International Student Waiting on a Funding Decision: How long is too long?

[ChoSundari]

So here's the situation:

 

1. international student

2. accepted into a great university in the US to pursue a masters degree

3. applied for 5 scholarships through the university and through my local government

4. declined for 4/5 scholarships, last one is a government scholarship from which there's been no indication of when to expect an answer for the past 4 1/2 months!

5. recently married and have the usual start-up expenses (including some unexpected medical expenses)

6. also applied on late admission to a local university as a back up, chances of getting in are good, no response from them as yet

7. first time applying to go out of country for academic studies and unfamiliar with US systems

 

Here's the problem:

 

1. This is an election year for my country and I feel like the government is preoccupied with politically related stuff - no care given to scholarship applications and communication is extremely vague and unhelpful as to when to expect an answer...

2. even if I get funding from that scholarship there are rumors that money may be late (at least 8 weeks)

3. as an international student my visa application process is being held up by no proof of funding and getting the I-20 form and visa interview etc takes about a month

4. no word from university about TA positions, also applied for other graduate position jobs and got one decline and no response from others

5. a number of affordable apartments I had my eye on have been snatched up (as expected) and I feel like my time is running out

6. marriage, medical expenses and those associated with starting a new life with my husband are making me nervous

 

My questions:

 

1. Should I just decline the offer from the US university and attend the local university if accepted (I can fully afford the latter)? I feel like maybe I'm running out of time...

2. Should I stick it out and see what happens with the scholarship from my government? 

3. How long is too long to wait? - I have a visa to process, leasing an apartment, moving etc. etc. all those things dependent on the funding from the scholarship...

 

Thanks for the advice in advance - I'm so torn right now

[nugget]

Can you defer your offer by one year? If you can attend next year instead when it is not an election year, you should get your scholarshipmoney faster, based on what you have said here. It sounds like a busy and stressful time in your life. Perhaps you could use this upcoming year to adjust to your new life with your husband, save more money and give yourself plenty of time to apply to more scholarships next year. Best of luck!

[TakeruK]

Deferring could be a good option. This is definitely one reason that schools would grant a deferral.

[ChoSundari]

Thanks for your responses I really appreciate it

 

I thought about deferring, but (1) I really want to start my masters this year - the job market is crap on a bachelors qualification, (2) when I was deciding between the two US universities I got into back in April my request to defer was declined by one of the universities even though I gave them the reason about the state of my government and the scholarship delay etc...this is what is deterring me from requesting a deferral from this university. I've already inquired about the procedure though, but then there's the whole idea of wasting a whole year in between...(3) I'm not even sure if I'm getting the scholarship/if there will be the same delay next year... 

 

I agree that now is a really busy time in my life..and I think financially it may be best to stay here, do my masters at the local university and probably think about going away with my husband for PhD...but this year has been so much work with applying and I've achieved so much - it feels like a crash landing 

[nugget]

By the sounds of it, if you do not receive funding one month before your program begins, you will get your visa after the semester has begun, which is too late. I think that if you don't hear anything one month before the program start date, you would be wise to go with your preferred choice of attending a local school for your master's and trying to get into a PhD program in the US afterwards.  

[ChoSundari]

By the sounds of it, if you do not receive funding one month before your program begins, you will get your visa after the semester has begun, which is too late. I think that if you don't hear anything one month before the program start date, you would be wise to go with your preferred choice of attending a local school for your master's and trying to get into a PhD program in the US afterwards.  

 

I agree...I am so bummed about this whole situation, but there's always another time I guess.

 

thanks so much for your response