Financial Requirements
International students who are or will be in F-1 or J-1 visa status are required to show proof of adequate funding for at least one year before an I-20 or DS-2019 form can be issued. Financial requirements are calculated on the basis of tuition and fees (for two semesters), living expenses and miscellaneous expenses An additional $4,000 will be added for accompanying spouses and $1,500 for each child. Students must submit the Immigration Information Form along with appropriate attachments.
Our minimum requirements for one year (2009-2010) are as follows:
| Blacksburg | National Capital Region | |
|---|---|---|
| Tuition and fees | $17,928 | $17,725 |
| Room and board (12 months) | $8,400 | $9,600 |
| Miscellaneous expenses (books, insurance): | $3,500 | $3,650 |
| TOTAL | $30,000 (Rounded) | $31,000 |
If you need further information about tuition and fees, please contact the Bursar's Office.
Financial assistance for international students is available in the form of graduate assistantships. Assistantships are awarded by academic departments based on the students' academic merit, experience, and availability of funds. Some departments are able to offer more assistantships; others don't have any at all. Please contact the individual academic departments to find out their policy for awarding assistantships.
Assistantships come with a tuition scholarship that is at least proportional to the assistantship and an out of state fee waiver if the student makes at least $4,000 during the academic year on graduate stipend. The minimum requirement for students with assistantship does not include the out-of-state fee since it will be waived. Generally, a full assistantship will cover our minimum requirement, and thus no further financial certification is necessary.
A limited number of on-campus hourly wage jobs are available for students. International students are limited to 20 hours of work per week by immigration regulations. Students may apply for these jobs after arrival. Please note that off-campus work is not permitted to students in F-1 visa status for the first 9 months after their arrival to the United States.
The following documents are accepted as financial certification:
- A current (less than six months old) bank statement or certification from other legal financial institution, along with an official letter (affidavit of support) from the sponsor. The letter should include the student's name, sponsor's name, his/her relationship to the student (parent, sister, friend, etc.), the amount of support and the time period for which it will be provided, and a stated willingness to cover the student's expenses.
- Written confirmation from the sponsoring institution of a scholarship, fellowship, assistantship or other type of funding. For assistantship, a copy of the assistantship agreement signed by the department is required.
- In case of personal funds, a bank statement or statement from any legal financial institution that includes the student's name, and the amount available.
Please note that photocopies and statements older than six months are not acceptable.
Immigration Information Forms have to reach the Graduate School by the posted deadline, which is usually October 15 for the Spring semester and May 15 for the Fall semester. If you have questions about the availability of assistantships, please contact the appropriate department.