fill in all the information at once. Once you create an account, you can sign in at any time, and all added information is saved.

Some universities may request other documents to prove the financial situation of the family. Such requirements can be seen on the university website. As a rule, these are:

• Income Statement - data on parents' income for the last two years. The document must be translated into English. The certificate does not need to be certified by a notary, it is enough to send a PDF-file with the translated information.
• Certification of Finances - data on the financial situation of the student. The paper must be filled out in English and signed. After that, scan it and send it to the e-mail address of the university. Or attach it to a special window while filling out the CSS Profile form, which will appear after sending an application for admission to a particular institution.

In general, all documents are sent in the form of scans following the CSS form or attached to the applicant's application.

With regard to merit-based aid, many universities by default consider all applicants as applicants for this scholarship. In other cases, your achievements will need to be additionally supported by documents. One way or another, look for information on the terms of payments on the website of a particular university.

How to choose a university for admission

You should refer to the rating of the most generous educational institutions for foreigners in the United States. They have huge scholarship funds, and these universities are more likely than others to accept students from abroad and pay for their tuition.

The leader in this ranking is Columbia University, which in the 2018-2019 academic year provided financial assistance to 254 foreign students; the average amount is 68 thousand dollars. In second place is Skidmore College, which paid 87 students an average of $ 67,000. In third place is Duke University, whose funds allowed admitting 213 foreign students last year and granting them an allowance of 66 thousand dollars.

Overall, Ivy League universities are leading in terms of financial aid, with Princeton University being the most prominent among them. In the 2018-2019 academic year, 60% of Ivy League students received Princeton University costs $ 73,450 per year - but here’s how much students actually pay an average of $ 52,000.

Information on the amount of financial assistance for foreigners is contained on the websites of universities and in open sources. For example, the aggregator contains data on the potential of the funds of each institution. If you do not find the information you need in the public domain, contact the university itself by mail or call the financial aid department (calls to the United States on Skype are inexpensive).

Several useful links

• General information on financial assistance to foreigners - eduPASS.
• Search for scholarships from various organizations - IEFA. There are few such third-party subsidies for foreigners, and often they are very small - 1-2 thousand dollars. But the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is a good example - it pays out quite good sums.
• The general scholarship base for foreigners and Americans is Fastweb.

Checklist for the applicant

In conclusion, I propose an algorithm of actions required for admission to an American university:

• Get good grades in school or university.
• Raise the level of English to Intermediate (the minimum required for passing the exams).
• Write a motivational essay.
• Prepare for exams and pass the required tests.
• Choose a university.
• Prepare the necessary documents.
• Fill out the form.
• Apply for financial assistance.
• Wait for the result and hope for success!