Costs & Financial Aid
- Is there an application fee?
- What is Wooster's comprehensive fee?
- What is the "I-20 amount"?
- Is financial aid available to international students?
- How do I get a job on campus?
- May I work during vacation periods?
- Does Wooster make loans to students?
- How do I apply for financial aid?
- When will I be notified of a financial aid award?
- Does Wooster negotiate financial aid awards?
- Is my financial aid award renewable?
- How is the financial aid award disbursed?
Is
there an application fee?
 Students who submit their Common Application online will have their application fee
waived. A fee waiver can be requested from a counselor, headmaster or teacher in
writing if the application fee would present a hardship. If you do not apply online and
no fee waiver is granted, then a $40 application fee is required.
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What is Wooster's comprehensive fee?
Wooster sets its costs each year as a comprehensive fee (not to be confused
with a tuition charge). The comprehensive fee includes tuition, all academic
fees, student housing, board (meals), laboratory fees, medical care from
the College's student health facility, and most cultural and athletic events
on campus. The cost of attendance is competitive with that at other colleges
of Wooster's quality. Please keep in mind that college costs tend to increase
approximately 4-7% each year.
Comprehensive Annual Fee for 2007-2008: $40,022
This is the amount that would appear on your bill should you enroll at
Wooster (minus grants and/or scholarships).
In planning your finances for the following academic years, you should
plan to make a tuition deposit of $150.00 each spring to be eligible to
register for fall courses and participate in housing selection. Banks in
some countries require a letter stating the annual costs of attendance
before approving transfer of money out of the country. These letters are
available upon request from the Office of the Treasurer or the Office of
International Student Affairs.
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What is the "I-20 amount"?
The I-20 Form is a U.S. immigration form issued to
an accepted international student by the college the student plans to attend.
The I-20 is a required component of an international student's F-1 Student
Visa application, which allows the student to present him/herself to the US
Port Authority for admittance into the country to pursue college studies.
For purposes of I-20 issuance, the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization
Service requires colleges to include an estimated amount for personal expenses
that an international student would normally incur during an academic year.
Such expenses include books, entertainment, and travel within the U.S.
during school breaks. At Wooster, we estimate these expenses to be $1,910
per academic year. Added to the comprehensive fee, this amounts to a total
of $37,200 for 2005-2006. We refer to this figure as the I-20 amount, because
this amount will be listed on your I-20 as the total cost of attendance.
You will be required to provide financial documentation to Wooster and
the U.S. government in support of the I-20 amount. The fee does not include
living expenses for vacation periods or travel to and from Wooster.
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Is financial aid available to international
students?
Wooster has limited funds available, in the form of partial scholarships and
grants, to assist international students. Wooster's financial aid policy allows
for a maximum award of 50% of our comprehensive fee to be granted to qualified
applicants. PLEASE NOTE: WOOSTER DOES NOT OFFER FULL SCHOLARSHIPS OR
TUITION WAIVERS.
The average total financial aid award of international students accepted
to the Class of 2009 was $19,031.
Wooster is able to provide several sources of financial aid to international
students. These include grants, scholarships and work opportunities.
- Wooster Grants
These grants are awarded by our Office of Financial Aid based on need and
academic credentials. Grants do not have to be repaid.
- Merit Scholarships
Students may be invited to compete for academic merit scholarships based
on the academic credentials they submit upon application.
- Campus Employment
A campus job allocation is often included as part of the financial aid award.
This money is earned by working on campus. Unlike scholarships and grants,
a campus job does not reduce the amount you must pay the College for tuition,
room, and board. Campus jobs pay a minimum of $5.15 per hour and some pay
more depending on responsibilities and past experience. To earn an amount
of $2,000 per year (a typical campus employment award) a student would
need to work approximately 12-14 hours per week. According to U.S. immigration
law, international students are allowed to work up to 20 hours per week
while school is in session and may work up to 40 hours per week during
school breaks and vacation periods.
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How do I get a job on campus?
It is the student's responsibility to contact the Student Employment Office
regarding job opportunities. Incoming students will be introduced to the
Student Employment Office as part of the orientation program. The office
will assist you in locating employment opportunities, but you are ultimately
responsible for securing a job. Checks are issued to student workers on a
bi-weekly basis. This money should be used to cover your student account
or personal expenses.
