Financial options limited for international students

Boston University student Nicole Thompson said she had a difficult time refraining from greeting people with a kiss on each cheek when she came to the United States this year, but for most international students, cultural idiosyncrasies are the least of their worries on campus.

BU enrolled 1,035 undergraduate international students from more than 100 different countries in 2007, according to the International Students and Scholars Office website. However, these students are ineligible for government-backed financial aid, and must pay nearly $50,000 in tuition and expenses for a year in Boston.

Peisin Yang, a College of Communication freshman from Nicaragua, said while applying for her $200 student visa, the consulate had to look at her family's income before approving her request.

"That's how it gets filtered out, how people get approved for a visa," she said. "That's why most international students are from significantly higher class backgrounds. They have to be able to afford full tuition, plane tickets all the time, credit cards, phone bills over here."

While some scholarships are available, not as many are made available to international students, Yang said.

"A lot of money given to students requires you to be an American citizen, so you're not open to a lot of scholarships," she said. "I haven't met [any international student] who isn't paying for their full tuition."

International students also cannot get jobs during their first year in the United States because of the way student visas work, Yang said. When they can work, it has to be through a work study, for which Yang said she did not quality.

College of Arts and Sciences freshman Bernardo Vargas, from Mexico, said getting a cell phone was "a big problem" on a practical level.

"You have to give a social security number, and I don't have one," he said. "I had to leave a $500 deposit."

Vargas said that, as an international student, there are a lot of "surprise charges" and no room for mistakes.

"I had to go back for Thanksgiving," he said. "I didn't know I couldn't stay here, I had to get last minute tickets. They were twice as expensive."

International Students and Scholars Office Director Jeanne Kelley said there are scholarship opportunities to help with financial issues.

"There are some opportunities for scholarships, but they have to be private awards," she said. "We would typically suggest they work with the Office of Financial Affairs to find out what some of those awards may be."

As for dealing with travel expenses and finding a place to stay during breaks, Kelley said the school offers alternative housing, such as hotels, and many students stay with friends.

"They're not required to return to their home country," she said. "They're certainly encouraged to find the combinations that work best for them."

In terms of helping students adjust, Kelley said ISSO offers workshops, counseling appointments, separate academic advisors and email correspondence.

Thompson, a CAS freshman from Ecuador, said she found a lot of the material from ISSO workshops "antiquated."

"There was one on how to adjust to the United States, and the bullets that they covered were like 'how to act in a party,'" she said.

"Living here, it gets to be very different; you're exposed to so much more of the culture," Thompson said.

"I was surprised it was such a culture shock," she said. "I don't think there are any ways for BU to prepare you for a culture shock."