International Student Scholarships and Financial Aid

Federal Aid for Graduate International Students

International students with F-1, F-2, J-1, J-2 and G-series visas are required to show proof of enough resources to meet their expenses while attending U-M. Federal regulations limit financial assistance to most non-citizens, some qualified non-citizen student may receive federal aid consideration. All non eligible non-citizen may consider resources below.

Private Educational Loans

Private educational loans are offered through a variety of banks and other lenders. Students seeking a private loan must apply directly with the individual loan lender of their choosing. The best rates on these loans are generally offered to borrowers with good credit and/or who have a cosigner with good credit.

When shopping for a private loan, look for a loan you can live with in both the short term and long term. You may be repaying it for multiple years after graduation. Many loan providers will lend up to the student’s cost of attendance* minus any financial aid received. Often there is a yearly and/or cumulative cap on the amount the student may borrow; sometimes this cap is set by the student’s school. Note that it takes an average of 4 weeks to process loans through our office.

*NOTE: The cost of attendance budget is not the same as the i20 budget. A student’s cost of attendance budget is factored around active terms of enrollment for the student only, while the i20 budget accounts for a calendar year’s worth of expenses for student and dependents. Therefore, cost of attendance will always be less than i20 budget. Learn more about your program’s cost of attendance by visiting your respective Program Overview section > and clicking on the Cost of Attendance Budget > under JUMP TO SECTION. 

A few notes for International Borrowers:

  • Some U.S. lenders will provide private education loans for international students.
  • Most may require a qualified U.S. co-signer.
  • Some lenders may require that the student have a Social Security number prior to applying.
  • Most lenders require half-time student enrollment. Our staff checks enrollment status when a loan is disbursed, not when the loan is certified. 

To browse a selection of lenders, please visit the University of Michigan’s FastChoice Private Education Loans websites for International MBA students:

Private Lenders – Requiring U.S. Co-Signer

Private Lenders – No U.S. Co-Signer

The University of Michigan has not endorsed these programs, but is making the information available to you. The university adheres to a Code of Conduct for Student Loans that prohibits inducements or incentives by private lenders.

ESTIMATING PRIVATE LOAN ELIGIBILITY

Wolverine Access > Campus Finances > Financial Planning Calculator > Calculate Private/PLUS Loan Eligibility

Select Calculate Private/PLUS Loan Eligibility to see how much you would be able to borrow through a private loan program or through the federal PLUS Loan program. (This calculator is not available for the spring and/or summer terms.)

Scholarships

Graduate applicants should contact their admitting program department or see respective program under the Scholarships section. U-M schools and colleges have very limited funding for undergraduate international students.

Other Possible Sources

For information about financial aid and private scholarships for international students contact:

Other Payment Options

For billing information and other payment options, such as corporate sponsorship or the University payment plan; visit the Tuition Due Dates under the Program Overview section. 

Short Term Emergency Loan

A short-term university loan may be available in the case of emergencies. See Other Resources > scroll down to Short Term Emergency Loan section to learn more. 

The Ross School of Business Office of Financial Aid is a satellite office of the University of Michigan Office of Financial Aid.