International Graduate Financial Requirements

All F-1 (student visa) international students are required by the U.S. government to submit a Certification of Finance (COF) to their university. The COF is evidence that a student has sufficient funds to pay for tuition and living expenses for the first year of graduate studies at USF.

In your online application account, please upload proof of funds (bank statements, bank letter, scholarship letter) in the section for Certification of Finances. Proof of funding is required in order for your application to be reviewed for admission.

A bank statement or letter issued by the bank with the account holder’s name, currency type and account type in English should be uploaded. The document must be dated within 12 months of the program start date, and should show the minimum (or more) funding required by your graduate program for the first year of studies.

Valid account types include checking accounts, savings accounts, time deposits, certificates of deposit (CDs), money market accounts and cash in investment accounts. Funds in stocks/investments, bonds, lines of credit, real property or statements of income are not accepted.

Scholarship letters are also accepted from governments and organizations. The letter must be in English and indicate the amount of funds awarded.

If you have a sponsor, they must provide a signed statement that says: “I agree to financially support [your name] during their graduate studies at USF” for you to upload. Their name and signature on the letter must be in English characters with the date. Upload this letter to the application in the Certification of Finances section, along with their bank documents.

If you plan to bring dependents with you who will need an F-2 visa, please provide additional proof of funding to cover their expenses. If you were awarded a scholarship that includes funding for your dependents, please have them listed on the scholarship letter. For a 9-month program, please add an additional $5,400 per dependent adult, and for a 12-month program, please include an additional $7,200 per dependent adult. Child dependents require an additional $400 for each month of the first year of your studies.

Below are the estimates for the first academic year of graduate programs at USF. Please note these estimates are valid for students starting their studies in the semesters specified in the following tables.

 
Estimated First Year Budget for programs starting in Summer/Fall 2021 and Spring 2022

*Students admitted to Biology and Chemistry receive full scholarship and teaching assistant-ship. Graduate Student Association fee is $70 per year.

Living Expenses is estimate for shared housing (rent), food at home ($400 per month), and health insurance ($3,158 for 2020-2021).

Other Expenses is estimate for books, a local transit pass, and personal expenses, such as eating out and entertainment.