Review Estimated Costs of Attendance

To obtain a Form I-20 from Georgia State, you must show access to funds in liquid form (available for immediate withdrawal at any time) available to cover estimated tuition and fees (subject to annual increases), and estimated costs of living in Atlanta. Personal expenses may vary greatly.

Tuition & Fees

Be prepared to pay your 1st semester’s tuition and fees in full at course registration, including your housing if you plan to live in Georgia State Student Housing. Graduate students with assistantships must pay the mandatory and health insurance fees plus housing if you are living in Georgia State Student Housing. If you are expecting a third party to pay your tuition and other fees, you need to make special arrangements with Student Financial Services to bill your sponsor. Additional details regarding the sponsored billing process are available on their website. Tuition and fees are paid via your PAWS account, which is the online student portal maintained by the Office of Student Accounts. Forms of acceptable payment include: cash, check, credit card, or international wire transfer.

Estimated Costs

Supporting documents

You will need to obtain two originals of each supporting document that you use for your application, if you need to apply for a visa to enter the U.S. Attach one set to the International Applicant Immigration Form for university records. Present the other set to the U.S. Embassy or Consulate at the time you apply for a visa. Please note that the financial documents submitted to the U.S. Embassy or Consulate must not be older than 60 days. The documents submitted to Georgia State must not be older than 6 months. Remember that you will only need to submit those documents that apply to your own financial situation.

Bank Certification Letter. This letter is required of all students who use personal or sponsor funds. It must meet these standards:

  1. Original letter on bank letterhead with bank’s contact information including telephone number and address
  2. Full name on the account, account number and the date account was opened
  3. Current and/or average amount of the account
  4. Currency, type (savings, checking, etc.) and terms of the account
  5. Bank official’s printed name and original signature
  6. All funding should be in a liquid form such as a checking or savings account. If the funding is in the form of investments, the bank/financial institution official must state the terms of the investment and whether or not the money is accessible for your education
  7. Any documents which are unreadable, unclear, or appear questionable for any reason will cause delays
  8. All documents must be in English or accompanied by an English translation

Sponsor(s) Letter of Commitment (an affidavit) or Sponsor Commitment Form. This letter/form is required of all students who have a sponsor. The sponsor’s bank documentation is required with this letter/form. The sponsor must include the following information in their letter of support:

  1. Student’s full name
  2. The relationship between the student and the sponsor
  3. The amount and duration of the support
  4. The sponsor’s original signature, full name, telephone number, and address

Organization(s) Sponsorship Letter (Including GSU Award Letter). This letter is required of all students who are receiving funding from any organization, including Georgia State University.

It must include these requirements:

  1. Official original letterhead with organization’s contact information including telephone number and address.
  2. Student’s full name.
  3. If GSU Award Letter: The estimated value of any tuition waiver must be clearly stated, as well as any offered stipend.
  4. The duration of the support as well as the semester support will start.
  5. Original signature and title of the responsible official.