Guidelines for Financial Support

Per U.S. immigration regulations, international students cannot be issued an I-20 or DS-2019 until they provide proof of their ability to pay tuition and living expenses for themselves and their dependents (if applicable). We recommend bookmarking this page for easy reference.

• Savings deposit and checking accounts.
• Approved/sanctioned education loans. (“In-principle” sanctioned loans will not be accepted.)*
• Bank letters or solvency certificates from bank.
• Time/fixed/term deposits or government bonds available for withdrawal at any time.
• Sponsorships or scholarships from an employer, government or non-governmental organization.
• Provident Funds ONLY IF document states amount available for withdrawal.
• USC scholarships (i.e. athletic awards, PhD funding, etc.)

Please see the examples below of acceptable financial documents:

Sample Company Sponsorship Letter

Sample Bank Letter

*A note about Private Financing from the United States: Private loans are available to international students, but two (2) forms of U.S.- based ID are required for approval (such as an I-20, I-94, DS-2019, and/or valid student visa). If you are unable to produce these at the time of loan application, your loan will not be fully approved. Conditionally approved loans are not acceptable forms of financial proof. Please be sure you are able to receive a fully approved, unconditional loan before submitting documents to USC, even from U.S. lenders. An I-20 will not be issued under any circumstances if a conditional loan approval is submitted.

• Investments in fixed assets such as real estate, gold, jewelry, automobiles, etc.
• Retirement funds, pensions, insurance policies.
• Tax returns.
• Salary/income/payroll statements.
• Pending or provisional educational loans. Ambiguous, conditionally approved loans. “In-principle” sanctioned loans.
• [Chartered] Accountant portfolio or Demat accounts.
• Candidate scholarship letters or scholarship applications.
• Cryptocurrency accounts or wallets.
• Online account screenshots.

Financial assets must be liquid and available for withdrawal at any time. If USC has trouble determining the liquidity or availability of your assets, additional documentation may be required.

If USC is unable to determine your available funds because the documentation is unclear, excessive, or too difficult to read, the financial statement will not be accepted. Only the total, final balance of an account is needed, not an extended history of transactions.

• Date of issuance. Documents should be dated no earlier than one year before the start of your admitted term at USC.
• Student’s name, or the account holder’s name if you are sponsored by someone other than yourself (parent, family member, etc.).
  • If the account holder(s) is someone other than yourself, please submit a signed USC Sponsored Studies form.
  • Undergraduate students may submit the Financial Statement of Personal or Family Support instead.
  • If you receive funding through a government scholarship or a major, recognized company, please provide a formal letter. You are not required to submit the forms listed above.
• Official letterhead that includes the signature or stamp of a bank or administrative official.
• Final available balance of individual liquid accounts or solvency amount. Currency must be clearly defined.
• Sufficient English to validate the financial information. If the document is not issued in English, then a certified, professional translation will be required.

Please see the Trojan International Checklist for guidelines on how to properly separate your documents for uploading.