Few options for international student aid

As Tufts accepts an increasingly diverse international student body, a rising number of students are having problems staying all four years. Changes in their financial situation can be a serious problem for international students, especially with the small amount of financial aid available.

But the University hopes that it can expand its aid offerings so that a higher proportion of international students who enter Tufts leave with a degree. Eighty-six percent of Tufts' international students graduate, which is high compared with the national average (55 percent), but trails the University's overall graduation rate of 96 percent.

All foreign students who attend an American university must show that they can afford to do so before the United States will issue them with a visa. But some students who are initially able to pay for their education may face a different financial situation later in their college careers. Individual reasons for the changes vary, but the most common causes include shifting national economies and natural disasters.

The International Center identified Turkey and Argentina as countries whose economic woes have affected Tufts students.

When the Turkish lira drastically declined against the dollar in the past year, Tufts junior Alper Tonguc experienced this financial change firsthand. The economic shifts in his native country made Tufts significantly more expensive for Tonguc than in previous years.

Despite the increased financial burden, Tonguc said he will stay at Tufts to graduate. The Office of Financial Aid has given him work-study benefits and he is considering working in the US over the summer to help with tuition.

Tufts' policy is to not provide any assistance to international students for the first two years of their education. "Once they enroll, there's not a lot we can do in the first four semesters," Director of the International Center Jane Etish-Andrews said. When international students encounter financial problems during their first two years at Tufts, the International Center discusses non-aid solutions. Options include applying for a position as a Residential Adviser (RA), which eliminates the housing cost, taking out loans, or transferring to another school.

Most families try to keep students at Tufts. "The kind of student who is coming to Tufts typically is going to try to avoid transferring at all possible," Andrews said. "They did not come to America to receive a degree from UMass or another public school."

Once students reach their junior year, the University considers providing the student with aid. "At this point, a student has made significant progress on their degree, and we try to do whatever we can to have them stay here," Andrews said.

The University has a limited number of tuition grants for international upperclassmen; these are typically valued between $5,000 to $10,000 a year. The University can also provide work-study to international students, who cannot work off-campus without applying for a work permit.

Another option for needy students is the Chapman Emergency Loan Fund. The Fund, started in the early 1990s by members of the International Club, is available to International Students who need help to pay for their education. A student can withdraw up to $4,000 per year, for as many years as they need.

The fund has growth through annual fundraising efforts, and now exceeds $50,000. The fund is managed by an independent third party which is responsible for collecting repayment of the loan.

International students make up 12 percent of a typical incoming freshmen class. Two-thirds of the students are foreign citizens; the remaining third are Americans who live abroad.

As well as tuition, foreign students must finance additional transportation and room and board expenses because of greater travel and longer stays on campus. These extra expenses push the average cost of Tufts attendance to over $42,000.

Although Tufts does offer some financial aid to about 30 international students from the time they enter Tufts, International students do not qualify for Federal work study or Pell Grants, which comprise a large percentage of most aid packages to US residents. Students typically cannot receive loans in the US unless a permanent resident or a US citizen can co-sign on the loan.

Loans can also be very difficult to obtain in many other countries, where banking systems may be underdeveloped or instable.

The International Board of Overseers _ including trustees _ is making an effort to improve money offered to international students through a new capital campaign. Plans for the campaign are still underway, but it will include sending mailings to current and former international students and previous donors.

But donations come with their own strings, and many are finding that international financial aid is not a major fundraiser. "The problem with attracting more money for aid is that people don't want to give financial aid money," Andrews said. "They want buildings named after them, they want funded professorships."