International Student Financial Aid
International students should plan to carefully review financial aid options well in advance of their intended start date. The resources provided here are intended to be a starting point for international students, however, all students are additionally encouraged to investigate resources available within their home countries for support. These include local government resources, private organizations, businesses, foundations, and religious organizations within the student’s place of origin. Planning ahead is especially important for students seeking to enter the United States on an F-1 Student Visa.
Visit the Scholarships & Financial Aid page to learn more about gift aid (grants and scholarships) available to Regent students. Please note, that federal aid (known as “Title IV” aid) is primarily for U.S. citizens with limited exceptions for eligible noncitizens.
International students are encouraged to review the resources below, in addition to searching for resources within their home country.
- EducationUSA: The United States Department of State maintains the EducationUSA resource as part of its mission to promote U.S. higher education to students around the world. This resources provides information on financial aid options available to international students, as well as advising resources for students who are considering studying at a college in the United States. Please note, we have received feedback that this website sometimes needs to be loaded more than once for the pages to be displayed.
- U.S. Embassy Locator: Students are encouraged to visit the U.S. Embassy website for their country of origin. Once on your home country U.S. Embassy website, select the tab for “Education & Culture” to view international student resources available between the United States and your home country. Example: U.S. Embassy in Israel Education and Culture website page.
- EduCanada: The Government of Canada maintains a scholarship search resource for Canadian students who wish to study abroad.
- Fulbright Scholar Program: The Fulbright Scholarship sponsors awards for both U.S. students and Non-U.S. Scholars.
- Rotary International: Rotary is an independent organization with multiple philanthropic goals. Scholarships for international student are among the resources offered by the organization.
- IEFA: The IEFA organization maintains searchable scholarship resources for international students.
- Institute of International Education: The Institute of International Education provides scholarship resources, in addition to other valuable information, to international students.
- International Scholarships Online: This website provides a scholarship search tool that lets international students specify their area of study, home country, and country they plan to visit within the scholarship search filters. While the website provides a loan search tool as well, we recommend that our students review the resource provided under the Loans for International Students section of this page.
- Level Up Virginia: This resource is maintained by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia specifically for international students. Information regarding Virginia colleges, financial assistance, and other resources for international students (with a specific emphasis on Virginia residents) is available within this website.
- Virginia Residency: The State of Virginia allows some international students (who are not U.S. Citizens or Permanent Residents) to establish “Virginia domicile” if the student’s stay in the United States is indefinite in nature, and other eligibility criteria are met. While Regent University (as a private institution) does not offer in-state tuition for Virginia residents, some forms of college aid offered by the State of Virginia are available to Regent University students who have otherwise met the criteria for domicile eligibility used for in-state tuition purposes. The Virginia domicile guide here provides an overview of domicile eligibility for students who are not U.S. Citizens or Permanent Residents. International students meeting Virginia domicile requirements should review our State Aid resource to explore funding opportunities from the State of Virginia.
- VASA: The Virginia Alternative State Aid (VASA) application was developed by the State of Virginia for individuals who are not eligible to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The VASA does not directly assist the student in applying for specific forms of financial assistance. Instead, it allows an international student to provide their financial information such that they are provided with a financial need ranking indicator similar to the Student Aid Index (SAI) provided to FAFSA filers. This then allows the Regent University Financial Aid Office to review eligibility for need-based aid for international students.
- Who Should Complete the VASA?
- International students who are admitted into the Regent University on campus, traditional undergraduate degree program should complete the VASA. Once the VASA has been successfully completed the student should contact the International Student Admissions Office to inform them to retrieve the VASA results from the state system. The Student Financial Aid Office will then assess the student’s eligibility for the Regent Gap Guarantee Grant.
- Who Should Complete the VASA?
- Loans to international students may often require the student to obtain a cosigner by a United States citizen or permanent resident. The list of resources below is not exhaustive, and students are encourage to review resources available in their home country. The list below is not exhaustive, and inclusion on the list does not imply endorsement of any one loan option by Regent University. Regent University does not maintain a “preferred lender” list and all financial aid office staff abide by the loan code of conduct.
- EduPASS: This resource provides an overview of private student loans available to international students from a variety of lenders.
- Canadian Student Loan Program: The Government of Canada provides a loan option available to Canadian citizens who wish to study abroad. The Regent University Registrar certifies Canadian student loan eligibility for our Canadian students.
- Global Student Loan Corp: This is a research tool that assists international students in identifying loan opportunities.
The resources in this section provide an overview of the application process necessary to enter the U.S. on a student visa, general financial aid options, and elements of American culture that may be different from cultural norms in the student’s home country.