Admitted International Students

All students must show that they can financially support themselves for the duration of their program. You will need to submit supporting financial documents for your funding sources (self-support, family or individual sponsor, government or agency sponsor, George Washington University, or other loans). When submitting your financial documents, ensure they meet the following requirements:

• Must be in English, if documents are not in English you must include an official English translation.
• Indicate the currency of funds.
• Have an issue date that is no more than 12 months from the time you plan to begin your studies.
• Be on official letterhead (a self-typed note is not acceptable).

The amount of funds required will depend on the source of funding. You can download the Accepted Bank Document Guidelines.

Self-Support or Personal Funds

If you are using personal funds as your sole source of support, you must have sufficient funds for the entire length of your program (two years for a master’s program; five years for a doctoral program). Your funds must be in cash (e.g., checking or savings accounts) and not subject to withdrawal restrictions. Funding in stocks and other long term investments will not be accepted. If you do not have sufficient funds for the entire duration of your program, a sponsor must agree to provide support for the remaining amount. Ensure your documents meet the following requirements:

• Contain your full name;
• Balance(s) sufficient to meet the funding amount listed on the VRF. All self-support listed on the VRF will need to have a bank statement which covers the amounts listed for self-support.

Family or Individual Sponsor

If your funds are provided by a family or individual sponsor, you must provide a letter from each sponsor’s bank (or a bank statement) that shows:

• The account holder’s name
• Balance(s) sufficient to meet the funding amount listed on the VRF. The sponsor(s) must demonstrate funding sufficient to cover the first year of the program. (Funding must still be listed for the duration of your program on the VRF.)

Government or Agency Sponsor

If you are using funds or scholarships approved and granted by another university, an international organization, a government agency, a foundation, or an employer, you must provide an official sponsorship approval letter for each source that shows:

• The student’s name
• The program in which the student is enrolled, including The George Washington University as the destination
• The name and address of the sponsor
• Start and end dates of the sponsorship
• The total amount in U.S. dollars available to the student for study and related expense.

The letter must also specify whether or not health insurance is included in the sponsorship. If health insurance is not included, the student must show available funds to cover the expense.

Funding from GW

If you receive an award from CCAS then we will include the letter with your financial documents. You will need to include the amount (divided if necessary over more than one year) on the table on page 2 of the Visa Request Form.  

Loans

Students may submit loans in their own name (personal funds) or in a family member’s name (family funds). If your funding comes from loans, all submitted loan documents must show the following:

• The borrower’s name
• The amount for which the loan has been approved. (All loans must be approved before submission.)

International students must submit a copy or scan of the biographic page of their passport. The passport scan or copy must be:

• Legible, and must show the entirety of the biographic page (nothing can be cut off including the machine readable zone at the bottom)
• Valid for six months past the start date of the program (this is required for entry into the U.S.)