 Good morning and good evening to our viewers joining us from around the world. My name is Brooke Spellman, and I represent EducationUSA and the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs at the U.S. Department of State in Washington, D.C. Today's Facebook Live is about financing your studies in the United States, or step two of the EducationUSA, five steps to U.S. study. Our goal for today is to give you advice and tips on the different ways international students can finance their education at a U.S. college or university. Our hope is that with this information, international students like you will find the U.S. university or college that best fits your financial budget and needs. As you all know, our EducationUSA network consists of over 550 trained advisors in 180 countries and territories around the world, offering free advising services to help you plan your education in the United States. During this program, our team will be taking and answering live questions from you, our viewers. So, at any time during this program, please feel free to post your questions in the comment box located in the comment section below. Okay, let's get started. First off, I would like to introduce our speakers, who collectively have a lot of information to share about financing studies in the United States. Joining us virtually is Jacqueline Vogel, a senior international officer at the State University of New York College in Plattsburgh, New York, where she manages all functions within the college related to international recruitment and admissions. Welcome, Jackie, and thank you for being with us today. Thank you very much for having me, and good morning. Good morning. Next, I'd like to introduce Christine Kremmer, the Director of International Graduate Admission at the University of Dayton in Ohio, responsible for assisting international students interested in studying in the United States. Christine is here with us in the studio. Welcome, Christine. Good morning. We're very excited to have you here today. It's a pleasure to be here. Thank you for having me, Brooke. Thank you. Also joining us virtually is Ojima Abraham. Ojima is from Abuja, Nigeria, and is a freshman international student at Franklin and Marshall College in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Hi, Ojima. Thanks for joining us today. Hi. Thank you so much for having me. I am so excited to be joining you today. Excellent. So let's get started with our discussion. So Christine, I'd like to start with you and ask you to tell us a little bit about what students should keep in mind when thinking about financing a U.S. education. And could you give us an overview of what's included in sort of the cost of attendance at a U.S. institution? Absolutely. So once a student has selected their university or college that they're interested for their academic program, it's very important to understand the cost of attendance as well as where they're choosing to live in the United States, the cost of living. The cost of attendance will be made up of both billable and those expenses which are not billable from the university. So tuition and fees. A good question for students to ask are the fees within the tuition that they're being billed or will they be charged additional fees? That's a question we hear all the time from students. So different universities handle the tuition and fee portion differently. And what would those fees be, for example? So fees could be for the rec center, the recreation center for taking labs, use of the library, parking, so various on-campus fees. And those would be billable. They could be. So some universities rep those into the tuition so that a student understands the cost all four years and there are other universities that will charge the specific fee based on what a student's major and interest lie. In addition to the tuition and fees, there are the living expenses. So housing and meals and again this most of the time is accommodated toward what the student is looking for in housing and in meal plans. So you'll see different meal plans a student can select from. So that will definitely increase or decrease the cost to the student. Health insurance is also part of the cost of attendance as well as what a lot of universities will term as miscellaneous expenses and what falls typically under the miscellaneous expenses would be driven by the student meaning travel expenses, personal expenses and books. So the cost of attendance is typically what we call the sticker price. It's what is, it's before a student would have scholarships or grants applied to it. So it is, you know, the original price. Right, right, okay. And the latter set of costs that you mentioned would be non-billable. Correct, correct. So the miscellaneous expenses are typically non-billable. Right. Excellent. Thank you. Christine, I think that was very helpful. We're going to have probably more questions about those specifics that you mentioned when we get to the question and answer session. And so now I think we do understand a little bit more about the fees associated with U.S. education. But now let's turn to discussing various types of financial aid that may help with these costs. Again, Christine mentioned the cost of attendance and so as students are thinking about how they're going to pay for all of these costs and fees, we need to look at financial aid. So Christine, again, another question for you. If you could give us an overview of what options in general are available to international students when we're talking about financial aid. Okay. The first thing that I would like to share is that students should look at the information about the particular university in a very timely fashion. So truly it should be a year ahead of applying so that they know the offerings from a particular university. Those I'll start with scholarships. So many universities in the United States offer international students merit scholarships. And so merit scholarships are based on a student's academic success. So their GPA and their test scores. And typically those are awarded to a student when they apply. So there isn't a separate application. I also want to share that an international student and any student really shouldn't be paying a fee to apply for these type of scholarships. So if that is the case, they really should be talking to the school because that really isn't something that's not a best practice. Grant aid is typically need-based. So grants are if a student is in financial need and the way to communicate that to the university could be simply by contacting the financial aid office and discussing that with an counselor in the office. I know EducationUSA also