Most of the over 850 Romanian students enrolled on undergrad programs in the U.S. have received a comprehensive financial aid package from their colleges and universities. Some have won a full ride (which means that the US school is paying all the academic year costs), some have been offered partial financial aid. Some went to the U.S. paying as little as $300 for a year of study that costs $47,800, some had to pay all the living expenses, that is almost $11,000.
The financial aid package commonly includes scholarship and campus employment, and possibly a loan. See below some types of financial aid available for international students who want to study in the United States:
Video highlight: EducationUSA video on undergraduate financial aid
College scholarships
Romanian students rely on this source of funding which can be offered based on merit or need.
Merit-based scholarships are granted in form of scholarships based on outstanding academic achievements, special talents, etc. with no regard to financial need. Presidential or Dean’s scholarships are good examples. At some colleges, applicants are automatically considered for merit scholarships; at other colleges, a separate application is required.
Need-blind scholarships mean that the college doesn’t consider an applicant’s financial situation when deciding admission. Only a limited number of colleges have this financial aid policy.
Need-based scholarships represent awards made by colleges or universities based on demonstrated need. The amount of aid varies from one institution to another and very few institutions can offer students full financial aid packages. Note: in our experience, merit-based scholarships have proved more productive to Romanian applicants than need-based ones.
Sports scholarships are awarded to students who have distinguished themselves in a particular sport. If you are such a gifted student athlete, you may choose to play for the college team as a means of paying for your education. Still, you must meet the university entrance requirements, and then continue to obtain satisfactory grades in order to receive and maintain your scholarship.
The scholarships can be renewed every year provided you maintain your academic standards.
Video highlight: EducationUSA video on sports scholarships
Mind that:
not all U.S. colleges award financial aid to international students.
financial aid for international undergraduates tends to be less common at public colleges and at colleges that offer professional courses such as business administration and health professions. More financial aid is generally available from the private colleges.
financial assistance is awarded throughout the academic year; however, students who apply for admission in the winter or spring terms will have fewer chances of securing financial aid compared with students who apply for fall admission.
more aid is available for freshman students than for transfer students.
funds for international students may be separate from funds for U.S. students. With over 4,000 universities, there’s great variety of patterns. Check carefully the university websites for financial aid information for international students!Some colleges provide financial assistance to citizens of specific countries; for instance Grinnell College has a special scholarship program for students from Eastern Europe!
as an international student, you need to fill out the International Student Financial Aid Application generally available on the website of the college you are applying to. You need to answer all questions that apply to you and your family: personal information, financial information, asset information, expenses, expected support for educational expenses etc. International students normally don’t fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). This form is meant for U.S. citizens or other eligible citizens.
Attend our admissions training sessions in order to learn how to research the financial aid available for international students. Careful advance research and realistic expectations are likely to result in success.
Loans
Colleges sometimes include a study loan in the financial aid package. Generally the repay terms are convenient, so you shouldn’t worry!
In case you have been offered partial funding and need to come up with the remainder, you may like to consider loans. Loan programs for educational purposes are emerging in Romania so check the offer of Romanian banks! If you want to take a loan from a bank in the U.S., you normally need a U.S. co-signer, which is always a prohibitive requirement.
Employment
Campus employment is often part of the financial aid package offered by U.S. universities. According to U.S. immigration regulations, international students are allowed to work part-time (max. 20 hours per week) and only on campus during their first year of study.
A campus job will usually earn you approx. $2000 per year, depending on number of hours per week and type of activity. This amount allows you to pay for some personal expenses (like books and clothing). It’s obvious that you cannot pay your major expenses, such as tuition or room and board.
Campus jobs are commonly offered in the university bookstore, library, cafeteria, administrative offices, etc.
Video highlight: EducationUSA video on campus employment
Other awards
Very little aid exists through private sponsors or foundations.
As a result, most Romanian students prefer to attract funding from U.S. colleges and universities.
Financial aid for graduate study
The main forms of financial assistance provided to graduate students by U.S. universities are: Fellowships: awarded on the basis of academic merit, in recognition of scholarly excellence. Fellowships don’t require pay back. They come with prestige, generous funding and no strings attached, unlike the other funding arrangements described in what follows. However, they tend to be in limited numbers. Most Romanian students enrolled on graduate programs in the U.S. have some other forms of financial aid. Grants: gifts that you don’t need to repay. Students may receive grants from the government or through private sources of funding. Private grants usually come in the form of scholarships and have their own guidelines.
Teaching assistantships (TA): many departments offer teaching assistantships to their top applicants who can demonstrate good oral communication skills and teaching experience. A teaching assistant, often referred to as graduate TA, assists faculty by performing teaching or teaching-related duties. In addition to their school commitments as master or doctoral students, the teaching assistants will have work responsibilities.
Some teaching assistants have full responsibility for teaching a course - usually one that is introductory in nature -which can include preparation of lectures and exams, and assigning final grades to students. Others provide assistance to faculty members, which may consist of a variety of tasks such as grading papers, monitoring exams, holding office hours or help-sessions for students, conducting laboratory sessions, or administering quizzes to the class. Teaching assistants generally meet initially with the faculty member whom they are going to assist in order to determine exactly what is expected of them, as each faculty member may have his or her own needs.
