Estimated Costs & Financial Requirements

To receive a Form I-20 (F-1 students) or Form DS-2019 (J-1 students), you will need to provide documentation showing that you have sufficient liquid financial resources to meet or exceed the estimated cost of attendance for academic year of study in the United States.

The estimates listed below are used only to determine eligibility for a Form I-20 or DS-2019. Your actual expenses may be different.

Costs may vary based on:

• Your academic program

• Program-specific fees

• Housing and personal living choices

Some programs have special tuition rates that are not included in these estimates, including:

• MBA

• Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT)

• Physician Assistant (PA)

• Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS)

• Doctor of Medicine (MD)

For information about scholarships and private education loans, visit the Stony Brook University Office of Financial Aid and Scholarship Services.

Estimated Cost of Attendance

The following estimates are used only for issuing your Form I-20.

Actual costs may vary depending on your program and living arrangements.

F-1 Graduate Students (Master’s and PhD)

Estimates are based on enrollment in 9 credits per semester.

J-1 Exchange or Visiting Students

The estimates below are used to issue Form DS-2019.

Acceptable Sources of Funding

To receive a Form I-20 or Form DS-2019, you must provide financial documentation showing that you have sufficient funding to cover one academic year of study. Your funds must be liquid, meaning they are immediately available for withdrawal.

Your financial documents must:

• Be written in English, or include an official English translation

• Be issued within the last 6 months

Screenshots, unofficial documents, or altered copies cannot be accepted. If your documents do not meet these requirements, the issuance of your Form I-20 or DS-2019 may be delayed.

When uploading documents to accessVIS:

• Files must be uploaded in PDF format

• Files larger than 100 MB must be compressed before uploading to avoid an error message.

Financial Document Requirements

Your financial documents must:

• Be an official bank document or statement

• Be written in English or include an official translation

• Be issued within the last 6 months

• Include the account holder’s full name

• Include the account type

• Show the current account balance and currency

• Show liquid funds that can be withdrawn immediately

The U.S. dollar amount will be calculated using the currency exchange rate on the day your request is processed.

Acceptable Financial Documents

Bank Letters or Bank Statements

Bank Letters or Bank Statements must:

• Include the account holder’s name
• Include the date of issuance
• Be issued within the last six months
• Show the account type (checking, savings, current, etc.)
• Show the total available balance
• Be printed on official bank letterhead or statement format
• Include a bank signature or stamp when available

University Funding or Scholarship Letters

University Funding or Scholarship letters must:

• Be on official university or department letterhead
• Include your name or student ID
• State the amount of funding
• State the duration of funding
• Include a signature from an authorized official

Education Loan Documentation

Loan documentation must:

• Be written in English or include an official translation
• Be printed on official letterhead
• Include the approved loan amount
• Include the purpose of the loan
• Include the period of financial support
• Include the signature of an authorized officer

The loan must be fully approved. Conditional loan approvals are not accepted.

Government Financial Guarantee

Government Financial Guarantee letters must:

• Be written in English
• Be printed on official government letterhead
• Include your full name
• Include the amount and duration of financial support
• Include the signature of an authorized government official

Company or Corporate Sponsorship

Company or Corporate Sponsorship letters must:

• Be printed on official company letterhead
• Be written in English
• Include your full name
• Include the amount of sponsorship
• Include the duration of sponsorship
• Include the signature of a company official with financial authority

Funding Sources That Cannot Be Accepted

The following documents cannot be used as proof of funding:

• Real estate property deeds

• Physical assets

• Trust accounts

• Salary statements

• Credit card statements

• Stocks or bonds that cannot be withdrawn immediately

• Retirement accounts that cannot be withdrawn immediately

• Mutual funds that cannot be withdrawn immediately

International Student Service Fee

All F-1 and J-1 students are assessed an International Student Service Fee each semester.

This fee supports services such as:

• Immigration advising

• Compliance with U.S. government regulations

• Support programs for international students

• Assistance with adjusting to life and education in the United States

Cost: $160 per semester

For detailed information about university fees, visit the Student Financial Services website.