has their website can share additional information on scholarship opportunities and it's been a great resource for our students. So loans really should be the last alternative for a student. And the reason is these are repayable and a student really needs to do their research on what is the interest I'm paying. Are they going to charge me a fee when they disperse the funds to me? And understanding typically interest begins to accumulate or accrue when the money is disbursed to a student. So understanding when do they need to start paying those loans back. And international students typically would need a US co-signer for a loan and they would sign a promissory note for the loan once they enter the United States. And another piece of information about a loan would be when the disbursement would occur once a student is registered for classes at the university. So I think there have been, there are lots of questions about whether some loans are available to international students and the answer is yes. Yes, many of them are. And then the other area that a student can look into are government sponsorships from their country. We have many students who come to the US who have sponsorships where the government is assisting them with tuition or their housing expenses. Exactly, exactly. That's very helpful. Excellent. Thank you. Thank you. Now, Ojima, over to you. I know many of our viewers are eager to hear directly from an international student like yourself. So tell us, why did you choose to study in the United States and how did you go about planning for financing your US education? So thank you so much. I was interested in studying in the United States because of the bank of opportunities that the United States offer international students. Before coming to Franklin and Marshall College, I had never heard of the liberal arts system of education when you get to take classes in diverse fields, in multiple fields that interest you. So when I first heard about the liberal arts system of education, I was really interested because I am someone who has diverse interests. I am interested in taking classes in philosophy, psychology. I want to be a computer science and math major. So I was like, how do I fit all of this into my schedule? But then when I heard about the liberal arts system of education, I was like, oh, great, I'll give this a try. So I decided to look at applying to schools in the US. I was still in high school. I was in secondary school in Nigeria. I was still in secondary school at that time. And then I remember in my final year of high school, education USA advisors came to my school and they were talking about studying in the US. And I was really interested. And I was like, OK, I went to get more information from them. And then they talked about the Opportunity Funds program that was aimed, that is aimed at sponsoring students of low income students through the application process. They do not offer scholarship to study in the US. The Opportunity Funds program doesn't offer scholarship to study in the US, but they help students cover the cost of application to the US. So application fees, fees for applying for visa and everything you need to do while applying to schools in the US. And they do not guarantee that you will get a scholarship to study in the US. The decision of financial aid is still on the school. But how I was able to navigate applying for financial aid was because of the Opportunity Funds program. So my wonderful advisors back in Education USA in Abuja helped me look at schools, narrow down my school list, helped me figure out schools that would offer me the best financial aid. And they guided me through the entire process of applying to those schools. So I got a lot of help from my Education USA advisors back in Abuja. Like everything I have achieved so far would have been impossible without them. So for me, I applied for merit-based scholarships and need-based financial aid. I got a need-based financial aid to come to Franklin and Marshall College. But I also got merit-based scholarships to other schools. So it was like a long process. I had to fill out the CSS profile. I had to fill out the international student financial aid application forms. I had to submit lots of proof of finances. So I had to turn in bank statements to the schools and all of those. So it was a really, really long process of filling out lots of forms. But as I said, my advisors at Education USA made sure that I understood what I was doing and I understood the entire process. And they made sure that the entire process of applying for financial aid was smooth for me. Fantastic. That's so great to hear, Ojima. What an inspiring story. And thank you for sharing all of that information about the Opportunity Funds program. I should note that for our viewers listening that the Opportunity Funds program is available in select countries. And so please consult with your Education USA advisors to find out whether or not you can be part or apply for that program. But as Ojima said, it's a program in which students apply and then have their upfront costs for applying to a U.S. university covered with the aim of obtaining a full scholarship to a U.S. university. So thank you so much, Ojima, for sharing that information. We'll come back to you later on in the program because we do want to hear more about your experience in the United States. Sure. Thank you so much. Okay. Now we'll turn over to Jackie. And Jackie, if you could share some additional information with us on financial resources, more financial resources that are available to international students at U.S. financial institutions, excuse me, U.S. institutions, we'd be grateful. Thank you. Sure. So I think Christine did a terrific job of kind of outlining the general spectrum of things that are available to international students in the form of loans and scholarships and grants. And my focus is going to be on what I call God Helps Those Who Help Themselves, which means that there are opportunities for students to embrace their independence and gain some work experience by working while they're students and also working after they've completed their studies. So the first thing I want to talk about is the availability of on-campus employment. So F1 students have the ability from the time they arrive on a college campus to work on that campus. And that work can be directly paid by the institution or it can be at an affiliated program. For example, on our campus we have a subway franchise. So working at subway because it services our M campus students is included in on-campus study. Other campuses might have a research facility that is not right on the main campus but slightly