Graduate TAs usually have flexibility in their work schedules, just like college and university faculty, but they also must spend a considerable amount of time pursuing their own academic coursework and studies. The number of hours that TAs work varies, depending on their assignments. The maximum work load is 20 hours per week.
Based on the Romanian students’ experience, the Teaching Assistantship is one of the best deals available to graduate students. As a graduate TA, you can typically expect to receive an annual stipend between $6,500 and $15,000, as well as free tuition. At some larger universities, you may be eligible for additional benefits.
If you choose to pursue a Teaching Assistantship, you’ll find it beneficial in many respects. The financial rewards of the position are only part of the story. As TA, you'll gain valuable experience in and out of the classroom and have the opportunity to interact closely with faculty members in your department. The relationships you develop with your professors are crucial to your future success. The opportunity to work with them more closely, as colleagues of some sort in the teaching program, can help you establish yourself in the department. Research assistantships (RA): just like the teaching assistantship, this is another form of financial assistance provided to students (usually graduate students) through part-time academic employment, in this case by assisting a faculty member with his or her research.
Many times the RA positions are awarded by the professors in the department and not by the department. RAs are often paid from the grants professors attract. That’s why it’s often productive to get in touch with the professors (the department web pages provide the email addresses of all the professors in every department, as well as information about the fields in which they are working). Applicants may choose to contact the professor and write to him/her about their interests. If the professor is interested, he/she will get in touch with the applicant.
Commonly, a graduate student who is appointed research assistant directly partcipates in or provides support to the research mission of the unit, in the design of experiments, data collection, analysis, or reporting of research results in the student's field of study, where research may, but is not required to, contribute directly to the student's thesis or dissertation.
Research assistants support faculty research agendas and provide a valuable service to the faculty as well as to the department.
Students chosen as Research Assistants commit to working maximum 20 hours/week with a faculty member. The duties of a student Research Assistant will be varied, and they will support research and/or the School's mission.
The student benefits as a Research Assistant usually include:
In-depth research experience
Mentoring from a faculty member
Monthly stipend and
Tuition waiver.
If you are interested in a research assistantship, you should be able to demonstrate research skills and team spirit.
Loans: Financial aid packages offered by U.S. graduate programs may also include study loans. The terms are usually very attractive (low interest rate that begins to accumulate usually upon graduation). Some U.S. schools offer international students loans that don’t require a U.S. co-signer. However, huge loans from the U.S. may work against you when you apply for a U.S. study visa.
Major government and foundation scholarships for students from Romania
Fulbright grants
The flagship international exchange program sponsored by the United States Government, the Fulbright Program is designed to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries. It promotes leadership development through learning and international cooperation. The Fulbright Program operates in more than 155 countries and over 285,000 participants — chosen for their academic merit and leadership potential — have had the opportunity to study, teach and conduct research in each others' countries and exchange ideas.
More info on the Fulbright grants for Romanians: Grants section of the Fulbright Romania website.
Government Scholarship
Partial funding for undergraduate study, graduate study, and post‐doctoral research; covers international travel + living expenses for 60 students. Funded by the Ministry of Education, Research, Youth, and Sport and administered by the Loans and Study Scholarships Agency.
Government Scholarship - Theodor Aman Graduate Scholarship
Partial and full scholarships for master’s and Ph.D. study in Graphic Arts. Funded by the Ministry of Education, Research, Youth, and Sport and administered by the Loans and Study Scholarships Agency.
Provides grants of $15,000/year for young Romanians enrolled in master’s or Ph.D. programs at top universities outside Romania. Funded by the Dinu Patriciu Foundation.
More information on the Foundation's official website, here.
Scholarships administered by the Dan Voiculescu Foundation
Read what people that benefited from our grants have to say about their experinece with Fulbright. This is very helpful especially if you would like to take advantage of our current offers.
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Most of the over 850 Romanian students enrolled on undergrad programs in the U.S. have received a comprehensive financial aid package from their colleges and universities. Some have won a full ride (which means that the US school is paying all the academic year costs), some have been offered partial financial aid. Some went to the U.S. paying as little as $300 for a year of study that costs $47,800, some had to pay all the living expenses, that is almost $11,000.
Sports scholarships are awarded to students who have distinguished themselves in a particular sport. If you are such a gifted student athlete, you may choose to play for the college team as a means of paying for your education. Still, you must meet the university entrance requirements, and then continue to obtain satisfactory grades in order to receive and maintain your scholarship. 
Teaching assistantships (TA): many departments offer teaching assistantships to their top applicants who can demonstrate good oral communication skills and teaching experience. A teaching assistant, often referred to as graduate TA, assists faculty by performing teaching or teaching-related duties. In addition to their school commitments as master or doctoral students, the teaching assistants will have work responsibilities. 
Research assistantships (RA): just like the teaching assistantship, this is another form of financial assistance provided to students (usually graduate students) through part-time academic employment, in this case by assisting a faculty member with his or her research. 
