Please follow instructions on the VIDOF specific to your program of study to determine the amount of assured funds you need to provide according to your program's cost of attendance.
U.S. federal law requires the ISSO to verify immediate availability of assured funds for you to study at Brandeis.
Students requesting a form I-20 to apply for the F-1 student visa are required to provide proof of assured funds to cover at minimum one full academic year.
Students requesting the form DS-2019 to apply for the J-1 student visa are required to provide proof of assured funds to cover the entire duration of his or her academic program (of which at least 51% of this funding must be from sources other than personal or family/friend funding). This does not apply to students who are requesting a J-1 student visa for exchange programs.
Any expenses not covered by Brandeis financial aid (i.e. scholarships/loans/fellowships/assistantships), must be covered through personal, family or outside sponsored funds.
To verify the availability of such funds, we require that all students submit the following items:
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Bank Statement(s) or Bank Letter(s) which verifies the availability of funds in each bank account that will be drawn upon to cover your program costs. Bank statements or letters must include the account holder(s) name(s), account balance (or confirmation from the bank that the account has sufficient funds to cover the cost of attendance), balance date, and currency type.
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An official Award Letter from each organization granting you a scholarship or loan, stating the terms and the exact amount of the award. Please note that if you are using a loan as proof of funding, your loan(s) must be approved prior to the ISSO issuing a Form I-20 or DS-2019.
Students will be required to provide such original financial documentation and support letters to the U.S. Embassy or Consulate at the time of their visa appointment.
Students may also be asked to provide these original documents to the officer at the port of entry upon entry to the United States.
Please Note: Bank documents must include a date on the form and can be no more than one year old from the intended date of enrollment at Brandeis. The document must also include a specific balance or a minimum specific balance (in U.S. dollars or foreign currency). Bank documents that verify that an account holder is "in good standing" but do not indicate a specific minimum balance will not be sufficient.
All documents should be provided in English or should be accompanied by an official English translation.
All funding sources must be liquid/available (not frozen) and transferable to the U.S.