off campus. And because of that affiliation, it is also considered on-campus employment. Many of the students at SUNY Plattsburgh, the international students, are working on campus. They are doing things like working for the food service and the help desk. Thank goodness because I frequently need help from the help desk. And a variety of other places on campus. Only to make some funds not to pay their bill. I think Christine noted that there are two kinds of costs. One are billed costs and the other are those un-billed costs for things like entertainment and transportation. Typically, students cannot use the earnings from on-campus employment to pay for their billed cost. But rather they would use those funds to pay for those other expenses that come up. And it's a great way to gain some independence, to gain some sense of resourcefulness and gain soft skills as an employee. So beyond the financial benefits of working, there are also very important benefits to your future and developing a resume and developing a list of references. The second way that students can work is through what's called curricular practical training. And that is work that is done off campus. Students must have been enrolled for at least one full time year of study. And those are often things like internships that are referred from the Career Development Center or from a faculty member. Things that are specifically and integrally related into the curriculum that you are studying. So CPT is very specific and requires a good deal of communication with the international student advisor and your faculty advisors and teachers. But that is optional. You can actually work off campus but not immediately after one year. And the second form of off campus employment, which is less frequent in my experience, is employment authorization based on severe economic hardship. And that is only available to students who can prove that there is unexpected, unforeseen and unmitigatable financial crisis that they need to address. And that could be a appreciable decline in the currency. It could be unexpected medical bills from home. Somehow the source of funding that they expected is not available or not available at the level that they expected. We've seen this happen with students also who've had natural disasters in their home country and their family resources are depleted. There is an application for that and you have to meet certain criteria in order to be given that kind of eligibility. I can also talk about post graduation employment. You may have heard of something called optional practical training. It is offered to students who have completed a degree level and it is available for up to three years. Students who have a non-STEM, which is science, technology, engineering and mathematics, those students who have not studied in those fields have up to one year of employment opportunity related to their studies once again. It has to be related to their studies. Students in STEM fields can have up to three years of work authorization. And that is a benefit of STEM students. And there are limitations with that as well. You need to work again closely with your advisor, academic advisor and your international student advisor. Once you've done that or even in replacement for that very infrequently, students can be sponsored by a particular employer to get an H1B visa, which allows them to work in the United States initially up to three years and then subsequently for another three years if they get the extension on that H1B visa. So my point being there are opportunities for students to become employed, to pay back maybe some of those loans that they took out if they were able to do that and to provide some great opportunities for experiential learning while you're in school and after you've completed your studies. So there's a lot of information. This is a session unto itself, I believe. But I think there are certain places that students can start to look at those opportunities. I often suggest that students start with their career development center. Our career development center actually has specific resources for international students who are looking for any kind of employment. There are links from our website to things like OPT Nation, which is a web site that is directed for students who are looking for OPT, CPT and other kinds of employment experiences in the United States. You might find these links on your student portal at your college university. I also think that there's a lot of benefit from staying in close contact with your faculty and advisors. They are the ones who are going to get outreach from companies and hospitals if they're looking for employment, either employees, either as short term interns or for a longer term work experience. And I just encourage you to get started early. You can start working with your career development center from the moment you step on campus and I encourage you to do that. Start early and make sure that you are always keeping in touch with all of the factors, all of the people on the college community, whose job it is to help you not only succeed in the classroom, but succeed in achieving your career and personal goals. Thank you, Jackie. That was excellent information, very valuable and very helpful to our student viewers. I do think it's important to highlight, as you did, that when students are considering employment opportunities after graduation in the United States, that they be sure to work closely with their international student offices and career development centers for tips and guidance, as U.S. visa rules and regulations are complex and constantly changing. So it's important that students know what those rules are and that they adhere to them. Okay, so now it's time to take some questions from our online audience. First question. There are several of you, I think, asking if there are scholarships available for master's programs, including medical school and MBA business programs. Is financial assistance available for graduate students? Christine, I'm going to turn that over to you. Sure. Yes, there are scholarships available for graduate students and again, it depends on the university or college in which a student plans to attend. So I would first seek out information from the financial aid office at that location where they're looking. In addition, many universities, including our university, have graduate assistantships where students can work for the university and earn money at the same time while they're in school. Those are very well known in the United States as well. So I would encourage reaching out to the school for additional information. Excellent. Thank you. I should also