How much is the yearly tuition for international students in the US?

Why do international students in US colleges pay much higher tuition and health insurance compared to US students?

• Answer:

  Tuition rates for international students are the same as for US citizens at every college I know about.  At state universities they don't get the in-state rate, of course, since they're not residents of that state.  One difference is that most colleges don't award need-based financial aid to international students in the same way and to the same extent that they do to US citizens and permanent residents.  There are a handful of elite colleges that do award need-based aid to international students on exactly the same basis, and that means they get a LOT of international applicants for just a few spots. Some colleges will award merit scholarships to international students, but merit scholarships seem to be decreasing as need-based aid becomes the standard form of aid in US colleges.  Another form of need-based aid that doesn't work for international students is the US government's system of Pell Grants and student loans.  These are only provided to US citizens and permanent residents, which means that universities have to provide more of the aid and loans for international students themselves, out of the college's endowment, without government assistance.  In the US students can be included on their parents' employer-subsidized health insurance until the age of 26, which includes most undergraduates and many graduate students.  Since few international students have parents in the US with company-subsidized insurance, they end up buying their university's health plan, which can be much more expensive than parentally-provided insurance.  It's possible this may change under the ACA.