Shaking the money tree, making the most of financial resources for international students. Presentation at the NAFSA Region X Conference by Jennifer Frankel (Envisage International) and Ruth Kamona (The City University of New York)

1. SHAKING THE MONEY
TREE: MAKING THE
MOST OF FINANCIAL
RESOURCES FOR
INTERNATIONAL
STUDENTS
NAFSA Region X – Atlantic City, New Jersey

2. Presenters

Jennifer Frankel
Director of Financial Services
International Student Insurance

Ruth Kamona
University Director, Int’l Student & Scholar Services/PDSO
The City University of New York

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

4. 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

5. Tuition On The Rise
According to MSN, “college tuition has jumped by 500% since 1985”

6. Choosing a School
What is a student’s budget and what is your
value proposition?
Rural v. Urban
 Private v. Public
 Community College v. Four-Year Institution
 Financial Assistance v. Personal Funds


7. Be Budget Savvy:
Help Students Select the Right School



How do you evaluate the costs for the
issuance of the I-20 or DS-2019 Forms
Is a complete summary of costs outlined to
prospective students, (including health insurance
if not mandatory)?
Weighing recruitment versus advising
Transparency on costs is key.

8. Budget Risk Factors




Exchange rate fluctuations (exchange rates)
Interruption of funds (life changing event)
Inability to stick to a budget
Withdrawal of funds from sponsor

9. Other Expenses To Convey




Roundtrip airfare
Potential interviews (for schools that require onsite
prior acceptance)
Lodging (interviews or early arrival)
Athletes arrival before semester begins
Cafeteria (when closed and students have to eat
outside)
 Dormitories (on and off campus housing)




Visa application fees
SEVIS Fee
Transportation (to/fro campus where applicable)

10. Post-Arrival: Orientation

Using social media:
 Twitter
 Facebook
 Google+
 Blogging
 Texting
 Vibe
 Instagram
page

11. On-Campus Employment








Cafeteria
Bookstore
Campus departments/offices (College
Assistants)
Tutoring/Writing Centers
Libraries
Teaching (Graduate Assistants)
Computer Labs
Paid Internships

12. On Campus Financial Resources





Scholarships
Grants
Fellowships
Departmental Assistantships
Stipends (USS, SGA, etc.)

13. Connecting With Students





Social media: twitter, Facebook, etc.
Listserves
Website
Polls – track scholarships?
Marketing

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

15. External Free Money




Scholarships
Grants
Fellowships
Assistantships

16. The Funding Cycle for International
Students
Home
government
or embassy
Religious
organizations
and
associations
Colleges and
universities
Private
organizations
(U.S. and
international)
Foundations
and
Philanthropies
International
agencies

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

18. External Resources for International
Students
InternationalScholarship.com
AbroadPlanet.com

19. External Resources for International
Students
edu.fastweb.com
bigfuture.collegeboard.org

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

21. Compare Lenders for International
Students

22. Interactive Forum



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.
One member from each group will give an
overview of the case study along with the
approach your group would take.

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

24. Interactive Forum

Do you partner with stakeholders and how did
you develop that relationship?

25. Interactive Forum

What are some challenges that your
international students face when it comes to
financial resources?

26. Thank you!
Jennifer Frankel
Ruth Kamona
jfrankel@envisageinternational.com
Ruth.Kamona@cuny.edu
Envisage International
The City University of New York
555 West 57th Street, Suite 1401
New York, NY 10019
(646) 664-8783
224 First Street
Neptune Beach, FL 32266
(904) 247-1387 ext 104