highlight, Christine mentioned this earlier, but on our EducationUSA website, we do have information about scholarships available for both undergraduates and graduates. So definitely ask your EducationUSA advisor where you can find that information on our website. Okay, so second question. What is the difference between need-based and merit-based scholarships? And I'll turn this back to Christine because I know you addressed this earlier in the program. Thank you. Yes, so the merit-based scholarship is based on a student's academic profile as well as any test scores that they've submitted. And typically we're looking at a student holistically, the information that they share in their personal essay to the universities. So the merit-based is one that will automatically be provided to a student, typically at most universities. And then the need-based is actually for financial purposes where a family simply cannot afford to send a school to a particular university. And so the need-based scholarships, typically they're called grants when they're need-based at most universities. So it's based on a financial need and affordability. Right, that makes sense. Yes. Thank you for that clear answer. Yes, you're welcome. Next question. Should I keep a location in mind if I want to lower the cost of living? Jackie, I'm going to turn that over to you. Great. So I frequently discuss this when I talk about choosing college or university in the United States. I do think that there is a whole spectrum of questions students should ask themselves if affordability is a concern in their choice. So the cost of living, as you know, varies dramatically from one place in the United States to another. And so things like, is it an urban, suburban, or rural environment will impact the cost of attendance? The location, as with regard to where in the United States it might be, there are places on the coast that are quite costly to live in, and there are other places that are perhaps in areas that are less urban or less desirable. I don't know if I would use the word desirable. I think there are a lot of places that people don't realize are wonderful places, but that are not as heavily frequented as others. So location, size of community, type of institution, financial aid available, all of those things impact the cost of attendance and should be part of the student's decision making process. Right. Thank you, Jackie. And as you say, each student may have a different desirable location depending on what they're looking for in terms of their budget and what they're looking for in terms of program from an institution. Okay, so Ojiima, a question for you. Do you have any tips on what students should budget for while studying in the United States? Things that maybe you didn't think about before you came? Yes. So before coming here, I only thought that every expense, my expenses was we're going to rotate around school, but I had some miscellaneous expenses when I came to the U.S. So I would advise you budget some money for things like bed sheets, like pillows and all of those things, things that you cannot take from your country into the U.S. because we have weight limits when you're carrying your bag. So I would advise that you budget for things for your dorm room, like everything you need to buy in your dorm room when you come to the U.S. should be included in your budgets before you come to the U.S. And then I would say if you need to go out with your friends or if you just need to go out, hang out somewhere, you should also always include all of those kinds of costs in your budget. And for budgeting, I would advise that you actually create a realistic budget and stick with it because if you do not create a budget, I think you're generally going to struggle with keeping up with your finances because you will not be able to account for where you spend your money or how you spend your money. So I would advise that you keep a realistic budget and think about things that are important and prioritize things that you need, things for your dorm room should be high priority compared to going out or hanging out with things for entertainment. So I would suggest that you prioritize things that like are related to maybe schoolwork and maybe textbooks. Yeah, you could think about budgeting for textbooks if it is not included in the cost of attendance for the school. And then all of those things, textbooks, things for your dorm room are all should be priority for you. That's what I think. Great. Thank you, Ojima. And just a follow up question. How did you get some of that information before you came to the United States? Were you working with your EducationUSA advisor or maybe working with the institution to find out how much textbooks was cost or what the cost of living would be or what some of those other costs would be that you need to factor into your budget? So I was working closely with my EducationUSA advisors before coming to the U.S. and I was trying to get like experience and personal perspective on managing costs while in college. So I remember my advisors sharing tips about things we might not expect but we might find in the U.S. that we might spend money on, like most of the things I listed before. So I and then my international student services office here at Franklin and Marshall College sends out information regarding textbooks and like things that were not factored into the cost of attendance and like things that were or things that were factored into miscellaneous expenses. So I think a combination of my wonderful advisors at EducationUSA and my advisors at the international student services really helped me get an idea of what to expect when I came to the U.S. in terms of spending and finances. Fantastic. Thank you. Thank you. So now a question about visas. The question is do I apply for a student visa before I apply to college or after I am admitted? I'm going to ask Christine to answer this and maybe share a little bit of the perspective from a U.S. institution and what your role is in the student visa process. Yes, thank you. Absolutely a student should wait to apply until after they're admitted. We have designated school officials at our university who work with students very closely on the requirements and how to prepare for their visa appointment as well. Excellent. Excellent. And then once that admission is obtained we do encourage students to set up that visa appointment as soon as possible with the consulate or embassy that is closest to them. So next question. What are the cost differences between public, private and community colleges? Jackie, can you give us a general sense of those differences? Sure. So the sectors, there's some overlap. There's