I-20 Information and Financial Requirements

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What’s an I-20?

A Form I-20 is the immigration document required to apply for an F-1 student visa. The I-20 is issued by an individual school in the U.S., and includes a summary of all relevant information for the school and student, including the dates you are anticipated to be enrolled in the degree program at that school and how you will cover the costs of your education in the U.S.

While an I-20 includes three pages, the first page has the information that is relevant for new students.  A sample I-20 can be found here: Sample I-20

ISSS will work with all admitted Graduate and Undergraduate international students on all matters related to the I-20. Students outside the U.S. will receive a new I-20, and students already in the U.S. will work with ISSS to transfer their existing I-20 (SEVIS record) to UMBC.


Financial Requirements and Documents for I-20 Processing

To make a Form I-20 for you, ISSS must verify that you have been admitted, that your personal information is correct, and that you have adequate funding to cover the costs of your education in the U.S. F-1 regulations require admitted students to show proof of funding for the cost of living and studying in the US for one year.

We will need:

  • a copy of the bio (picture) page of your valid passport
  • financial documentation (see below)
  • a letter of financial support (if financially supported by another person)
Spring 2025 Financial Requirements

The following student expenses are approximate and will vary based on the choices you make; they may not reflect all potential expenses, such as cost of books and materials, computers, and general cost of living. These estimates represent the cost of living and studying at UMBC for one year.

You must provide proof of available funding for at least the amount listed next to TOTAL for your degree level.

UNDERGRADUATE GRADUATE
Full-Time Tuition and Mandatory Fees* $31,474 $26,350
Living Expenses (lowest estimate)** $14,204 $18,564
Health Insurance $2,439 $2,439
Other Costs $1,600 $800
TOTAL (per year) $49,717 $48,153
Additional Dependent Expenses*** (for each dependent (spouse or child), if applicable) $5,225 $5,225

*All students are responsible for paying fees, including students who have been awarded a Graduate Assistantship (GA/RA/TA). Tuition rates are set by Student Business Services (SBS) and are subject to change. The Form I-20 is not a bill.

**The living expenses figure for undergraduate students reflects on-campus costs; the living expenses figure for graduate students reflects average off-campus costs. More information is available here.

***Dependent expenses reflect the cost of health insurance, food, additional rent for a larger space, and general costs of living.

 Fall 2025 Financial Requirements

The following student expenses are approximate and will vary based on the choices you make; they may not reflect all potential expenses, such as cost of books and materials, computers, and general cost of living. These estimates represent the cost of living and studying at UMBC for one year.

You must provide proof of available funding for at least the amount listed next to TOTAL for your degree level.

UNDERGRADUATE GRADUATE
Full-Time Tuition and Mandatory Fees** $32,160* $26,838
Living Expenses (lowest estimate)*** $14,466 $18,907
Health Insurance $2,439 $2,439
Other Costs $1,600 $800
TOTAL (per year) $50,665 $48,984
Additional Dependent Expenses**** (for each dependent (spouse or child), if applicable) $5,225 $5,225

*Academically competitive first-year undergraduate international applicants receive a merit-based scholarship between $5,000 and $12,000 USD. Apply by November 1 for best consideration.

**All students are responsible for paying fees, including students who have been awarded a Graduate Assistantship (GA/RA/TA). Tuition and fee rates are projected and are subject to change and USM BOR approval. The Form I-20 is not a bill. 

***The living expenses estimate for undergraduate students reflects average on-campus costs; the estimate for graduate students reflects average off-campus costs. More information is available here.

****Dependent expenses reflect the cost of health insurance, food, additional rent for a larger space, and general cost of living expenses.

 

Acceptable sources of funding include: 

Checking and savings account bank statements with a current balance, approved loan documents, scholarships and Graduate Assistantship (GA) awards. Please note: documents cannot be more than 6 months old.

  • If you have been offered a GA, please upload the offer letter or contract received from the UMBC academic department showing: amount of funding offered and dates of the GA contract as your financial documentation.
  • ​If you have been offered a merit scholarship by the Office of Financial Aid & Scholarships, please upload the offer letter along with your other financial documentation.

Financial Support Letter: If any of your financial documents are someone’s name other than yours, a signed Financial Support Letter must accompany the documents. The letter must include: the name of the sponsor, the sponsor’s relationship to you and a statement attesting that they expect to support all your expenses for the duration of your program (see Financial Support Letter Template).

You will also need to provide this financial documentation at your visa appointment at the U.S. Embassy.

Unacceptable sources include:

Real estate holdings, stocks, bonds, investments, salary verification letters, retirement funds, property, life insurance policies and unapproved loan documents. These are not accepted because they are not readily available to you, or because the value can change.

 


Requesting an I-20 in the ISSS Portal

Once admitted, you will receive an email from our office directing you to complete a New Student Request application. To do so please:

  1. Create and activate your myUMBC Account – please allow a minimum of 24 hours after account creation to log in to the ISSS Portal
  2. Log in to the ISSS Portal Homepage using your myUMBC username and password*
  3. Click the “Search Forms” button
  4. On the forms page, select “New F-1  Student Request”
  5. Select your term and click “Create” Your term is listed in your UMBC admission letter
    • Fall = August Start Date
    • Spring = January Start Date
    • Summer = June or July Start Date
  6. Review the “Instructions” section for required documents to submit
  7. Upload required documents in the “Attached Documents” section
    ** If you are receiving any kind of scholarship or Graduate Assistantship, be sure to upload a copy in this section to be included on your I-20 financial information! 
  8. Complete the “Dependent Request” and  “Student: Immigration Information” forms in the “Questionnaires” section.
  9. Transfer students ONLY: If you are already in the U.S. on an F-1 Visa, complete the “Recommendations” section
  10. Click the “Submit” button at the top of the page. Your application status will change from “Pending” to “Submitted – Under Review” if submitted correctly.
  11. Once you have submitted an application please allow 5-7 business days for review. At that time, you will receive an email with your signed I-20 and instructions on next steps

 

For step by step screenshots of the process, click here: I-20 Request Tutorial


Activate your myUMBC Account:

You cannot use the ISSS Portal to request an I-20 until 24 hours after you have fully activated your myUMBC account. Instructions on activating your account are below:

– Visit UMBC WebAdmin

– Click “Create My Account” — you will need your date of birth and UMBC Campus ID (format: AB12345)

 

Note on Health Insurance

F-1 students at UMBC are required to be enrolled in a US Health Insurance plan.  All F-1 UMBC students are automatically enrolled in UMBC’s Health Insurance plan upon registration each semester.  Please plan for these expenses as noted in the information above.  For more information on UMBC’s Health Insurance plan, , please review the information here.