Shaking the money tree - making the most of financial resources for international students. Presented at NAFSA Region XII

1. SHAKING THE MONEY
TREE: MAKING THE
MOST OF FINANCIAL
RESOURCES FOR
INTERNATIONAL
STUDENTS
NAFSA Region XII – San Diego, California

2. Presenters

Raeann Nunez, M. Ed.
Coordinator Student Services
Gateway Community College

Keith Clausen
President
Envisage International

3. Agenda


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
Case Study
Current Funding Climate
Budgeting Appropriately
On Campus Assistance
External Aid
Interactive Forum

4. Case Study Instructions

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
Each group gets a case study to analyze and
discuss with fellow group members.
As a group, discuss the issues and how you
would address the problem.
Each group will give an overview of the case
study along with the approach your group
would take.

5. Case Study 1

Pallavi Patel is a student from Ahmedabad,
India. She is planning to attend Midwest
Technical University in Fall of 2014. She has
already been accepted as an F-1 student and
has received her I-20 from the school. What
school- related expenses does Pallavi need to
budget for between now and the first day of
school in August?

6. Case Study 2

An international student from Saudi Arabia
comes to your office saying that he doesn’t
have enough money to cover his books and
other classroom supplies. You remember
speaking to him two weeks prior and he had
purchased a new BMW. How do you guide this
student and get him back on the road to
financial success?

7. Case Study 3

Flavia Vilela, a volleyball player from Brazil and a
recipient of a full-ride athletic scholarship, just
suffered her second torn ACL within less than a
year. Her second surgery is scheduled
for tomorrow. Flavia still has an outstanding
balance from her first surgery for $5,000 which
her insurance won’t cover. Flavia comes from a
poor family and does not have the money to pay
for her outstanding bills.

What help/advice can you give this student to help
her with her outstanding bills and preventing them
from being rolled over to collections?

8. Primary Sources of Funding
2011-2012
Personal and Family Funds (63%)
U.S. College or University (23%)
Home Government/University (6%)
Current Employment (5%)
U.S. Government (1%)
U.S. Private Sponsor (1%)
Foreign Private Sponsor (1%)
Other Sources (1%)
International Organization (0%)
Open Doors Report 2012

9. Tuition On The Rise
BLS: Tuition increases outpace all other areas

10. Choosing a School
Critical decision point for every student
Be realistic about budget and goals
Factors:
Rural v. Urban
 Public v. Private
 Community College v. Four-Year Institution


11. Budgets: I-20 Costs
UNDERGRADUATE 2013-14
Standard (Non-resident tuition rate)
Tuition
$26,248
Living Expenses
$13,920
Insurance
$1,432
Total
$41,600



How do you evaluate the cost of living for the I-20?
Is a complete summary of costs outlined to prospective students?
Weighing recruitment versus advising
Transparency on costs is key.

12. Budgeting – Be Complete
 Educational
costs (tuition &
fees, registration, orientation, books, supplies, etc
.)
 Room & board
 Health insurance
 Transportation
 Other necessities
 Personal spending money

www.internationalstudentloan.com/resources/how-to-budget-for-school.php

www.nafsa.org/_/File/_/appendix_e.xls

13. Pre-Arrival and Early Arrival!
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Airfare / transportation
Potential interviews
Visa / SEVIS fees
Deposits (housing, apartment, etc.)
Getting settled (purchasing items
such as bedding, pillows, etc.)
Lodging & food
Athletes/others arrival before semester begins
 Cafeteria
& meals
 Dormitories
 Transportation

14. Post-Arrival: Orientation


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Remind students of all costs and expenses.
Inform students of all payment deadlines
Talk to students about payment options and/or payment
plans
Offer budgeting workshops
Warn students about possible budget risk factors
Inform students where to go for help

15. Budget Risk Factors
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Exchange rate fluctuations
Interruption of funds (life changing event, political
factors, natural disasters, etc. )
Inability to stick to a budget
Withdrawal of funds from sponsor
Loss of scholarship
Unexpected costs (injuries & accidents, illness, sudden
need to go home, etc.)

16. Post Arrival: Additional Resources

Clothing


Furniture

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Churches, community lunches/dinners, volunteer work, food
drives, friendship families and/or host families
Supplies


Garage sales, donations, Recycle, second hand stores, thrift
stores, friendship families and/or host families, international student
associations (i.e. ASU Taiwanese Student Association – TSA)
https://m.facebook.com/groups/102111379833953
Food


Coat sales, shoe drives, thrift stores, second hand stores, garage
sales, donations, seasonal sales, friendship and/or host families
Faculty and staff, classrooms, classmates, bookstores, libraries
Bicycles & other gear

Campus co-op, student activities office, second hand stores,
stores, donations, garage sales
thrift

17. Student Employment
Let your students know of the employment possibilities
such as:

On campus student jobs/ work study positions



Curricular Practical Training (CPT)



Separate from federal work study program/FAFSA
20 hours/week
Full-time
Part-time
Optional Practical Training (OPT)

One year of work

18. Student Employment at GWCC

Student employment – annual budget line $23,000 -$26,000

Restricted to international F-1 students

Employs 3-5 students per Fall & Spring Semesters for10 – 20
hours, & 1-3 students for summer semester 20 – 40 hours.