no direct distinction between cost at one over the other. We went back to sticker price, something that Christine mentioned. And when you look at the sticker prices of various categories of institutions, public community colleges tend to be the least expensive of the options, although some do and some do not have housing. So where it's located, back to location, can make a big difference in cost. The most expensive schools because they're not getting support from the federal, I'm sorry, not from state sources, those would be private institutions. But they often offer very generous financial aid packages to students who are qualified for those. Public four-year institutions or master's degree institutions tend to be the middle ground and they vary quite a lot in cost. They tend to be less expensive than private for sticker price, but they also tend to offer less in the way of merit, not merit necessarily, but need-based financial aid. So it's really important to look at the net price when making a decision about what institution fits a family's financial resources. Community colleges are a very good option. They tend to be very affordable, as well as public and private schools, depending on what type of awards they are given to a particular student. Great. Thank you, Jackie. Next question, how important are my SAT and ACT scores in getting a scholarship? I'm going to ask Christine to answer that one. Sure. So these also vary by institution. So at our university, we have not required ACT or SAT scores for a student to earn a scholarship. However, the students should check with their university, their institution, to determine if they need them number one and then what is the required test score. Sometimes they will be tiered scholarship opportunities depending upon the test score. They will receive a different amount in the scholarship funds. Right. So important to check with your institution on that. Next question, which should I do first? Apply for a scholarship or choose a college? Jackie, would you like to answer that one? Yes, I would. So if you're talking about institutional scholarships, of course, the application must come first. Many colleges and universities will post general, if not specific, information about their awards for international students on their website. So you should check those out. And if it's clear that they offer huge packages, that might encourage you to apply. But no scholarships are awarded prior to the submission of an application. Having said that, there are other scholarships, as Christine noted, things like local scholarships or organizational scholarships that are available outside the realm of a particular college or university. And I encourage looking into those when you are starting to think about studying abroad. It's a concurrent process. But institutional gift date or scholarships from a particular college or university will only be considered after you applied for admission. That makes sense. Thank you. And Jackie, I'm going to direct the next question to you, too. It's about a student is asking, can my wife and children come with me if I do study in the US? And I'm wondering if you have some students that have their families with them at your institution? We do, but very few. We are primarily a public undergraduate institution. But yes, I know that students who are on F1 visas can bring dependents. There is extra cost associated with that that is plugged into the cost of attendance. And those students, those family members would become F2 dependents on the visa. They would have their visa status attached to that of the student who's attending the College of University. But you must also be able to show financial support for for your dependents in order for them to get a visa. Right, right. Thank you. So probably more common for graduate students than undergraduate students, but definitely something that is possible. But there are additional procedures to follow through with. Great. So next question. What is the difference between in-state and out-of-state tuition? Christine. Sure. So typically, we'll talk about a private institution first. Typically, private institutions do not charge in-state versus out-of-state tuition. There is one set price for the majority of private institutions, and that's what a student will pay. The public universities, however, tend to charge in-state or out-of-state tuition to students. Primarily, international students will be paying an out-of-state tuition fee. The in-state is for students who are residing in that particular state. So for most international students, they don't live in that particular state, and therefore they would be charged the out-of-state tuition fee. Again, this can vary from institution to institution, so I would encourage students to reach out to those institutions they're interested in studying. Yes, and I do know that in some regions there are institutions that offer in-state tuition for international students. So again, as Christine said, please work with your EducationUSA advisor to see if there's any of those types of opportunities available for international students. OK, thank you for all your great questions. We've got another one from Albert from Indonesia who would like to know if there is an age limit to applying for scholarships for graduate programs, such as the PhD program or PhD programs in US universities. Jackie, is there an age limit? Well, not that I'm aware of. We try not to do such things. And PhD is not being my area of expertise. I think that perhaps Christine from the University of Dayton might have more experience with PhD students. But my understanding is that it would be very unlikely that there would be any age limit to any kind of admission decision or financial aid decision. Yes, Jackie, that's actually 100 percent accurate. We encourage all ages to attend the University of Dayton and all institutions would follow that same practice. Excellent, great. And so I do think that if you are attending certainly a graduate level program, you'll have a diversity of students not only from around the world, but from different backgrounds and different ages and so forth. So definitely something to look forward to and give a try even if you're not the typical student age. Okay, so question for Ojima from a student in the Gambia. So what are options for an international student that only has enough funds to pay their tuition, I guess, versus some of the other costs and fees? So what did you do to help pay for housing, books, and meals, et cetera? For example, did you ask friends or do students that you know ask friends or relatives to large them or house them? And what are some of the things