International Students Applying for Aid

Students who are NOT U.S. citizens nor U.S. permanent residents are NOT eligible to receive U.S. federal student educational loans, and therefore such students do not need to complete a FAFSA. (Note: exceptions to this policy are listed below after the asterisk*. ) However, there are loan options available for international students. There are several private (non-federal) educational loans allow application by such students if they obtain a U.S. citizen or U.S. permanent resident co-signer. The co-signer must supply a U.S. social security number, have a satisfactory credit history, and demonstrate sufficient current income to repay credit obligations (including the educational loan). The student applicant also should provide a U.S. social security number if possible. With a creditworthy co-signer, a student can borrow up to the Cost of Attendance. Tulane determines the borrower's maximum loan eligibility based on the Cost of Attendance for the 2009-2010 academic year, less any other financial aid received. The interest rates are variable. For more details on these private commercial education loans please visit the Alternative loan section of our website. At this time we are aware of one private educational loan program that international students may be eligible to receive without having a cosigner. The Access Group Comprehensive Access Loan is available to international students who have at least a minimum credit bureau score and have three years of established U.S. credit history in their name, including at least four non-student loan trades, one of which has been open for 36 months. For more information on this loan program, please visit the Access Group's website: http://www.accessgroup.org , or phone them at 800.282.1550. Additional helpful information for international students may be found at the following web address: http://www.edupass.org/finaid/ .
* Eligible Noncitizen:
"You must be one of the following to receive federal student aid:
• U.S. citizen
• U.S. national (includes natives of American Samoa or Swain’s Island)
• U.S. permanent resident who has an I-151, I-551, or I-551C (Permanent
Resident Card)
If you’re not in one of these categories, you must have an Arrival-Departure Record
(I-94) from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) showing one of the
following designations:
• “Refugee”
• “Asylum Granted”
• “Cuban-Haitian Entrant, Status Pending”
• “Conditional Entrant” (valid only if issued before April 1, 1980)
• Victims of human trafficking, T-visa (T-2, T-3, or T-4, etc.) holder
• “Parolee” (You must be paroled into the United States for at least one year
and you must be able to provide evidence from the USCIS that you are in
the United States for other than a temporary purpose and that you intend to
become a U.S. citizen or permanent resident.)
If you have only a Notice of Approval to Apply for Permanent Residence (I-171 or I-464),
you’re not eligible for federal student financial aid.
If you’re in the United States on certain visas, including an F1 or F2 student visa, or a J1
or J2 exchange visitor visa, you’re not eligible for federal student financial aid.
Also, people with G series visas (pertaining to international organizations) are not eligible
for federal student financial aid. For more information about other types of visas that
are not acceptable, check with your school’s financial aid office. Citizens and eligible
noncitizens may receive loans from the FFEL Program at participating foreign schools.
Citizens of the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and
the Republic of Palau are eligible only for certain types of federal student aid. These
applicants should check with their schools’ financial aid office for more information."
Source: The Guide to Federal Student Aid , http://studentaid.ed.gov/students/publications/student_guide/index.html

Undergraduate Students- Tulane Need Based Aid:
While international students do not qualify for student financial assistance from the United States Department of Education, such students may be considered for Tulane institutional need-based scholarship funds. Tulane requires that all need-based scholarship recipients, including international students, must maintain full-time enrollment (12 credit hours or more) each semester in a full-time division (Newcomb- Tulane College, School of Architecture, School of Science and Engineering, School of Liberal Arts, Freeman School of Business.) For 2009-2010, full-time division entering undergraduate international students may receive up to a maximum of $18,000 in Tulane Need-Based Scholarship annually depending on their family's level of financial need. Students receiving a merit or athletic scholarship in excess of the maximum are not eligible for Tulane Need-Based Scholarship. An international student's remaining financial need must be funded by the student's family or from other resources. International students may wish to consider borrowing private/alternative loans (as described above) to help finance their education. Students who reside in a country other than the United States or students whose family income is paid in the currency of another country must complete the College Board 2009-2010 International Student Financial Aid Application if they wish to be considered for Tulane need-based scholarship funds. Incoming students should mail the completed form directly to the Tulane University Office of Financial Aid by March 15, 2009. Returning students must submit the completed form by May 1, 2009. Students who reside in the United States or students whose family income is received in U. S. dollars should follow the application procedures described in Undergraduate Students Applying for Aid.