Provides supplemental income

Assist in the acculturation process

Exposes student to additional resources on campus


Student leadership opportunities


Scholarships
Outreach events
Increases F-1 student retention

19. Student Employment at GWCC

International Student Peer Mentor Program

Significant component of student employment program

Supports International Student Club

Promotes student engagement in extracurricular activates on campus

Promotes student success

20. Student Employment at GWCC

International Student Peer Mentor Program

Supports student leadership development

Supports international student services

Promotes international student visibility on campus
Peer Mentors
Student Commencement Speaker, May
2013

21. Student Employment at GWCC

Who Benefits – Stakeholders

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International Students Employees Strengths
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Students Workers (F-1)
College
Community
Value the opportunity to earn income & gain work experience
Strong work ethics
Multi lingual & multi cultural, valuable skills needed to provide
services to a diverse student population
Supports Internationalization of Campus

Their input/voices are heard
Student Employee of the Year
2012-2013
For Excellence Job
Performance

22. On Campus Financial Aid:
Scholarships, Grants & Fellowships

Notify and explain to students the scholarship
qualifications/deadlines
 How



should they apply?
Are there any grants available?
Are there possible sponsors?
What fellowships can students apply for?

23. Scholarships & State Laws
Challenges in Meeting Eligibility Requirements
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Arizona Immigration Law Facts
HB2008 (See generally Arizona Revised Statutes §§1-501 and 1-502)
Under this law passed in 2009, MCCCD, in administering any "federal public benefit" or "state or
local public benefit," must require each natural person who applies for the benefit to submit one of
12 specific types of documents to demonstrate lawful presence in the United States (see
Acceptable Documents to Establish Lawful Presence). That person must also sign a sworn
affidavit stating that the documents are true. Failure of an MCCCD employee who administers
that MCCCD benefit to report "discovered violations of federal immigration law" is a class 2
misdemeanor. The employee's supervisor is also guilty of a class 2 misdemeanor if he or she
knew of the failure to report, and failed to direct the employee to do so.
Only those with a lawful presence in the U.S. may qualify for MCCCD scholarships or
federal financial aid. Any information you provide about your legal status when you apply
for financial aid or scholarships may be subject to mandatory reporting to federal
immigration authorities under Arizona law. This does not apply to applications for the
private scholarship funds held in and distributed by the Maricopa Community Colleges
Foundation.
SB1070
Proposition 300 (Citizenship/Legal Status )
Residency and Citizenship Information, Maricopa Community College, 2013, http://www.maricopa.edu/residency/

24. Who Can You Turn To: Institutional Support

Alumni Association(s)

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International Clubs
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Involvement on campus can include mobilizing clubs to
raise funds for scholarships.
Student Organizations

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Can your alumni associations help you develop a
scholarship fund?
Many schools have international organizations (like a
Chinese student association) – can they help?
Non-Profit Organizations
Religious Groups
Immigration Community

25. Connecting With Students
How do you get the message out for
scholarships, workshops, drives, etc.?
 Social
media
 Listserves
 Website
 Other (boards, office)

26. External “Free” Money
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Scholarships
Grants
Fellowships
Assistantships

27. External Resources for International
Students
IEFA.org
FundingUSStudy.org

28. Additional Scholarship Resources
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InternationalScholarships.com
AbroadPlanet.com
Edu.fastweb.com
Bigfuture.collegeboard.org
Other scholarship resources?
Does anyone track successful
scholarship applicants?

29. Bridge the Gap:
International Student Loans
• Stafford Loan
• Perkins Loan
• PLUS Loan
Which of these are available to an
international student?

30. Bridge the Gap:
International Student Loans
Private International Student Loans
• Same as US students
• Online application
• Reasonable interest rates
• Repayment and deferral options
• US co-signer required!

31. Compare Lenders for International
Students

32. Interactive Forum

What award programs do you offer
international students at your school and how
do they work?

33. Interactive Forum

Does your school work with organizations in
the community to support your international
student population? Who? And how did you
develop those relationships or programs?

34. Interactive Forum

What are some challenges that your
international students face when it comes to
financing their education?

35. Thank you!
Keith Clausen
kclausen@envisageinternational.com
Envisage International
224 First Street
Neptune Beach, FL 32266
(904) 247-1387 ext 101
Raeann Nunez
nunez@gatewaycc.edu
108 N. 40th Street
Phoenix, AZ 85034
602-286-8063