美國高等教育獎學金與助學金介紹

在美國除了打工外，還有其他取得獎學金或是資金來源的方式。在美國求學花費雖然高，而我們國際學生又不像本地學生可以自由的在校外打工。除了在校內的合法工作外，其他合法取得資金來源的管道對於學生也會有不少的幫助。以下介紹幾種國際學生常見的獎學金形式：

1. Fellowship

根據 Wiki 的定義 A merit-based scholarship, or form of academic financial aid

是學校或系所會主動提供的財務支援，學生不需要申請，系所會根據學生的學業表現以及系所所獲得的資金來決定會發給誰以及發多少金額。這樣的獎學金類型在申請MBA較為常見，學生也不需要工作或是提供任何的服務給學校。Fellowship最常見的是在於攻讀博士班的學生，每位博士班的學生都會被發給fellowship，至於多寡則是依各個學校而定，一般至少都會約等於一整年的學費加生活費用。
 

2. Scholarship

一般較常見的為 Merit-Based與Needed-Based，根據 Wiki 的定義

Scholarships may be classified into the following primary groups.

Merit: This is financial aid for which financial need is not used to determine the recipient. The recipient may be determined by students' athletic, academic, artistic or other abilities. The actual monetary value of the scholarship may be negligible, the scholarship being meant to motivate the student and promote the study of the subject. However, this is not always the case and the largest scholarships are almost always merit-based.

Need: This is financial aid for which the student and family's financial situation is a primary factor in determining the recipient. Usually such scholarship will cover all or part of the tuition and may even cover living costs. Very often even need-based private scholarships require the awardees to be distinguished students, as the deed founding the award may include a phrase like "for the studies of founder's favourite subject in founder's favourite institution of higher education for a talented youths of limited means from founder's home town/county/state, etc."

Merit-based就如同前面的fellowship，不論學生是否有需要都會提供。至於另一種 Needed-based Scholarship，則是需要學生提出申請。不論是校外或是校內，學生必需符合獎學金發放的規定，並且提出足夠的證明以及相關文件來提出申請。如果是申請校內的獎學金，這在提出學位申請時也會一併提出申請，有的學校會是在學位申請表格中便詢問學生是否需要申請獎學金，有的則是需要學生額外提出申請，有單獨的表格，但也是會隨著學位申請一併處理。
 

3. Teaching Assistant, Research Assistant:

Teaching Assistant 根據 Wiki 的定義

A teaching assistant (TA) is a junior scholar employed on a temporary contract by a college or university in teaching-related responsibilities. TA responsibilities vary greatly and may include tutoring; holding office hours; grading homework or exams; administering tests or exams; assisting a professor with a large lecture class by teaching students in recitation, laboratory, or discussion sessions; and even teaching their own classes. In some universities (such as the University of Michigan), they are known as graduate student instructors (GSIs). In New Zealand, Australian, and some Canadian universities, they are known as tutors. At Harvard College, Boston University, and other universities, they are known as teaching fellows (TFs). TAs include graduate teaching assistants (GTAs), who are graduate students, and undergraduate teaching assistants (UTAs), who are undergraduate students. While the term assistant implies that they assist with a class, most (about two-thirds) GTAs serve as the sole instructor for one or more classes each semester;[1][2][3] although these GTAs may work under a supervisor or course coordinator, they have the responsibility to prepare and teach class, make and grade homework and quizzes, and even create and administer their own exams. Like professors, GTAs generally have a fixed salary determined by each contract period, usually an academic school year.

Research Assistant 根據 Wiki 的定義

A Research Assistant is a junior graduate scholar, employed on a temporary contract by a college or university or a non-university research institution, for the purpose of academic research. A research assistant usually works on a project supervised by one or more full-time academics that are responsible for administering the funds from which he or she is paid.

Nowadays, most research assistantships are awarded to graduate assistants, i.e. graduate students who work towards an advanced degree (e.g. M.S. or Ph.D.); however, as non-university research institutions don't often have graduate students, the research assistants are typically recent college graduates who are considering graduate school in their field. Depending on the funding, these appointments generally last until the completion of their degrees. In some universities, the title research associate is used instead of "assistant", although a research associate is more likely to have a doctorate.