that you did in your experience? Okay, in my own experience, I got a financial aid that covered everything. It covered my tuition, room and board. And so I didn't have to pay for meals or housing. But I know a couple of students who had to pay for who had financial aid but that didn't cover meals or housing. And I think what they did was they reached out to family members before living their various countries and they were able to get some support from family members, from community members. So I think there's like always like lots of opportunities to ask other, like ask, reach out to people, ask for help. Or you could just, I know some other people who discussed this with the school and tried to negotiate their financial aid packages. And they told the school, we're really interested, but with this, we cannot like attend, fully attend the school. So I know most students who got loans from their schools. So there is always like a way for the school to walk around getting you the financial aid package that would enable you to attend. So I think in my case, I didn't have to pay for anything. But people that I know that did got loans from the school or they got help from family members or friends. Great. Great. Thank you. Those are really good tips. Thanks, Ojiwara. I just want to congratulate you again on your scholarship. It's just, it's really exciting for you to have to receive that package for your attendance in Franklin Marshall. Congratulations. Thank you so much. So next question I want to ask all of our panelists. And what is it, the question is, what does it mean to apply early decision? And what happens if I miss the deadline to apply? We'll start with you, Christine. So there, again, institutions vary on early decision deadlines and if they have a rolling admission process. So I would encourage students again, the earlier you apply, the better because there's more scholarship funds available. That's a reality. Typically that deadline can be November 1. It can be February 1. And it can be, there can be another deadline that is May 1. However, that's also changing in the U.S. this year in particular. So number one, I encourage early application, early discussions with the financial aid officers and also your family members because the earlier you apply, the earlier you get a decision, the earlier you're going to receive the financial aid package and understand what you need to do next to make up the gap if there is one in what you owe the university for attendance. Right. And just before we move on to Jackie, if you could just explain the difference between early decision and rolling admissions. So early decision, many universities will have a deadline where they're going to, all students need to apply by date. And after that, they may not accept applications. Many institutions also now are continuing and encouraging applications to come into the students as late as possible. However, they would still need to get into the country. So that's always as part of the decision as well. So there is no set deadline. And in many institutions are really trying to accommodate students living internationally because their schools are ending at different times than students in the United States. That's right. Thank you. So Jackie, do you have anything to add on that question about early decision and what happens if students miss that deadline to apply? So early decision, in addition to what Christine said, is also a commitment on the student's part. So by and large, students would apply to only one institution, early decision. And that application deadline is usually quite early, much earlier than the regular decision deadline. And if the student is accepted by that institution, early decision, they are ethically obligated to take that admission decision and move ahead with enrolling at that institution and withdrawing from all other institutions to which they've applied. So it is, if there's only one institution that the student really wants to go to, then early decision can be a good process. I, myself, as a parent and as a longtime editor, I often think that students are making a decision perhaps a little too early in the process without getting a full picture of what else is out there and what other kinds of opportunities and awards might be given to them by other institutions. So early decision, only school you want to go to, regardless of the outcomes of others, and you have to make an ethical choice to that's the only school you will go to and withdraw all your other applications. And then, Jackie, just a follow-up question is that, so if you missed that deadline for early admission, you still, depending on the institution and the specific deadlines, you would still have a chance to apply to some other institutions, correct, in general? Of course. So early decision is only one option. Even the student, the institutions that offer early decision, they will have perhaps several different versions of early decision, so there are several different deadlines. Of course, they also have their regular admission deadlines, which are months, maybe more than one month later than those early decision. So institutions have a variety of deadlines, and if you miss one, then there's usually another that is upcoming, and then, as Christine mentioned, there are lots of schools that use rolling admission, which there is no absolute deadline. Students are accepted or denied based on a standard, not against each other. They're not compared to each other, but they're compared to a standard, and at that point, they could be admitted in December, just like early decision students, if they apply early, or they could be admitted in April, if they're applying a little bit later, and the school still has space. So there are a variety of methodologies in the timeline. Right, and usually for rolling admissions, you find out quite soon after you apply, correct? Usually, I mean, I can only speak from my own institution, but once a student's application is complete, it's usually a week or two before they would hear. Right. Excuse me, I'm sorry. Oh, bless you. So all good information when students are planning for their financing, but also applying for institutions. So moving on to our next question, we have a question from Judith from Nigeria, who is interested in learning more about graduate assistantships. Can you explain, Judith says, what a graduate assistantship is, and how is an assistantship different from a scholarship? And, Jackie, I know you mentioned that early in the program. Could you tell us a little bit more about assistantships? Sure. Well, graduate assistantships are usually a pretty generous offer to a student from an institution. They