Financial Requirements for International Students

Financial Requirements

The University of St. Thomas is required by the United States government to examine the financial documentation of F-1 and J-1 students to verify whether their financial support is sufficient to issue an I-20 or DS-2019.

An international student at St. Thomas will need to show official proof of sufficient funds to cover estimated Cost of Attendance including tuition and fees, books and supplies, room and board, health insurance (required by state law) and personal expenses.

Applicants must submit official proof of funds sufficient to cover all expenses for an academic year. All financial documentation must be received before your immigration paperwork can be issued.

Submit Proof of Sufficient Funds

Official proof of funding must meet the following criteria. A photocopy of the financial statement will be accepted if it meets the above requirements. An English translation by an official translating agency may be necessary. If so, please provide this translation along with the documentation you submit.

Documentation must be less than 3 months old at time of application
Documentation must either be on original bank letterhead stationery or be stamped by the issuing bank, in ink, with an official bank stamp
Funds must be liquid assets only and do not need to be in U.S. dollars

Things to note:

Funds do not need to be in the student's name
Funding can be from personal funds, funds from the student's family/sponsor, scholarships, fellowships or sponsoring agencies or governments
If a bank account is not in the student’s name, write the student’s name at the top of the bank statement to ensure timely processing
Property is not an acceptable source of funding
The face value of retirement fund accounts and certificates of deposit that will not be mature by the student’s academic start date will be reduced by 40% (due to penalties and/or taxes for early withdrawal)

The University requires all F-1 and J-1 students to purchase the university’s health insurance plan
If a student is accompanied by a spouse on an F-2 visa, they must show an additional $6,000/year
For each child who will accompany a student on an F-2 visa, the student must show an additional $3,000/year
These amounts do not include the cost of round-trip travel expenses, which students should plan for as a part of their personal finances

Claim your St. Thomas email account, then log in to the Office of International Students & Scholars (OISS) student portal.

Claim your St. Thomas email account. Go to the university's account claim page and insert your St. Thomas ID and birth date. Your St. Thomas ID can be found in your St. Thomas application portal. Contact us at international@stthomas.edu if you are unable to locate your St. Thomas ID.

After you claim your account, you will need to log into the OISS Student Portal to complete your immigration profile and upload the necessary documents. Once we verify your request, we will issue your I-20. If you are not an F-1 student, please contact us to discuss your situation.