Self - Help First!
Your first rule of survival as an international student is to rely primarily on your personal financial resources and that of your immediate family in your home country or here in the US. International students are not eligible for federal financial aid and there is very little financial aid available from private sources. Of the few private scholarships available for international students, most require that you apply from your home country. If you are already in the US, you might not be eligible.Suggestions for Funding
On Campus Employment
Full time international students in F-1 status are
eligible to work part-time on campus for up to 20 hours per week.
Please check with campus departments for available openings. F1 students are not eligible for work study positions.
Please see your
District or Campus Designated School Official (DSO) for more information.
Off Campus Employment
After one year in F1 status, international students may be eligible work part time off campus in Optional Practical Training, Curricular Practical Training, or Off Campus Employment due to economic hardship. Please see your District or Campus Designated School Official (DSO) for more information.
Broward Collage Scholarships
Some Broward College Foundation Scholarships are available for international students who maintain a 2.5 grade point average. These scholarships are advertised in Foundation Scholarships with a specific deadline set for each academic year. Some departmental/talent awards (student life, student ambassadors, music, athletics), are also available. Please check with the specific department to see if you meet the eligibility requirements. & Students in F1 or M1 status who have completed 24 Broward College credits and have an overall Grade Point Average of 3.0 are eligible to apply for the International Student Merit Scholarship. Please visit the following links for the Scholarship Application Requirements and the Scholarship Application.
Broward College International Student Merit Scholarship Application Requirements
Broward College Scholarship Application
Scholarships (Non-Campus Based)
International student scholarships to study in the United States are quite limited and highly competitive. Please note that some scholarship search firms charge a fee for information that is available free of charge. Please do not waste your money by subscribing to them!
Listed below are some suggested websites:
http://www.internationalscholarships.com
http://www.fastweb.com
http://www.internationalstudent.com/
http://www.financialaidofficer.com/scholarship_search/
Loans
In several countries, cooperative and thrift societies are viable sources of loans for international students. However, such sources of loans are severely limited in the United States. Most of those available are quite expensive and require international students have a US citizen or permanent resident as co-signer. Some suggested web sites that require co-signers include:
http://www.teri.org (needs co-applicant to be a credit worthy US citizen/Permanent Resident who has resided in the US and worked with same employer for at least two years.)
http://www.fastweb.monster.com/ib/edupass-22f
http://www.edupass.org/finaid/undergraduate.phtml
http://www.chase.com/cm/cs?pagename=Chase/Href&urlname=cef/general/page/studentloan.jsp
http://www.key.com – for parents/guardians of international students. The loans are available to US citizens/permanent residents.
Practical Suggestions
Sources of financial aid are publicized exclusively in foreign language newspapers and web sites that are published in the US. We suggest you try calling the editor of such newspapers/websites to see if they know of any possibilities For example, a member of the community might be willing to sponsor your education. You could contact your countries nearest educational advising center/consulate for information about local sources of support. Your home government may have financial aid available. Please consult the cultural section of your embassy or your ministry of education for more information. Some awards may require you to be nominated by your government. There may also be private organizations, businesses, foundations, and religious groups in your home country that may provide support for study in the US.
Florida Linkage Institutes
The Florida Linkage Institutes provide instate tuition waivers to students from specific foreign countries who meet certain requirements. For additional information, please visit the website at http://global.usf.edu/linkages.php