typically require some sort of service and response. So some of graduate assistantships might be research assistantships. So when you accept this graduate assistantship, because you've been accepted to the institution, and they've included this as part of your financial aid package, you would be required to work on research in the duration of your studies. Some students might be required to teach a class or more than one class. Other students might be working as a graduate assistant in the residence halls. So it's all based on the kind of work that the students doing and the kind of needs that the institution have. But in return for the gift aid, or for the aid, you are required to do a service for that institution. Thank you. Christine, would you like to add anything to that? Yes, so the graduate assistants at the University of Dayton, as Jackie said, they really, it's an elevated role at the university. They actually work side by side with our faculty and staff on research, on work within our offices, and they work closely with our undergraduate students and graduate students on different opportunities. Many of our department's request students apply for the graduate assistantships to ensure that there is a good fit between what the student would like to do and the actual role itself. Okay, great. So very different from a scholarship in that sense. Yes, yes. Right. Okay. So here's a question for Christine. We have Christina from Brazil who is asking, what are the most commonly used financial aid forms? She mentions a couple of them in her question. CSS, ISFAA, et cetera. Can you enlighten us on this floor? So I know at our institution, we would typically see from the College Board the CSS form more than any others. Right. We also communicate because we're a smaller institution. We really do work one-on-one with our students where we're not requiring necessarily a form and learning more about where their need is. So for our institution, it would be the CSS form. Right. We do also get many questions from our international students on may I fill out the FAFSA? So I just want to clarify a little bit about the FAFSA form is for students. So students who do not reside in the United States would not be eligible to fill out the FAFSA. It's a federal form. But however, that's where we shared all the other opportunities that are available for students beyond the federal aid. Great. Okay. And Jackie, is that also the case at SUNY Plasberg? Yes. We actually do use our own version of the CSS profile. And the only thing I would say is we do have international domestic students living abroad. And they're kind of a hybrid population. So they have a U.S. citizen of permanent residency. But they are living in another country and maybe have done so for the majority of their lives. Those students, we do encourage to complete the FAFSA because they would be eligible for federal and state, not state, but federal financially. Right. Great. Thank you. Next question is about English proficiency tests. And Muah from Cameroon would like to know if she needs to take an English proficiency test, if she has taken all of her studies in English from primary school to secondary school. Jackie, what do you think? Well, that is an institutional decision. At our institution, we say that every student, regardless of where they come from, if they come from downstate New York, California or Cameroon, they must submit some standardized test of English proficiency. So for an American student, a student who's living and going to school in the United States, that's typically the SAT or ACT. A student from Cameroon, where the local language is not English, where the language typically spoken in the home is not English, we would encourage the student to take the IELTS or the TOEFL exam. And there are many other versions of this. We accept many different kinds of standardized results. I would think that that's probably true of many of my colleagues in other institutions, that if the local language is not English and you don't have another standardized measure, for example, if you're in the international baccalaureate curriculum, that's a standardized measure for us. So if you're taking English in that curriculum, then we would accept that as a measure of your English proficiency. But there are 4,000 institutions in the United States and there are no generalities beyond the obvious with regard to English proficiency exams. Right, exactly. So something else that students need to factor in when they're looking at their budgets for applying. Christine, that's the same at your institution as well. So at the University of Dayton and several institutions, we have an intensive English program. And so how it works at the university and other institutions may be if they take the TOEFL or the IELTS, we have a threshold where a student would be admitted directly into their program. And if they are under the threshold, then we would provide them with English language support and we call this conditional admission, where they begin in the English language program and then move on to their academic program. We have actually, we do allow students to come to the university and test at the university to determine which level of English they would be in starting. So that's definitely a benefit that we have. And so it just depends again on the institution and the offerings. Excellent, great. So that's good to know about. That's another option for students looking at sort of increasing and bolstering their English language skills before coming to study in the United States. Again, look at one of the programs that Christine just mentioned. Okay, so another question from Fitsum in Ethiopia. What other sources of funding should students look for other than at the school they are accepted to? Good question. Jackie, what would you say to a student asking you that question coming to your institution? I wish I had the secret answer that everybody looks for. Sadly, I do not. So the majority of funding for students studying the United States at the undergraduate level in particular comes from family resources. That's just a fact. There are other resources. Some governments will offer loans or scholarships. Some private organizations offer loans and scholarships. There are a couple of websites, fastweb.com. I think is one that can provide some insights into this study in the States, Education USA. They have great resources on their websites for other kinds of organizations and government supports that are available to students. But most of the monies that students get come from the institutions they're attending and from their own familial resources or other personal