What is Student Affidavit of Support?
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A Student Affidavit of Support is one of the most important documents required to pursue a degree abroad, especially the United States. In this article, we will inform you of everything about the student affidavit of support and give you more clarity about the paperwork as well, particularly for international students.
Once you have received acceptance from the university in the US, the next step is to complete a lot of paperwork in order to be admitted. One important document is the affidavit of support officially termed as Form I-864 is signed by the applicant's financial sponsorer. The United States follows one of the toughest immigration processes in the world. They want to be assured about the candidate's financial condition before offering a US student visa.
Affidavit of Support in USA
Applicants need to submit an Affidavit of Support, so, the school can issue the I-20 form to them. This form acts as proof that you are financially capable of managing your stay in the United States. It is issued by the sponsor showing sponsorship for the visa applicant which shows that they have enough income or source of money to support the applicant while he/she is staying in the US. Every university uses different terminology for the Affidavit of Support. Here are some of the terms used for Affidavit of Support:
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- Undergraduate Sponsor Statement
- Financial Resources Statement
- Form I-134
- Affidavit of Financial Support
- Declaration & Certification of Finances
Just showing the amount of money you or your sponsor (it can be your parents or guardians) have will not be enough. You need to get it verified from a reliable source i.e. your bank that the money is really there. Your final admission confirmation will not be complete till your Affidavit of Support is completed.
Documents Required to Prove Financial Ability for I-864
In order to prove the financial capability to study in the US, students have to take care of the documentation process carefully. Documents like academic transcripts, SOP, LOR, passports, etc., have to be shown to prove financial stability. Some of the other documents that have to be shown to substantiate the financial stability are:
- Bank statement (usually of the last one year)
- Loan sanction documents
- ITR statement (usually of the last one year)
- I-20 form
- Salary documents of the sponsors
- Scholarship documents (if applicable)
Significance of a Sponsor for Affidavit of Support
The parents, relatives, or any family member who is supporting the education of a student financially is known as the Sponsor of the student. Now, when a student applies for a study visa, he/she has to submit an affidavit of support to justify to the visa or consulate authorities that there is a sponsor backing his / her financial needs while staying in the U.S.
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When is an Affidavit of Support required?
First of all, you should understand at what step you require the 'Affidavit of Support'. All these steps come after you have completed the application process. These are the steps that will be followed before finally submitting an affidavit of support:
- Firstly, the university scrutinizes the application submitted by a student and then, communicates the intent to accept a student in a particular course
- After getting the preliminary acceptance from the university, students are required to accept the offer
- Once the offer is accepted, students are required to contact the International Programs Officer. The International Programs Officer helps students to move ahead with the visa application. The officer also helps in submitting the affidavit of support to the university.
- After this, the affidavit of support has to be submitted.
What happens after submitting an affidavit of support?
The university processes all the documents submitted by students, including an affidavit of support. Once the scrutinizing of all the documents is done and if the university is satisfied with the contents of the affidavit of support, it issues the I-20 thereafter.
Affidavit of Support for F1 Visa
The U.S. government gives permission to students from India and other countries to come on an F1 visa in order to pursue higher education from the universities situated in the U.S. However, Indian students who are applying for the F1 must have an affidavit of support for student visa. It certifies the capability of students to fund their education and the cost of living in the U.S.
When an I-20 form is issued by the university, it specifies that a student has been admitted to a program and has shown the financial capability to pursue the course and fund the living expenses. Students must be aware of all the information they have submitted at the time of applying for an F1 visa. The visa officials may ask questions based on the information submitted in the affidavit of support.
Affidavit of Support for Scholarship Students
This must be the question in the student's minds who have received the scholarship (even 100% scholarship), whether they need to show the Affidavit of Support or not? Or what to do in case if the university wants you to list the full tuition amount. First of all, it doesn’t mean that you have to pay the amount. You need not pay the fee and your scholarship is also binding in this case. However, in some cases, US universities may ask you to show documentation related to the scholarship while submitting your Affidavit of Support. In some cases, students get a partial scholarship like 75%, then in that case, students have to submit an Affidavit of Support. This helps the university to get sure that a student can pay the difference between the tuition fee and the scholarship amount.
Bank Balance certificate: It is a document issued by your or the sponsor's bank stating the amount of money present in the account of the account holder. Here, the account holder is either you or your sponsor.
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What is Affidavit of Support FAQs
Q. What is an Affidavit of Support for I-20 form?
A. Before any university in the U.S. gives you an I-20 form, you are required to submit an Affidavit of Support. This form basically shows that you have sufficient funds to cover the cost of your stay in the United States.
Q. Is an Affidavit of Support required for an F1 visa?
A. An Affidavit of Support is a must-have document for Indian students who are applying for an F1 visa. This would be beneficial to show that the applicants have a solid financer who will be able to support the applicant during his/her tenure of study in the USA. Since, F-1 visa holders go for a longer duration of study, it is equally mandatory for them to submit the affidavit of support.