這是另外一種在校內取得求學資金的方式，相較於前面兩種，這種方式是屬於要工作的方式。研究生可以擔任TA去帶大學部的學生，可能是教基礎課程、可能是改作業評分、也可能是一般行政事務，每週的工作時數約20小時。另一種RA則是協助教授收集研究資料、準備上課資料、作問券等等，相較於TA，工作時數較不固定，大多是有跟著老師作研究寫論文的學生會以這種方式取得資金來源。一般TA或RA可以獲得學校學費全免(雜費還是需要繳)，以及每個月固定的薪水（各學校不同）。

以下的兩種方式對於國際學生並不適用，持有綠卡或是美國護照的同學可以繼續看下去

4. Student Loan

A. Private

Private student loans made to students or parents: Higher limits and no payments until after graduation, although interest will start to accrue immediately. Private loans may be used for any education related expenses such as tuition, room and board, books, computers, and past due balances. Private loans can also be used to supplement federal student loans, when federal loans, grants and other forms of financial aid are not sufficient to cover the full cost of higher education.
These are loans that are not guaranteed by a government agency and are made to students by banks or finance companies. Advocates of private student loans suggest that they combine the best elements of the different government loans into one: They generally offer higher loan limits than federal student loans, ensuring the student is not left with a budget gap. But unlike federal parent loans, they generally offer a grace period with no payments due until after graduation (this grace period ranges as high as 12 months after graduation, though most private lenders offer six months). However, some higher education advocates are private loan detractors because of the higher interest rates, multiple fees, and lack of borrower protections private loans carry that are not associated with federal loans

B. Federal

Federal student loans made to students directly: No payments while enrolled in at least half time status. If a student drops below half time status, the account will go into its 6 month grace period. If the student re-enrolls in at least half time status, the loans will be deferred, but when they drop below half time again they will no longer have their grace period. Amounts are quite limited as well.
Federal student loans made to parents: Much higher limit, but payments start immediately
 
這種 Private Loan或是 Federal Loan便是直接對提供loan的機構作申請，不同機構提出的grace period與利率皆不同

5. Free Application for Federal Student Aid (aka FAFSA)

FAFSA根據 Wiki 的定義

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (known as the FAFSA), is a form that can be filled out annually by current and anticipating university students (both undergraduate and graduate) and sometimes their parents in the United States to determine their eligibility for federal student financial aid (including Pell grants, Stafford loans, PLUS loans, and work-study programs).[1] In addition, most states and schools use information from the FAFSA to award non-federal aid.

The FAFSA consists of numerous questions regarding the student's finances, as well as those of his or her family; these are entered into a formula that determines the Expected Family Contribution (EFC). A number of factors are used in determining the EFC including the family size, income, number in college, and assets (not including retirement and 401K). This information is required because of the expectation that parents will contribute to their child's education, whether that is true or not.[2] Most students in the United States attending college are above the age of eighteen, which relieves their parents of any financial responsibility for them whatsoever, according to US law. This brings the question of why parents' assets are a factor at all, because of the fact that they are no more legally related to the student than is a complete stranger. Students who will not be receiving parental aid for college expenses may be able to appeal directly to their school of choice for a reevaluation of aid awards based on their personal circumstances.

The FAFSA does not have questions related to student or family race, ethnicity or religion.

A Student Aid Report (SAR), which is a summary of the FAFSA responses, is forwarded to the student. The student should review the SAR carefully for necessary corrections. An electronic version of the SAR (called an ISIR) is sent to colleges/universities the student selected on the FAFSA. The ISIR is also sent to state agencies that award state need-based aid. Schools may award aid on a first-come, first-served basis, and students are advised to fill out the FAFSA as early as possible for consideration for maximum financial assistance.

FAFSA算是聯邦的助學金，金額的高低會由學生的收入、學生家長的收入、繳稅的狀況等等資料計算。

以上為一些在美國取得資金來源的方式，提供各位同學做個參考。