I have thoughts in response to this question.
The topic of USFS plans for self-funded international opportunities first came up in the U.S. Men thread, and the context was (emphasis added to direct quote of what marshallpond wrote [and then later deleted]):
"With a crowded field of Junior Men in the International Selection Pool (ISP) competing for the limited Junior Grand Prix (JGP) spots, every skater wants to stand out and get the attention of the powers that be. Recognizing the abundance of talent, a survey was conducted to gauge interest among the skaters in participating in an international competition, with the caveat that the expenses would be covered by the skaters, not the fed."
So one concern of mine would be the following scenario:
USFS offered several skaters a self-funded opportunity to compete at International Event XYZ -- but Skater A was unable to accept. Later on, when USFS is making future decisions about USFS-funded assignments, I worry that Skater A potentially would be at a disadvantage compared to skaters who were able accept the self-funded international opportunity.
USFS would have no international result for Skater A to consider, whereas the other skaters would have international results from XYZ to their credit.
I see a risk that in the eyes of USFS, Skater A could "lose ground" compared to other U.S. skaters.
In addition, it worries me that because of benefits such as those articulated below for skaters who are capable of self-funding, Skater A also would lose ground to other U.S. skaters: