International Student CANNOT qualify for any Federal Aid (FAFSA) if they are not eligible non citizen.  Before April of 2010, when Mr. Obama signed the law, GC pending were qualified for Federal Loan through FAFSA, but it is not possible now. You must be in possession of GC if you want to apply for FAFSA.

For private loans, you need a co-signer who is a US LPR or a Citizen with a job and good credit history.  The loan is reported in cosigner's credit report until the cosigner is relieved by the lending insititution (usually after 36 months).  If the credit history is not good, you may get a very high APR loan.  Remember, student loan is never forgiven (except participating in loan forgiveness program which means working for free until loan is paid).

Source: Personal Experience.  In US, if you are not the son of a millionaire, you cannot go to graduate school without a student loan.  Graduate School, esp. Law, Med, Business.  (None of them costs below 80K).  I am talking about good student who go to good school and enroll in good programs.  There are many cheap Engineering and Cheap paper MBA programs available though.  Graduating from them is nothing more than a degree from Bihar.