Before International Student Services (ISS) can issue the Form I-20 (F-1 students) or Form DS-2019 (J-1 students), admitted students must provide documentation that shows they have the required financial resources for their program. Students should use the Estimated Expenses Worksheet and Guide (see Attachments) to aid in determining their expenses and funding proof.
At a minimum, students must be able to show proof of funds that cover the total estimated cost of attendance for the first year of study at LSU. The source(s) of financial support should be dependable for the program duration. The estimated cost depends on the degree level and/or program of study:
Please be aware that LSU Online degree programs do not allow for F-1 or J-1 sponsorship. This means that ISS cannot issue Forms I-20/DS-2019 for students admitted to an LSU Online program.
Proof of funding
When gathering your financial documentation, please keep the following in mind:
- Bank statements, preferably in the form of a one-page letter from the financial institution, must meet the following criteria:
- Must be legible and translated into English.
- Must be less than six (6) months old from the date the statement/letter was issue.
- Must display both the name of the financial institution and the name of the account holder.
- Must display the available balance and the type of currency for the account.
- Should have a stamp/seal or signature from an official of the financial institution.
- If the bank statement is not in your name, your sponsor must complete the Sponsor Affidavit of Financial Support (see sample attached).
- Scholarship, award and/or sponsorship letters from institutions (e.g.: government or university) must be on official letterhead, include the amount and duration of the financial support, and should be signed by the person/entity making the award.
- The total combined value of all provided financial support documents must cover your total estimated cost of attendance for your program. If the available sponsored funds do not completely cover your costs, you will be required to show proof of additional financial support for ISS to determine eligibility for an LSU I-20 or DS-2019.
- ISS reserves the right to request additional proof of funding if any clarification is needed.
What types of funding does LSU's ISS accept?
| Acceptable |
Not acceptable |
| Bank letter or bank statement (see details above) for checking and/or savings accounts. Can be personal funds, family funds, funds from another sponsor, or any combination. |
Funding from an F-1 student (whether enrolled or on OPT/STEM OPT) who is seeking to sponsor another F-1 student |
| LSU funding: scholarship awards, graduate assistantship contracts, Tuition Awards, fellowships, etc. |
Statements indicating income or salary, or income tax returns or tax documents |
| Scholarships not from LSU (example: university in home country, another agency, etc.) |
Insurance policy statements |
| Sponsorship letters from government agencies (see details above) |
Property assessment statements |
| Education or private loan approvals for your study in the United States. Loan certificate or letter must include student's name and amount of loan approval. |
Credit cards |
| Fixed deposits with maturation date by start of semester of admission |
Cryptocurrency |
| Bank statements from business, company or corporate account with an accompanying letter on the bank's letterhead with a list of the signatories on the account. (See the Sponsor Affidavit of Financial Support for more details.) |
Funds and assets that are not liquid or are not immediately available |
How to Submit Proof of Funding
Admitted students will receive instructions via email from ISS on how to access the Intake I-20 or Intake DS-2019 application after they have
- been officially and unconditionally admitted to an on-campus program for the current Intake cycle
- confirmed their attendance or paid the enrollment deposit, if applicable.
Be advised that ISS only accepts proof of funding that is securely uploaded to the Intake I-20 application or Intake DS-2019 application. (Students should not email their documents to ISS. The documents will not be reviewed until securely submitted via the Intake application.)