resources. Right, right. Christine, are you finding that that's the case as well? It is the case, I concur. Yes, right. Great. Okay, great. So next question from Rachelle in Namibia. Rachelle asked, please speak a little bit about diversity on campuses and scholarships, especially for African students. Christine, I'll start with you on this one. I don't know if Dayton has any specific scholarships for different regions around the world, students from different regions around the world. Or if there's, what sort of diversity, when you think about scholarships, and you think about diversity, how are those two linked? So we absolutely encourage diversity on our campus. We have students represented from over 60 countries, and we're proud of that, and we want to continue that. And we do have students from Africa on our campus. We do not differentiate between the international scholarships that we offer. We really, those are across the board, depending upon a student's need or their academic success in the past is how we would provide scholarships to students. Right. And Jackie, do you have any specific information for African students looking for scholarships? Sounds like University of Dayton and SUNY Plattsburg have a very similar process. So we award scholarships based on not necessarily where a student is from, but their academic achievement and their documented need. We do not specifically offer scholarships to African students, but by and large they do qualify for our need-based aid programs. Great, thank you. So our last question is going to be for Ojima. Ojima, you're a freshman at U.S. Higher Education Institution. And as I mentioned in the beginning of the program, we do want to hear from you about how your experience has been so far and if it was what you expected before you came to the United States. So for me, I'll say that I wasn't that shocked because I got a lot of help, like a lot of training and a lot of prepping for my education, U.S. advisors, but I also had to experience some things in person. But like I would say so far, my experience in the U.S. has been really good. I really, really like my school. I think I'm getting lots of support from my international student services and I think I'm getting lots of support from my professors. So for me, it's quite different because where I come from, it's not always common to go to office hours. I don't know what, I didn't know what office hours were before going to school in the U.S. I didn't know that, like you can go to your professor's office and ask them for help personally. I always saw professors as busy people, like they're always busy. But when I came to Franklin and Marshall College, all of my professors reached out to me even before classes started, like they emailed me. They tried to, they set up an appointment with me one-on-one. I met with my professors. I got to know my professors and then they encouraged me to always come to office hours. And I think that is like helping me do well in class because if I'm not doing well, I know my professors really care that I'm not doing well and they reach out to me and ask me, so like I'm always like, I'm always like challenged to do well in class and like to keep up with the material. And I feel like I am really learning a lot because the liberal arts system of education for me is really eye-opening. It has opened my mind to various fields and now I think I can see life from like a broader perspective now, all thanks to my first semester in the U.S. And I look forward to having a great time here in the U.S. and here at Franklin and Marshall College. Fantastic. That's so great to hear. Orjima, thanks for sharing your story. It's so inspiring. And we're great to hear that things are going well. Yeah, thank you so much. So unfortunately, we are almost out of time. So in closing, I would like to ask each of our guests to share just one last piece of advice for our student viewers about financing a U.S. education. So Christine, let's start with you. If you had one piece of advice to pass on to students, what would it be? So I've said this earlier and that would be to do your research early in the process. Even two years prior to attending a U.S. university, find out the options available to you. Understand what the billing is going to look like once you get to the U.S. and also understand your financial situation. Great. Thank you. So get started early. Know your situation. Jackie? I would say as soon as you get to campus, find your Career Development Center so that they can help you find employment on campus if that's something you wish, but also start preparing you to earn a living on your own when you're done with your studies. So start early and stay persistent. Excellent. And Ojima, what would be one piece of advice you'd give to your student peers? I would say always ask for help when you need one and always ask and cross-check with your advisors if you don't know anything, because if you don't ask for help, you will never get help. So I would say always and always ask for help. Fantastic. Fantastic. Thank you so much. So that brings us to the end of our program today. I'd like to thank our guests again, Christine, Jackie, and Ojima for taking the time to be with us and for sharing their insights and expertise. I also want to thank all of you out there for watching and participating. We hope that you found this useful. And finally, I want to give a special shout-out to all of our viewing groups tuning in from around the world, and especially those at US Embassy Brazzaville, Republic of Congo, US Embassy Maputo, Mozambique, American Cultural Center, Winhok Namibia, American Corner, Walvis Bay Namibia, Martin Luther King Jr. American Corner, Ongodiva Namibia, American Corner, Kamenge Burundi, American Center, Bujambura Burundi, American Corner, the Gambia, American Center, Bamako Mali, America Center in Trinidad and Tobago, Ibuche in Fortaleza, Brazil, Education USA, Guatemala, CCPA Bionational Center in Asuncion, Paraguay. Thank you all so much. To find out more about studying in the United States, please visit the Education USA website that we've mentioned several times at www.educationusa.state.gov. Some of the resources there include an overview of our five steps to U.S. study, as well as information about how to locate the nearest Education USA Center in your home country, how to connect with us via social media, how to learn about upcoming events, research scholarships and financial opportunities, and much, much more. Be sure to join us here again for future Education USA interactive web chats. This is Brooks Bellman, wishing you every success in finding your best fit for study in the United States. Thank you.