International Student Services
Planning for Your Educational Expenses
It is crucial that when you plan to study at Lewis or any other University
in the United States that you accurately estimate the financial resources
you will need in order to pay your educational and living expense before
you leave your home country. This will help you avoid financial difficulties
later, while making sure that you can provide the necessary documentation
to certify your funding, which is required before an I-20 can be issued
by the school and before the American Consular officer will issue you
an F-1 Student Visa enabling you to study here.
As an international student, you should determine what part, if any you
feel you and your family can afford to pay each year during your four
years of study. If you feel that you will be unable to bear the entire
cost on
your own, you should apply for financial aid at the same time you apply
for admission.
Remember that financial aid only covers some of the expenses
you will incur while in the United States. It does not cover expenses
that are
part of the application process such as Application fees, standardized
test fees,
or credential evaluation fees. It also does not cover transportation
costs. Additional costs prospective students should plan for include:
- Tuition
- New student Orientation Fee (currently $90)
- Fees for adding or dropping
a course after the regular registration period $25
- Graduation fees
($115-145)
- Living costs (including room and meals)
- Residential Amenities Fee ($675
per semester)
- Books and supplies
- Health insurance
- Incidental expenses.
You may need to combine several sources of funding to finance
your education in the United States fully. The links below provide
information
on evaluating
your ability to finance U.S. study, including explanations of
the various costs associated with U.S. study for international
students and a financial
worksheet to help you plan your expenses realistically.
These
resources may help you plan for your educational financial needs.
- NAFSA: Association of International Educators
- The
College Board Online offers general advice, college search information,
and lists of useful publications. (http://www.collegeboard.comwww.ftc.gov)
contains valuable information about how to evaluate
a scholarship search service, and the warning signs of a scam.
- EducationUSA is
a web site devoted to the promotion of U.S. higher education. The site
provides information about studying in the U.S.
to prospective students living in other nations, and aims to assist them
in their quest for further
education. (http://educationusa.state.gov/)
- U.S. Department
of State’s site for graduate and undergraduate
level students considering study in the U.S., offering information
to foreign nationals
on all aspects of U.S. study - admissions, financial
aid, visas, and other concerns. Includes links to relevant
sites. Maintained by the U.S. State
Department's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.
(http://educationusa.state.gov/)
- FinAid: The Financial
Aid Information Page is a comprehensive Internet guide to financial
aid with sections pertaining to foreign
students coming to the United States and U.S. students going abroad. (http://www.finaid.org/)
- International
Education Financial Aid (IEFA) provides a comprehensive listing of
grants, scholarships, loan programs, and other
information. (http://www.iefa.org/)
- The U.S. Department
of Education site provides information about financial
aid. (http://www.ed.gov/prog_info/SFA/StudentGuide/)
- The
U.S. Department of Education also has a special page of information
for international students wishing to study in
the United States: http://studentaid.ed.gov/PORTALSWebApp/students/english/intl.jsp
- The
CIEE (Council on International Educational Exchange) provides resources
for international students. (http://www.ciee.org/index.htm)
For information about financial
aid available through Lewis University as well as information about external
loans, scholarships, and
related
resources click here.
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