Criteria for Financial Proof
Requirements for Supporting Financial Documentation
International students must present evidence of sufficient funds available to meet financial obligations at SDSU. Your I-20 (F-1 students) or DS-2019 (J-1 students) will not be issued until the completed financial statement form and acceptable supporting financial documentation is received. The Financial Statement Form shows the minimum amount required for each program category - Please note, there is a Financial Statement Form specifically for F1 applicants and a different one for J1 students. Make sure you are using the correct Financial Statement Form and that it is for the academic year for which you have been admitted.
Check the guidance below carefully to make sure your supporting financial documents meet the requirements. If they don't meet the criteria, you will be asked to resubmit new documents which will delay the processing of your I-20 or DS-2019.
- Be less than 6 months old
- Be in English or be accompanied by a certified translation in English
- Be clear and easy to read
- Be an official bank document, bank statement, or bank letter - no more than two pages. Please do not submit multiple pages of transaction history
- If bank letter or bank document, it must be on an official bank headed page, and be signed/stamped with official bank stamp by a bank representative
- It should specify what type of account/s (for example, savings or checking account) the funds are in as it needs to be a confirmed liquid asset.
- Indicate the currency
- Clearly show the date of issue and the account holder’s name.
- Show an account balance or confirmation that the account contains enough to meet the minimum requirements as shown on the required Financial Statement Form.
- A combination of funding from more than one account can be submitted to meet the minimum requirement, as long the funds are liquid and the documents meet all the other requirements
- Please review the kinds of documents that are and aren’t acceptable below.
- Checking accounts
- Savings account
- Certificates of Deposit
- Fixed Deposit Accounts and Time Deposit Accounts (with maturity dates)
- The dates of maturity must be within the last 6 months, or show that the funds will be available within 6 months in the future. Alternatively, the bank can state that the funds are available for withdrawal at any time.
- Student loan confirmation documentation - official loan sanction letter required. It must be valid for the academic year for which you have been admitted.
- If you are a sponsored student receiving Sponsorship from your home government, you will need to submit documentation proving your scholarship funding for the academic year/level for which you have been admitted.
- Graduate admits receiving funding through a Graduate Teaching Assistantship or research stipend must submit proof of funding in an official department letter stating the funding amount and including the academic year for which you have been admitted.
- Proof of any other type of Scholarship funding you have been awarded specifically for education purposes.
- Securities (Stocks/Shares/Investments) - unless accompanied by official confirmation that the value of these assets are liquid/can be converted to cash immediately. It must be clear in the submitted documentation that the funds are available for withdrawal at any time.
- Pension Accounts
- Paystubs or proof of salary letters
- Lines of credit including Credit Card available balances
- Can I submit proof of funding from more than one sponsor or more than one bank account from the same person?
- Yes, you can have more than one sponsor or show proof of funds from more than one bank account as long as the account/s show liquid funds. Ideally, please provide all the documents in one PDF when submitting to avoid processing delays. Please ensure that whomever is agreeing to provide proof of funding as your sponsor signs Section D of the Financial Statement Form (FSF). (You would submit additional Section D as necessary, but are not required to submit an entire new FSF for each additional sponsor)
- I have a Scholarship or Graduate Teaching Assistantship Funding package but it doesn’t cover the full required minimum amount as shown on Section B of the Financial Statement Form. Can I submit other sources of proof of funding?
- Yes, you may submit multiple sources of funding according to the list shown on the Financial Statement Form. Just check the applicable boxes and submit the financial documents. Please submit all the documents in one PDF for efficiency of processing.
- My bank won’t issue a bank statement in English. What can I do?
- All financial documents must either be in English or be accompanied by a certified translation. We will accept a bank letter in English if it includes all the required information. Documents not in English will not be reviewed. If you need suggestions for online translation services, please email [email protected].