Confused about Financial Aid Forms

[Sukasa]

Hello everyone.

 

This is my first time here, so I apologise if I'm asking something that's obvious to a more savvy applicant, or has been answered before. I did do a search, but maybe I'm not doing it right!

 

I'm in the middle of Fall 2015 MA applications now (last minute, I know) to US graduate schools, and I'm really rather confused about the dynamics of the Financial Aid Forms that one has to fill in, both for scholarship and also for providing information in general about plans to fund one's education.

 

If I'm to be frank, I only graduated in June 2014, and I don't have the resources to be able to go on to further study if I don't get significant sums for financial aid. My intention, if things don't work out, is to apply again sometime later, or to scrap the plans completely- or at least until I have some savings to be able to go. If I may say so myself, I feel I'm a fairly strong candidate with above average GRE scores for the institutions I'm applying to (JHU SAIS, Georgetown, Tufts Fletcher, Columbia SIPA) and a high academic profile, so I feel that it'll be worth a shot at least. If not, at least I've gained some experience. 

 

But the funds that I can scrape together at the moment is barely above half of what the above schools reckon will cost per year just for tuition. If I'm offered substantial scholarship, then my family may be more inclined to support me, and I may be able to stretch myself further with regards to private loans. But at the end of the day, unless this happens, I absolutely cannot afford to go. 

 

How do I compose these forms then? Should I write them with an (realistic, but nevertheless) overestimate, based on what I may be able to wrangle if I'm offered a scholarship, or should I be more sober about my situation now and be more conservative about my estimates? Is there a Goldilocks zone for this stuff? How will graduate schools view candidates who, without pretty generous amounts of aid, will simply be too poor to attend? 

 

Oh, and perhaps I should add I'm an international student (UK). Will this affect my chances much? I know the scholarships at the above institutions are open to both US and international students, but is there a difference?

 

Thanks