Step 1: Get Officially Accepted 📬
What this means:
Not just "the coach wants you"
Not just "we're offering you a scholarship"
You need an OFFICIAL acceptance letter from the admissions office
For athletes, this means coordinating between:
Athletic department (your coach, recruiting coordinator)
Admissions office (who actually accepts you academically)
Financial aid office (if you have scholarships)
Timeline: This varies by school. Some accept you 12-18 months before you start. Some accept you 2-3 months before. Start your recruiting process EARLY.
The school MUST be SEVP-certified.
This means the U.S. government has certified them to accept international students. Almost all legitimate U.S. colleges are certified, but you can verify at studyinthestates.dhs.gov.
Step 2: Prove You Can Afford School 💰
This is the part that holds up most athletes. Your school WILL NOT issue your I-20 until they're 100% confident you can pay for school.
What they want to see:
First year's costs covered:
Tuition and fees
Room and board (housing + meals)
Books and supplies
Health insurance
Personal expenses (clothes, phone, travel, etc.)
Typical first-year costs:
Public universities: $25,000-45,000
Private universities: $40,000-70,000
Living expenses: $10,000-20,000
How to prove you can pay:
📌 Option A: Athletic Scholarship (Best Case)
If you have a full athletic scholarship:
Get an official scholarship letter from your athletic department
Shows the dollar amount and what it covers
Make sure it covers tuition, fees, room, and board
If it doesn't cover everything, you need to show how you'll pay the difference
📌 Option B: Family Funds
Your parents or family will pay:
Documents needed:
Bank statements from the last 3-6 months
Bank letter on official letterhead confirming the account balance and that funds are available
The balance should show 1.5-2 years of expenses (not just one year)
Bank statements must be in English or officially translated
📌 Option C: Personal Savings
You have your own money:
Your bank statements
Proof the money is in YOUR name
Same amount requirements (1.5-2 years of costs)
📌 Option D: Sponsor/Third Party
Someone else is paying for you (relative, organization, government):
Affidavit of Support - Official document from sponsor promising to pay
Sponsor's bank statements proving they have the money
Sponsor's bank letter
Proof of your relationship to the sponsor (if family)
📌 Option E: Combination
Most common for athletes with partial scholarships:
Partial athletic scholarship: $15,000
Family funds: $20,000
Personal savings: $5,000
Total: $40,000 (covers first year at a $40K school)
Important notes:
📌 Schools typically want to see 1.5-2x your first year's costs, not just exactly enough. Why? They want to know you won't run out of money.
📌 The money must be LIQUID (in a bank account, not tied up in property or investments).
📌 All foreign documents must be translated to English by a certified translator.
📌 Bank balances must be in U.S. dollars. If your bank statement is in euros, pesos, rupees, etc., include the exchange rate and USD equivalent.
Step 3: Submit Financial Documents to Your School 📤
Where to send them:
Usually your school's international student office or admissions office.
They'll tell you exactly where.
How to send them:
Most schools accept:
Email (scanned PDFs)
Upload to an online portal
Mail (if they require originals)
What to include:
✅ Cover letter explaining your financial plan
✅ Bank statements
✅ Bank letters
✅ Scholarship letters
✅ Affidavit of support (if applicable)
✅ Any other financial documents
Timeline: Submit these ASAP after you're accepted. Schools won't process your I-20 until they have everything.
Pro tip: Make copies of everything. Keep digital and physical copies. You'll need these again for your visa interview.
Step 4: Wait for Your School to Create Your I-20 ⏰
Once your school has:
Your acceptance ✅
Your financial documents ✅
Verified everything ✅
They'll create your I-20 in the SEVIS system (Student and Exchange Visitor Information System—the U.S. government database that tracks all international students).
Processing time: Usually 1-3 weeks, but can vary. Some schools are fast (few days), some are slow (4+ weeks).
During busy season (May-July): Processing can take longer because thousands of students are doing this at the same time.
If there's a problem: The school will email you asking for more info or corrected documents. Respond IMMEDIATELY.
Step 5: Receive Your I-20 📬
How you'll get it:
📌 Option A: Email (Most Common After COVID-19)
Your DSO emails you a PDF
This is the official version
Print it on regular paper immediately
📌 Option B: Mail
They mail you the physical form
Takes 1-2 weeks for international mail
More secure but slower
📌 Option C: In-Person
If you're already in the U.S. on a different visa
Pick it up from the international office
What to do IMMEDIATELY when you receive it:
1️⃣ PRINT IT (if emailed)
Print the PDF on standard white paper. Don't print it on colored paper. Don't make it super tiny or huge. Regular size, regular paper.
2️⃣ CHECK EVERYTHING
Go through every single line:
✅ Your name spelled EXACTLY like your passport
✅ Your birthday is correct
✅ Your country of citizenship is correct
✅ Program start date is correct
✅ Program end date makes sense (usually graduation date)
✅ Financial information is accurate
✅ DSO signature and date are present
If ANYTHING is wrong, email your DSO immediately.
Even one letter wrong in your name will cause problems at the embassy and at the airport.
3️⃣ SIGN IT
On page 1, there's a space for your signature. Sign it in blue or black ink.
If you're under 18, your parent/guardian must sign it.
4️⃣ MAKE COPIES
Make 2-3 photocopies
Scan it and save the PDF
Email the scan to yourself
Keep copies somewhere safe
🛡️ Keeping Your I-20 Valid and Current
Your I-20 isn't a "set it and forget it" document. You need to keep it current.
When You Need a NEW I-20:
1. Program Extension
You won't finish by your program end date
Need more time to complete your degree
Must request BEFORE your current I-20 expires
Your DSO updates SEVIS and issues new I-20 with later end date
2. Change of Major
You switch from Engineering to Business
Might require a new I-20 depending on how different the majors are
Report to your DSO immediately
3. Change of Education Level
Finish your Bachelor's and start a Master's at the same school
Need a new I-20 for the graduate program
4. Transfer to Different School
Moving to a different U.S. college
Your new school issues a new I-20
There's a specific transfer process (don't just show up)
5. Personal Information Changes
Legal name change
New passport
Report within 10 days
6. Funding Changes
Your scholarship changes
Your financial support changes significantly
May need updated I-20
When You Need a TRAVEL SIGNATURE:
On page 2 of your I-20, there's a section for travel signatures.
You need a current travel signature to:
Leave the U.S. and re-enter
Basically every time you travel internationally
How long it's valid:
1 year for continuing students
6 months if you're on OPT (working after graduation)
How to get one:
Email or visit your DSO
Takes 5 minutes
They just sign and date page 2
Do this BEFORE you book international travel
If you travel without a valid signature:
You might not be allowed back into the U.S. Not worth the risk.
💰 Quick Note on Costs
Form I-20 itself: Free (your school issues it for free)
But you will need to pay:
SEVIS I-901 fee: $350 (required before visa application)
F-1 visa application fee: $185 (when you apply for visa)
These are separate costs that come AFTER you receive your I-20.
We cover those in next article.