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Originally Posted by Phang
Also, if any nice american/canuck types could fill me in on all the financial aid (grants/loans/whatever the hell else) i can get, this would help.
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Well I'm doing my own financial aid for grad school right now. (**** it's a pain man).
#1 Call and verify consistently and often to make sure your shit is being worked out properly and that money will be dispursed. Call something like every week or every other week because shit happens and you don't want to be left stranded without money.
Steps to financial aid:
1. Fill out
FASFA.
2. Along with applying to school, also fill out their financial aid application - some do it by academic department.
3. Talk to financial aid department and people at the program you want to attend about what kind of grants/scholarships they offer or that you can apply for.
4. Get your shit in order - letters of rec, references, etc.
5. Consistently call to make sure everythings in order, I can not stress enough how important it is. You call one week and they tell you everythings in order and then next week if you call and speak to someone else they'll tell you your paperwork is incomplete or something else happened.
There are two types of stafford loans:
Subsidized and unsubsidized. The former you don't pay interest on the loan while in school, the latter you do but you can opt to have it tacked on to the principal when you finish school (so you don't have to pay the interest while attending school).
There are pell grants, but I'm not sure if you're eligible for them.
Be aware that the process for financial aid can take months, so start early! Don't assume that you can just show up and get money in a week or so (you can't). Yes, some people do that.
Also I remember talking to a professor who was explaining how difficult it is to finance a foreign student because of the high prices of tuition (higher for international students/non-resident in state schools) and getting financial aid - so be careful. Try finding work at the school - sometimes they eliminate tutition entirely for that and schools are always looking for help and assistants.
Good luck.