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May I work during vacation periods?
A financial aid award does not cover expenses for vacation periods or travel
to and from Wooster. Living expenses over vacation periods (including summer)
are estimated at $2,000. Therefore you should plan to cover expenses for
vacation periods and travel from additional family or sponsorship funds.
There are limited employment opportunities during vacation periods and summer
break. It should also be noted that it is very difficult to obtain an off-campus
work permit.
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Does Wooster make loans to students?
The College of Wooster does not make loans to students. The
U.S. Federal government does not make grants or loans to non-citizens.
There are a few opportunities for international students to apply for
loans from private banks or lending institutions. These educational loan
options typically require a co-signer who is a U.S. citizen or Permanent
Resident. Some international students are successful in procuring loans
or scholarships from the government or a private sponsor in their home
country.
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How do I apply for financial aid?
All international applicants must complete the College Board's International
Student Financial Aid Application (ISFAA) . The deadline for financial aid
applications is February 15 for the fall semester and October 15 for the
spring semester. A student's application for admission to Wooster will not
be processed until the ISFAA is received. In that available funds from Wooster
for non-U.S. citizens are extremely limited, a substantial family contribution
is expected. Please be careful to provide support estimates that are realistic.
We also suggest students consider changes in currency exchange rates between
their home country's currency and the U.S. dollar. Students are not required
to submit copies of their parents' and/or sponsor's bank, income or other
financial statements.
» International Student Certification of Finances
Guidelines
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When will I be notified of a financial
aid award?
Financial aid awards are mailed on a rolling basis beginning in January. Awards
are made only to admitted students, therefore aid notification is sent with
admission letters.
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Does Wooster negotiate financial aid
awards?
It is not Wooster's policy to negotiate student aid awards once they are granted.
Because of our commitment to international students, we do give competitive
aid awards to all admitted students who qualify. Given this considerable investment
in international students, we feel obliged to distribute these monies as fairly
and as equitably as possible; therefore we must work within certain limitations.
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Is my financial aid award renewable?
Financial aid may be renewed for successive years provided the recipient shows
continued evidence of financial need, scholastic achievement and personal
responsibility. A student is eligible for a maximum of eight semesters of
aid from Wooster. Financial aid is not available for students enrolling in
summer session classes. The Office of Financial Aid will provide the renewal
application materials needed each year.
Merit scholarships and Wooster grants are renewable for four years and
are awarded to incoming first-year students only. Wooster is one
of a handful of institutions that does not impose a minimum grade point
renewal requirement on its grant and scholarship winners. These
award amounts remain unchanged during the student's career at Wooster.
Wooster Grant Aid may increase annually by no more than half of each year's
cost increase and it is not affected by academic performance.
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How is the financial aid award disbursed?
Grant and scholarship awards are credited directly to the student's account
and appear as such on the student's bill. Campus employment amounts are not
credited to the student's account, as the student will earn these funds throughout
the academic year. The student may choose to use campus employment earnings
to pay down his/her account.
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How do U.S. citizens/permanent residents
apply for aid?
Americans living abroad and U.S. Permanent Residents follow the same procedures
in applying for financial aid as do American citizens who live in the U.S.
Over 85% of Wooster's students receive financial aid based on need. Financial
need is determined by an analysis of the Free Application for Federal Student
Aid (FAFSA), available at your school guidance office, as well as the Wooster
Need-Based Aid Application. The FAFSA should be completed and sent as soon
as possible to the U.S. Government processing center listed in the FAFSA instructions.
Wooster's FAFSA code number is 003037. Please enter this number on your application
so that a copy of the results will be sent directly to Wooster. If you cannot
obtain a FAFSA from your school, we will forward one to you upon request or
you may apply online at http://www.fafsa.ed.gov.
The Wooster Need-Based Aid Application should be returned directly to
Wooster's Office of Financial Aid. This supplementary form asks for certain
information that the FAFSA omits so that we might give you the fairest
possible need-based award. Applying for financial aid does not affect your
eligibility for admission. In fact, you must be admitted to the College
before a financial aid award can be determined.
Due to delays common with international postal systems, it is very important
to begin the process of applying for admission and financial aid as early
as possible. Financial aid forms received after February 15 will be given
full consideration, but the availability of funds after the stated deadline
may limit the amount of assistance offered.
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