Hi. I was admitted to Columbia law school but without a fin. aid. The tuition and living in NY are just too expensive. And taking a loan in my country does not seem to help much (25K maximum, 12% interest rate + pledge of immovable property, which I don't have). I was thinking whether it is possible to work part time (might possible have such option ). Columbia admission office told me not even to consider this as an option, since the record of the students who have previously done it is very bad.

Does anybody have an experience in taking loans/US student loans for non-US citizens or combined studies with work? Any advice or experience sharing will be very helpful. Thank you

my law school gave me a loan which covered 100% tuition plus an extra $5000. my living costs were $500/mth (not NY, i lived in Utah - very cheap!) - that covered car, room rent, food, and non alcoholic entertainment for the first academic year.

i then worked my first summer and saved about $3000, plus worked part time for $12/hr during the second academic year. did the same for year three.

Thanks about your response. But it looks like this option is not available for me unless I find a US citizen/permanent resident who will cosign for my loan. So I guess I would have just to save the money for another year and then go

hello, im a non-US student myself and while i was searching for funding options, i came across loans being offered by the likes of Citibank, Sallie Mae, etc. which does NOT require a US co-signer. however, interest rates are slightly higher. the point is, its not impossible to get a loan without a US co-signer so just try to get as much waiver as you can from Columbia and then loan the rest.

hello, im a non-US student myself and while i was searching for funding options, i came across loans being offered by the likes of Citibank, Sallie Mae, etc. which does NOT require a US co-signer. however, interest rates are slightly higher. the point is, its not impossible to get a loan without a US co-signer so just try to get as much waiver as you can from Columbia and then loan the rest.

actually i got this from the NYU website. they put together a comparison chart (PDF version) of the private loan entities.
http://www.law.nyu.edu/depts/financialaid/aid/loans/documents/PrivateLoanChart0607021207.pdf
take a look at page 4. the first 3 pages refer to loans with a US co-signer.

this is for NYU only but I suppose similar arrangements exist between Citibank, Sallie Mae and Access Group and other schools so I guess it would depend on your school. Maybe they tailor the figures depending on your school. I was looking at this while looking for funding as soon as I got the package from NYU.

hello, im a non-US student myself and while i was searching for funding options, i came across loans being offered by the likes of Citibank, Sallie Mae, etc. which does NOT require a US co-signer. however, interest rates are slightly higher. the point is, its not impossible to get a loan without a US co-signer so just try to get as much waiver as you can from Columbia and then loan the rest.

Note this though - requirements for loan without US co-signor:
· Valid U.S. Social Security
number
· Satisfactory credit score
· At least 3 years of
established US credit
history in applicants own
name, including at least 4
nonstudent
loan accounts
and one account open for
at least 36 months

Note this though - requirements for loan without US co-signor:
· Valid U.S. Social Security
number
· Satisfactory credit score
· At least 3 years of
established US credit
history in applicants own
name, including at least 4
nonstudent
loan accounts
and one account open for
at least 36 months

that's odd. i guess every school is different. my school gave me a loan based upon the cosignature of my father, who lives outside the US and is not a US citizen or pr. then again, tuition was only $2,500 per semester back then - 1999-2002.

there are loans available for those who've been in the US a while and who have a good US credit history, but i know that doesn't cover most people here except those who have done undergraduate studies or prior work experience here.

well, it won't hurt to ask your school what sort of arrangement they have with the loan/funding agencies. i dont think its impossible for a non-US student to get a loan! =) its just that there's extra premium for that.