Do American Abroads count as International students?

Answered

Hi @billJZ,

If you are a US Citizen, legal resident or green card holder living outside of the US and applying to US Colleges, you are NOT considered an International Student. You will have to complete your application accordingly as a viable member of America. To get a US Passport you have to be a US Citizen or be a qualifying US National. So you if you have a US Passport you are not an International Student.

Taken from UC Berkeley website:

International students are defined as "non-immigrant" visitors who come to the United States temporarily to take classes or take online courses virtually from anywhere in the world. A non-immigrant is someone who meets one or more of the following criteria: intends to stay in the US temporarily.

What is USC's definition of an international student?

USC defines an international student as anyone who is not a citizen or permanent resident of the United States. American citizens who reside in other countries and attend foreign schools are not considered international students.

Some colleges may not adhere to these definitions or the US Govt. Definition so you will have to contact each school or look up on each individual school website to see if they have any "broader definitions" that work in your favor or some appeal process.

Hope that clarifies things and good luck.

(I'm just curious what advantage being an International Student would have for anyone? First of all the admit rates are lower. Secondly, you can't qualify for any US Federal or US State grants through FAFSA such as Pell Grants. Third, Int'l students have major difficulty getting financial aid and scholarships. Fourth, tuition at almost every state college is higher for International students. And fifth, many schools make Int'l students take more tests like TOEFL, IELTS, and duoLingo.)