How much should an international college student realistically expect to earn in a year from part time jobs?

Answered

Hi there! Unfortunately, it can be difficult for international students to secure financial support in the form of aid, work-study, and part-time jobs. Many elite colleges are need-aware for international students, meaning your admissions can be contingent on your ability to afford attending the school.

As for part time jobs, you can get a full breakdown on any immigration services website, but it can be confusing, so here's a summary - international students usually need to get a work visa of sorts, and company sponsorship. So if you do secure a position at a company, you need to make sure that they will accommodate for these things and that your start date isn't before you receive the visa. Sometimes there are rules around visas for students, such as not being able to work off-campus during your first year. So if you were to secure a tutoring job, you'd need to have it be through an on-campus program rather than being able to do it through a company. This can also make it tricky to work during vacation, as the demand for work at universities, especially for students, can be lower during holidays as there is less student population on campus.

I hope this helps you get a better sense of job acquisition at a U.S. university. If you want more information on applying to school as an international student, check out our Blog for plenty of guides on the topic. Here's an example of one:

https://blog.collegevine.com/the-american-college-admissions-process-made-easy-a-guide-for-international-students/