Can international students apply for financial aid at U.S. colleges?

Yes. International students can apply for financial aid at many U.S. colleges, but the rules vary a lot by school, and funding is usually much more limited than it is for U.S. citizens and permanent residents. Some colleges offer need-based aid to international applicants, some offer only merit scholarships, and some offer no aid at all to students who are not U.S. citizens.

The biggest thing to know is that many U.S. colleges are need-aware for international applicants, which means your need for aid can affect your admission chances.

You should also separate federal financial aid from college-funded aid. International students generally cannot receive U.S. federal aid like Pell Grants or federal student loans, so most support, if available, comes directly from the college or from outside scholarships.

In practice, check each school for three things: whether international students are eligible for need-based aid, whether merit scholarships are open to international students, and whether applying for aid changes admissions review.