Expenses
You will be responsible for supplying the amount of money indicated on the financial certification form and on your I-20 or DS-2019 form. If you do not believe you can pay the costs indicated, you should request postponement of your enrollment until you have adequate funding. If the University incurs a tuition increase that is not reflected on your I-20 or DS-2019, you will be required to cover the additional costs. International students are not eligible to apply for financial aid until they complete a full year at the University of Minnesota. Students who are nearest to completing their degree programs, who have an unexpected change in their financial condition, have the highest funding priority. Financial aid funding is extremely limited.
F-1 students are eligible to work part-time on campus without work permission as soon as their first semester starts. Off-campus employment, however, is prohibited during your first academic year in the United States. In either case, employment is limited to 20 hours per week while school is in session. J-1 sponsored students are required to have work permission from their J-1 sponsor to work on or off campus. See F-1 Work Options or J-1 Work Options for more information.
Make sure you bring funds with you to cover immediate costs of purchasing warm winter clothing, health insurance, English courses (if you need them), rental deposit, at least two month's room and board cost, and your first semester's tuition and fees. You may want to bring enough money to cover ALL your living and educational expenses for the first semester. You will be billed for the first semester's tuition a few days after school begins. The amount of your tuition will vary according to your academic program. We suggest you bring $8,000 to $10,000 in traveler's checks or certified checks. We recommend you do not carry money in your luggage; keep it on your person at all times. Also, be sure you arrange for the balance of funds that you need for the year to be sent to you before the next semester begins.
If you are granted a teaching or research assistantship through your department, you probably will not receive your first payment from the University until a month or more after you begin working. Therefore, you should bring $2000-$3000 from your home country to meet your initial expenses. You should also calculate how much additional money you will need to meet your expenses during the rest of the year. Keep in mind that the total amount of your appointment may be subject to a deduction of as much as 28% to cover taxes on the value of the tuition waiver. If your appointment is for less than 50% time, you will need to have additional funds available due to the reduced tuition benefit and the lower salary.
If you decide to transfer money by means of international wire transfer from your bank, you must transfer the funds to your personal checking account not to the University. However, advanced tuition funds may be sent to the University for deposit into an account if you are required to show funds on account in order to get an entry visa. The University's requirement for accepting and processing advanced tuition funds is detailed.
The University cannot accept funds to cover living costs. If you bring a check from your bank payable to University of Minnesota, the funds will be deposited within a University account to which your tuition/fees will be charged. The University cannot, in accordance with U.S. laws, give you any portion of these funds directly to you. If you have questions concerning advanced tuition funds or checks made payable to the University, contact Gabriele Schmiegel at: International Student and Scholar Services, University of Minnesota, 190 Hubert H. Humphrey Center, 301 19th Ave. S, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA. email or write her at the ISSS address.
If you are a sponsored student (if you were granted a scholarship from an international agency or your home government, which will pay for your expenses), bring a letter with you that states:
- Your full name
- The length of time for which the funding is granted
- What is included (example: tuition, fees, insurance)
- An address where the University needs to send the bill
- The name of a contact person
- Any limitations (funding only for a specific degree or major)
If your agency wishes to be billed by the University, this must be stated in the letter. Be sure it is clear if fees and health insurance should be billed as well as tuition. Bring all sponsorship information with you when you come in for your document check at ISSS. Be sure your documents are in English.
See more information about tuition and billing .....
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Pre-Arrival Information