Graduate Students: Institutional aid, such as scholarships or fellowships aid is offered directly from the Graduate Schools. Interested applicants should contact the schools directly for more information.

WITHDRAWALS AND RETURN OF TITLE IV FEDERAL STUDENT FINANCIAL AID FUNDS

A student must officially withdraw from the university to obtain a refund of tuition. Failure to attend does not constitute an official withdrawal. The U.S. Department of Education requires that schools are able to document that students are actually in attendance to finalize their Federal Pell Grant eligibility. “If a student doesn't begin attendance in all of his or her classes, the school must recalculate the student's award based on the lower enrollment status. A student is considered to have begun attendance in all of his or her classes if the student attends at least one day of class for each course in which that student's enrollment status was determined for Federal Pell Grant eligibility.” To obtain a remission of tuition, the student must complete drop/add form(s) with the dean of the college in which he/she is enrolled.

Tulane's refund policy for a typical semester (68-70 class days) is based on the following schedule.
Through the 9th class day 100%
Through the 13th class day 75%
Through the 18th class day 50%
Through the 33rd class day 25%
After the 34th class day 0%

Please consult the academic calendar for specific dates. Percentages above do not apply to the summer term. Fees are not refundable.

Tuition refunds due to withdrawal are not directly related to the determination of whether financial aid funds must be returned when a student withdraws. When a recipient of federal financial aid funds withdraws from the university during a period of enrollment (i.e. semester) in which the recipient began attendance, the institution must determine the amount of federal loan or grant assistance that the student earned as of the student's withdrawal date.

The percentage of aid that has been earned by the student is equal to the percentage of the semester that the student completed as of the student's withdrawal date. If this date occurs after the completion of 60% of the semester, the student is considered to have earned 100% of the federal grant and/or loan assistance for the semester. Please note that in cases where a student ceases attendance without providing official notification to the university of his or her withdrawal from the university, the institution must consider the midpoint of the semester as the official date of withdrawal. The student must contact his or her academic Dean's Office to provide official notification of intent to withdraw.

If the total amount of federal grant or loan assistance, or both, that the student earned is less than the amount of federal grant or loan assistance that was disbursed to the student or on behalf of the student in the case of a PLUS loan, the difference between these amounts must be returned to the federal aid programs. The amounts of unearned federal aid must be returned regardless of whether the student is eligible to receive a refund of a portion of university fees, such as tuition, fees, or room and board fees. The amount to be returned to the federal student financial aid accounts will be returned to the programs from which the student received aid up to the amount of aid disbursed in the following priority order: Unsubsidized Federal Stafford loans, Subsidized Federal Stafford loans, Federal Perkins Loan, Federal PLUS loans received on behalf of the student, Federal Pell Grants, ACG and Smart Grants, Federal SEOG grants, and LEAP grants.

The total amount of federal grant and loan assistance received by the student must be certified by the school. If the total amount of federal grant or loan assistance, or both, is greater than the total amount of federal grant and/or loan assistance that was disbursed to the student or on behalf of the student as of the date of the institution's determination that the student withdrew, the difference between these amounts must be treated as a post-withdrawal disbursement. If federal loan funds are used to credit a post-withdrawal disbursement, the university must provide the student, or the parent in the case of a PLUS loan, the opportunity to cancel all or a portion of the post-withdrawal

disbursement. The university has 30 days to provide this notice to the student or parent. The student or parent must respond to the notice within 14 days of the date the institution sent the notification. If the student or parent does not respond, the university cannot make a post-withdrawal disbursement of federal loan funds.

After determining the return of funds to federal student financial aid, any amounts of institutional tuition or room and board refunds in excess of the amount of aid returned to the federal aid accounts will be returned to the Tulane aid accounts on a pro-rated basis up to the amount of aid disbursed. Any remaining amounts of institutional refund left over are then returned to the student and his/her family.

Federal Work-Study funds are not included in the Return of Federal Title IV Funds formula because these funds were received for work performed.

Students considering a full withdrawal should consult with a financial aid counselor to discuss the impact of withdrawal on financial aid funding.

Last Updated: January 21,2009