If you're applying to U.S. colleges from abroad, the most important number isn't the sticker price. It's how much the college itself will give you. Federal Student Aid says that "most foreign citizens are not eligible for federal student aid from the U.S. Department of Education" (Federal Student Aid: International students). That leaves scholarships and grants from the college as your main source of help.
Colleges publish this number, but it's easy to miss. This guide shows where to find it and what it shows for 11 colleges, and it explains how to read it without overestimating your own award.
Where the number comes from: Common Data Set section H6
Many U.S. colleges publish a yearly Common Data Set (CDS), a standard questionnaire about admissions, enrollment, costs and aid. Section H6 covers "undergraduate degree-seeking nonresidents" (international students). It asks three things:
- The college's policy: whether need-based aid, non-need-based (merit) aid, or no institutional aid is available to nonresidents.
- How many nonresident undergraduates got institutional aid.
- The average and total dollar amounts of that aid.
Section H7 lists the forms international aid applicants must submit, such as the CSS Profile or the college's own form. You'll usually find a college's CDS by searching "[college name] Common Data Set" on its institutional research page.
What 11 colleges report
The table below uses figures we read directly from each college's own CDS PDF, and we checked each one against the PDF text on November 9, 2026. To show what the average award has to cover, it adds the college's yearly cost of attendance (COA) and tuition from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard.
| College | Aid year | Aid policy for nonresidents (H6) | Nonresident undergrads aided | Average institutional award | Cost of attendance (Scorecard, 2024-25) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yale University | 2025-26 (estimated) | Need-based | 459 | $84,185 | $91,950 |
| Washington University in St. Louis | 2025-26 (estimated) | Need-based and merit | 30 | $71,003 | $92,523 |
| University of Richmond | 2024-25 | Need-based and merit | 184 | $66,094 | $84,768 |
| Lewis & Clark College | 2024-25 (estimated) | Need-based and merit | 125 | $50,988 | $83,548 |
| Illinois Wesleyan University | 2024-25 | Merit | 91 | $43,109 | $73,189 |
| Boston College | 2024-25 | Merit | 20 | $39,634 | $93,039 |
| Widener University | 2024-25 (estimated) | Merit | 40 | $34,451 | $73,168 |
| University of the Incarnate Word | 2023-24 | Need-based and merit | 150 | $28,829 | $49,626 |
| University of Vermont (public) | 2024-25 | Merit | 119 | $39,655 | Out-of-state tuition $47,554 |
| Arizona State University (Campus Immersion) (public) | 2024-25 | Merit | 3,344 | $12,660 | Out-of-state tuition $35,167 |
| UMass Lowell (public) | 2023-24 | Merit | 120 | $12,606 | Out-of-state tuition $37,460 |
Sources: each college's Common Data Set, section H6 (links below). Cost of attendance and tuition: College Scorecard, release dated November 2, 2026, cost year 2024-25. The "aid year" is the academic year each college checked for items H1, H2, H2A and H6, which can differ from the year on the CDS cover. Yale, Washington University in St. Louis, Lewis & Clark and Widener marked those H6 figures as estimated. Boston College labeled its 2024-25 figures "Final as of 10/1/25." The University of the Incarnate Word and UMass Lowell reported final 2023-24 figures in their 2024-25 Common Data Sets. Arizona State University and the University of Vermont reported final 2024-25 figures in their 2025-26 Common Data Sets. For public universities, Scorecard's cost of attendance reflects in-state tuition. ASU's is $30,823, less than its $35,167 out-of-state tuition alone. Because international students aren't state residents, we show out-of-state tuition instead. "Merit" means the college checked only "non-need-based" aid in H6.
How to read these numbers
1. The average is only for students who got aid. H6 averages the award across aided nonresidents, not all international students. College Scorecard reports that 9.05% of WashU's 7,857 undergraduates are nonresidents, about 710 students. WashU's CDS reports that 30 nonresident undergraduates received institutional aid. A large average award can still mean few international students get one.
2. Need-based and merit aid work differently. Yale reports only need-based aid for nonresidents. Its 459 aided students averaged $84,185 against a $91,950 cost of attendance, so the size of each award depends on what your family can pay. Several colleges here, including ASU, UVM, UMass Lowell, Boston College and Widener, checked only non-need-based aid. These awards are usually based on grades or other criteria and set by the college, and they may cover only part of tuition.
3. Compare the award with the right cost. At the public universities above, the average merit award covers part of out-of-state tuition before housing and food. At ASU the average was $12,660 against $35,167 in out-of-state tuition. At UVM it was $39,655 against $47,554. Subtract the average award from the full cost to estimate how much your family would still need to pay, and remember that your own award could be lower.
4. Large totals can hide small awards, and the reverse. ASU reported 3,344 aided nonresidents and $42.3 million in total aid, but a modest average. Yale reported $38.6 million spread across 459 students. Neither number alone tells you your odds.
What to do with this
- Find H6 and H7 for every college on your list. If a college checks "Institutional scholarship or grant aid is not available," plan to pay the full cost yourself or with outside scholarships.
- Check which forms are required. Yale's H7 lists the CSS Profile, WashU and Richmond list both the CSS Profile and their own form, and Lewis & Clark asks for an "International Student's Financial Aid Application." Missing a form can mean missing need-based aid. Our CSS Profile vs. FAFSA guide explains the CSS Profile.
- Look for outside funding too. Our international student aid listings collect scholarships from EducationUSA and other official sources.
- Plan for what's left. F-1 students face limits on paid work. See F-1 work rules and affordability before you count on a campus job.
- Compare offers line by line with our aid offer comparison tool once offers arrive. You can also browse which colleges give aid to international students and how to pay for a U.S. bachelor's as an international student.
Sources
- Federal Student Aid, U.S. Department of Education: International Students Wishing to Attend College in the United States and Eligibility for Non-U.S. Citizens
- U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard data, Most-Recent-Cohorts-Institution release dated November 2, 2026 (cost year 2024-25)
- Common Data Set, section H6–H7, from each college's own website: Yale 2025-26 · WashU 2025-26 · Richmond 2024-25 · Lewis & Clark 2024-25 · Illinois Wesleyan 2024-25 · Boston College 2024-25 · Widener 2024-25 · Incarnate Word 2024-25 · UVM 2025-26 · ASU Campus Immersion 2025-26 · UMass Lowell 2024-25
Figures checked November 9, 2026, against each college's CDS PDF and the November 2, 2026 College Scorecard release. Aid policies change every year, so confirm current terms with each college's financial aid office.