Financial Requirements for International Applicants 

International Applicants residing outside or inside the U.S. are required by U.S. LAW to submit appropriate evidence of their ability to finance their education especially during their first year of study.

The University of Bridgeport will issue you the Certificate of Eligibility (Form I-20) if you are offered admission AND show adequate financial ability.

The Financial Documents Required for I-20 Issuance

1. The Financial Statement for International Students (FSIS) form completed, dated, and signed by you and your sponsor(s). You can download the FSIS form by going to http://www.bridgeport.edu/admissions/FSIS.pdf
   
   
2. An ORIGINAL Bank Statement, no more than 6 months old, from your sponsor or sponsors indicating that the required funds are available. The bank statement must be written in English on official bank letterhead, contain an account number, the amount of money available in U.S. or foreign currency and MUST be signed and dated by a bank official no more than six months prior to the date you are applying on. The sponsor(s) name(s) must also be mentioned on the Bank Statement.
   
   
3. Government-sponsored or company-sponsored students MUST submit an official letter from their sponsoring governments or companies indicating which costs (tuition, fees, health insurance, room, board, etc.) will be provided.

If you would like to receive your I-20 form as soon as possible, be sure to send these documents along with your application form.

The Purpose of the I-20 Form

1. If you are outside the U.S., a UB I-20 will enable you to apply for the F-1 Student Visa at the American Consulate/Embassy in your home country and then enter the U.S. in lawful F-1 status to attend UB as a full-time student. (Canadian citizens are not required to obtain an F-1 visa. They may enter the U.S. as F-1 students using their I-20 forms only).
   
   
2. If you are already in the U.S. in lawful F-1 status at another U.S. educational institution, a UB I-20 will enable you to properly transfer your immigration record to the University of Bridgeport once you’re registered as a UB full-time student.
   
   
3. If you are already in the U.S. in another lawful nonimmigrant status or category such as B1, B2, H1B, H4, F2, etc, and you wish to change to the F-1 Student Status, a UB I-20 will enable you to apply to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) for a change of status to the F-1 Student Status.

How To Show Enough Funds for Your First Year at UB

You will need to demonstrate how you will finance your education at the University of Bridgeport during your first year of study. When you go for your visa interview, you will also be asked how you will finance the subsequent years of your studies.

First, someone is going to need to be responsible for your University of Bridgeport educational costs. This someone is the sponsor. The sponsor can be someone in the U.S. or in your home country. The sponsor can be you, your father, your mother, your uncle, your aunt, or any other family member or friend. The sponsor can also be a company, a government, a church, or a combination of these sources. In other words, you may have more than one sponsor. However, it is NOT advisable to have more than 2-3 sponsors.

For example, if UB costs $30,000 for a Bachelor’s degree each year, your father may have $20,000 and your uncle may have $10,000 to contribute to your first year expenses. However, your father and your uncle would have to fill out and submit separate FSIS forms and separate bank statements showing that the above amounts are available in their bank accounts.

Another example, if you received a UB international undergraduate scholarship for $10,000/year, you would then need to show how you or your sponsor(s) would finance the remaining $20,000 of your educational costs. In this case, you or your sponsor(s) would need to submit a bank statement for $20,000.

Whether your studies are being financed by means of your own personal savings, parental support, outside private or government scholarships, or any combination of these, you must arrange to send official bank statements or official financial sponsorship letters with your application form.

Important Points to Remember

• The University of Bridgeport offers partial merit scholarships for international undergraduate students seeking a Bachelor’s or an Associate’s degree. The maximum scholarship amount offered is $10,000/year. UB does NOT offer full scholarships to international undergraduates. For more information on international scholarships, please click on "Scholarships" on the left of this page or visit http://www.bridgeport.edu/pages/3301.asp
  
  
• The University of Bridgeport does NOT offer any scholarships for international graduate or post-graduate students seeking a Master’s or a Doctorate degree. These students need to provide financial proof for the total cost of their education.
  
  
• For information on UB costs, please click on "Costs" on the left of this page or go to http://www.bridgeport.edu/pages/3279.asp