Information for Sponsors

Sponsored student programs at the University of Minnesota provides the following special services to sponsors seeking to place students at the University:

• Coordination of financial arrangements, such as billing for students, assistance and routing of billing authorization letters, monitoring of student accounts, distributing checks to students. Negotiation of University cost share arrangements on behalf of sponsors with University departments and Colleges, packaging of awards into student accounts.
• Liaison with the Office of Undergraduate Admissions to facilitate admission of sponsored undergraduate students. Review and routing of application packages on request by sponsor to admissions office and departments.
• Advise sponsored students on the terms of their sponsorship, facilitate sponsor specific procedures such as paperwork for extension requests, health insurance waiver requests (if qualified, see below), reimbursement, dependent certification and others.  Liaison with sponsor to solve issues.
• Ongoing academic monitoring, identification of issues impacting individual academic success, academic counseling of students experiencing difficulties, helping students navigate and access support services at the University. Working with academic advisers to facilitate student success. Facilitate issuance of transcripts (official and unofficial) at the end of each semester upon sponsor request.
• Personal counseling and advising of students on all matters of concern, including immigration, cultural adjustment, personal well-being.
• Liaison with the University’s student insurance office to coordinate benefits, resolve claims issues, explain coverage, facilitate waivers from the University insurance mandate if appropriate.  Please note that the University of Minnesota requires that all international students, scholars and their dependents enroll in the Student Health Benefit Plan or the Graduate Assistant Insurance Plan (for graduate students with appointments of at least 25%). International students may receive a waiver from this mandate only the sponsor provides a letter acknowledging full financial responsibility for all medical claims. If an insurance plan is part of the benefits that the sponsor provides, then the coverage through that plan must be equal to or better than the coverage provided through the University’s plan with a claims administrator located in the United States. In addition, the sponsor must provide a copy of the contract and benefits and a letter stating that they will be fully responsible for any claims not covered through the insurance provider. See information about the University’s insurance plan .
• Support with application for Individual Tax Payer Identification Numbers (ITIN) for students who do not qualify for Social Security Numbers to facilitate the disbursement of scholarship monies. Please note that ISSS is not allowed by University policy to provide tax information and individual assistance on completing tax forms.
• Liaison with Housing and Residential Life to reserve spaces for sponsored students in residence halls upon request by the sponsor. We can request but cannot guarantee roommate matching or that sponsored students are placed with US citizen roommates.
• Additional orientation module for sponsored students to explain campus resources, cultural adjustment, health and safety. Workshops during the semester on selected topics of interest.
• Pre-departure and reentry interview for sponsored students concluding their program at the University. 
• Make appropriate referrals to facilitate placement of students in professional affiliations to complement their academic experience.
• Coordination of sponsor site visits to the University of Minnesota, including scheduling of appointments with relevant University faculty and staff, academic advisers, students and other University officials.
• Expedited issuance of visa documents after admissions decisions have been made.

The University has enrolled sponsored students for more than 60 years. Currently there are close to 300 sponsored students on campus who represent 48 countries. We work closely with sponsored program agencies such as the Institute of International Education (IIE), LASPAU, AMIDEAST, USAID, WHO, World Learning, IREX, American Councils, to name a few. In addition, we know the staff at the Cultural and Educational Divisions of the foreign embassies and consulates in the US, and have met with representatives of foreign employers, non-governmental organizations and other institutions abroad who send students to the University of Minnesota.

Key to facilitating student success is a close working relationship with the sponsored student coordinator, Ms. Gabriele Schmiegel. Please contact her with questions or concerns at schm0535@umn.edu or 612-626-7428.