Confirmed international graduate students requesting an I-20 or DS-2019 will receive an email invitation to the UW’s International Student & Scholar Services (MyISSS) within three UW business days. Students will use the link from the email to log in with their UW NetID and password. Once logged in, students will follow the online instructions to complete the I-20 or DS-2019 request process and upload copies of the biographical page of their passport and proof of funding for studies in the U.S. See the Admitted International Graduate Students page for more information.
It is the student’s responsibility to update their financial information themselves in MyISSS. However, to help students understand the amount of their funding, you are requested to clearly state the total value of UW funding in their offer letters. The students will use these departmental offer letters in their visa interviews at U.S. consulates or embassies, and they will also upload a copy of the department offer letter into their MyISSS when they request the I-20 or DS-2019.
Sample Financial Offer Letter A:
A student is awarded a Teaching Assistantship and will start Autumn Quarter. The student receives a complete tuition waiver ($35,781 estimated annual value) and a monthly salary ($3,000 x 9 months). You can provide the student an offer letter that includes the statement: “The total value of this financial support is $62,681 per academic year (nine months).”
The student doesn’t need to submit any personal or family bank statement when they request the UW I-20 in MyISSS, because the UW funding is greater than the $62,128 financial ability requirement for their first 9 months of study.
Sample Financial Offer Letter B:
A student is awarded a Non-Residential Differential (NRD) award for one quarter, and a $10,000 merit scholarship to begin studies in Summer Quarter 2023. Instead of paying $17,484 for Non-Resident quarterly tuition, the student can pay the Washington resident rate of $11,870. You estimate the value of the one quarter NRD award as $5,614.
You provide an offer letter that states: “The total value of this financial support is $15,614 for the 2023-2024 calendar year.”
The student’s total requirement for their first 12 months of study is $81,993 per the UW financial ability requirement. So they need to demonstrate the remaining $66,379 with personal or family funding.
How do I compute the Total Value of the Financial Offer?
You may be unsure how to estimate the dollar amount on the award being offered to an admitted student. If the student is being offered an RA or TA (or other Academic Student Employee) position, you can check with your department’s HR unit.
You can also complete this chart and return it to GEMS for assistance in determining the value of the award.