South African Aid!

April 23, 2009 9:32 AM

Friend is from S. Africa. Friend's family is going to have to move back there in August. Friend wants to continue going to college here but says he can't get student loans. Hive-mind to the rescue?

A very good friend of mine recently told me that he had to move back to South Africa, but wants to stay here and continue his education in the States. He currently lives in Chicago and would like to stay there (goes to UIC).

Does anyone know how he could get some student loans? Is there anything set up for someone in this sort of situation? I would really love to help him out and would hate to see him leave for S. Africa (as it would mean seeing him only extremely rarely).

Help me out hive-mind!

posted by PaulingL to Education (5 answers total)

I think we need more information — it's not clear to me what, of many potential problems, the main one is. Is it a visa issue? Has he been receiving student loans thus far, and if so why can't he continue receiving them? Is it the higher tuition required for out-of-state students? Are his parents expecting him to move with them for some reason and not willing to pay for him to stay (either living expenses or tuition, as applicable?)

That said, your friend could do worse than contacting the UIC Office of Student Financial Aid and explaining the situation (if he hasn't already.) Universities generally don't want you to drop out — lower graduation rates make them look bad — and so they'll do what they can to help.
posted by Johnny Assay at 10:00 AM on April 23, 2009

Is he an undergraduate? What does his family moving away have to do with anything if he is considered an international student--how was he able to pay for his education until now?

Before I got my green card, I was an international student in the U.S. I also worked in my school's international students office for a couple of semesters, and I am pretty sure that there is no way for your friend to get school, state, or government sponsored loans. The good news is that he can get a personal loan if he can find a co-signer who is a U.S. citizen or a permanent resident (it wouldn't be classified as a student loan, and therefore there will be no grace periods after graduation, or deferments, or a low interest rate). His co-signer will need to have an excellent credit history, employment history, and must have resided in the U.S. for the past few years--also, they would be taking on a huge risk as they would be liable for all the money owed if your friend bails.
posted by halogen at 10:36 AM on April 23, 2009

I was able to attend college on a music scholarship before I qualified for financial aid as a green card holder. Is your friend involved in sports, arts, or research? Professors can usually pull strings to retain a student they value; it's happened more than once in my case.
posted by halogen at 10:38 AM on April 23, 2009

Response by poster: Johnny Assay and Halogen, thanks very much for the replies!

Yes, he is an undergraduate. His family was paying for his education but due to the economy I am pretty sure they could only afford a South African university.

He is also an athlete. A triathlete who just went to Nationals and did extremely well. Could that help?
posted by PaulingL at 11:40 AM on April 23, 2009

International students are eligible for private loans with an American co-signer. It is super expensive, but whatchagonna do? Try Citibank student loans.
posted by k8t at 1:23 PM on April 23, 2009