Q. Why do I need an Affidavit of Support?
A. An Affidavit of Support is a document an individual signs to accept financial responsibility for the applicant who will be coming to live in the United States. With this, the US immigration is confirmed that you will have a good financial back up and will not resort to extra working hours while in the USA on a student visa or request for extra funds from the university or college they would be studying in.
Q. What is an Affidavit of Support for student visa in U.S.?
A. An Affidavit of Support is a contract signed and declared by an individual to guarantee the minimum amount of financial support needed by a student to pay for his / her living expenses, tuition fees, books and supplies for the length of studies. The total net value of assets as submitted must be less liabilities against them, and must equal five times the difference between the sponsor's income and 125% of the poverty level for the household size.
Q. What is the purpose of the affidavit of support?
A. The purpose of the affidavit of support is to make sure that you are financially capable of funding the heavy expenses of studying in the United States. Whoever is your sponsor must sign the Affidavit of Support, which is also referred to as the Form I-864. Your parents, sibling, guardian or even friends could be your sponsor for the tuition fee as well as cost of living.
Q. What is an affidavit of support for a student visa and in which countries is it required?
A. An affidavit of support for a student visa is a legal document that provides financial assurance to the visa-issuing authority. It typically states that a sponsor, usually a parent, guardian, or financial supporter, is willing and able to cover the student's tuition fees, living expenses, and other costs associated with their studies abroad.
An Affidavit of Support or a similar document is required for student visas in several countries, although the specific term and requirements may vary. Here are some countries that typically require this type of document:
- United States: Form I-134 or I-864 Affidavit of Support is often required.
- Canada: Not called an "Affidavit of Support," but requires proof of financial support. It may include a letter from the person or institution providing financial support.
- Australia: Requires evidence of financial capacity, which may include a formal letter of support from a sponsor.
- New Zealand: A financial undertaking for a student form is required.
- Germany: "Verpflichtungserklärung" (formal obligation letter), can be used as proof of financial resources.
- France: Proof of financial guarantees is required, may include an attestation of financial support from a sponsor.
- Spain: Proof of financial means is necessary, can include a notarised letter from parents or sponsors.
Q: What GPA is required for the University of South Dakota?
The University of South Dakota expects a GPA score of 2.5 from undergraduates and 3 from postgraduates on the 4-pointer scale. Along with the GPA scores, undergraduates must meet the basic eligibility and submit an ACT score of 21 or higher and an SAT score of 1070 or higher. In addition, they must submit the required documents, such as academic history, transcripts, letters of recommendation, English language scores, and more.
Q: What GPA is needed to go to Ohio State?
There is no minimum GPA score for UG admission at Ohio State. However, International students must have a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale or equivalent) for graduate admission. Applicants may submit a standardized test score (GRE or GMAT) if their cumulative GPA is below 3.0 for the last degree.
Q: Is MIT costly for Indians?
MIT is not costly for Indian students. Applicants can study BTech program at affordable tuition fees as compared to other BTech colleges in the USA. The MIT BTech fees is around INR 50 L to INR 52 L.
Q: What is the maximum and minimum score in GRE to get admission for MS in USA?
GRE is a popular standardised test for getting admission in MS program in the world. However, there are many universities in the USA that offer admission to MS courses without GRE scores. There is fixed minimum or maximum GRE score for admission. However, even if your GRE score is below the average for a particular program, you may still be considered for admission if you have strong qualifications in other areas. It is adviseble to check university website for the exact information.
Q: Is it hard to get into the UTSA in San Antonio Texas?
According to various sources, University of Texas San Antonio has an overall acceptance rate of around 87% which makes it somewhat selective for international student admissions. Some of the general requirements to be considered for admission are given as follows:
- SAT/ACT scores
- Overall Student's GPA
- Letters of Recommendation
- High School Class Rank
- Additional Academic Records
Q: How much is the application fee for Alabama University?
The Alabama University application fee for International students vary by application type. Mentioned below are the application fee for UG and PG applications at Alabama:
- UG: USD 40 or INR 3,342.14
- MBA: USD 80 or INR 6,684.28
Q: Is Texas Wesleyan hard to get into?
As per the US News and World Report, Texas Wesleyan University acceptance rate is 58%. This shows that the university's admission process is relatively selective. Therefore, some students may find it harder to get into the university. Also, international students are advised to check the minimum eligibility for their courses before applying. Please note that the data on the acceptance rate given above is taken from an unofficial source, therefore, it is subject to vary.
Q: What is the OHIO Excellence Scholarship?
First-year students who are new to the Athens campus of Ohio University are considered for the OHIO Excellence Scholarship. The factors that are considered to grant this scholarship are academic achievement, financial need, and individual contributions to the incoming first-year class. This is a merit-based scholarship and the award amount for this scholarship varies up to USD 6,500 annually.
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