Step 2: Get Your I-20

You must first be fully admitted before you are eligible to apply for an I-20 document.  Once you are admitted, an official Admission Letter will be issued to you.  After you are admitted, we will process the I-20 document for you.  The earlier we receive your financial verification and sponsor forms and your passport copy, the faster we can process the I-20 once you are fully admitted.  Please do not wait and pay your $100 International Application Processing Fee early and submit the following required documents by uploading them onto your online application portal early to ensure a fast and smooth process of your Admission and I-20 document.

Please complete the Financial Sponsor Form for all your sponsors if the bank statements and accounts are not under your name. You may upload this form along with the bank statements to your online application portal.  The financial sponsor form must be notarized by a notary public, government magistrate, or commissioner of oaths.  By signing this form, your financial sponsor(s) verifies that he/she is the person who has access to the funds and that he/she is aware of the commitment to support you for the duration of your studies.  Sponsors and students must show a minimum equivalent balance of $22,500.00 USD.  This amount includes tuition, housing and food, required health insurance, books, and other fees for one academic year of studies.  

Please submit an official bank statement from your sponsor that has been printed within the last three months.  You may upload those documents up through your online application portal. The bank statement must show a balance that is equal to one year of tuition and living expenses.  The financial statement and the bank statements must be from the same individual. Students should expect an increase in costs of about 3-6% each year afterward.  Certified copies are acceptable.

Sponsors and students must show a balance of $22,500.00 USD available for the student's use.  This amount includes tuition, housing and food, required health insurance, books, and other fees for one academic year of studies.  Please note that this amount is an average amount and actual expenses may vary slightly.  

Please provide us with a colored copy of the information page of your passport that includes your name, date of birth, your photo, expiration date, and other essential information. Please make sure that the color copy is clear and readable to prevent any error in processing your application.  You may upload a copy of your passport to your online application portal.

Please submit a copy of your F-1 Visa stamp by emailing it to cie@smsu.edu.

This is specifically for students who are currently in the United States studying at a high school or college/university.  Please submit this SEVIS Transfer Form so your current institution can release your SEVIS I-20 record to SMSU.  We can only issue you a new I-20 once we receive this form and your current institution has released your SEVIS I-20 record to SMSU.  Please email this completed form to cie@smsu.edu. 

A report of medical history is required from each applicant.  It is your responsibility to provide an accurate past medical history.  Please fill the Report of Medical History & Immunization forms available on the University Health Services website.    

Minnesota State Law (Minn. Statute 135A.14) requires that students born after 1956 must be immunized against 5 major vaccine-preventable diseases:

• Measles/Mumps/Rubella (MMR): One dose given on or after the first birthday. Another dose is recommended for complete protection.
• Tetanus/Diphtheria: One dose every ten years

Please read through the Report of Medical History & Immunization forms carefully and fill out the forms as required. Submit the completed forms online or mail them to SMSU Health Services:

SMSU Health Services

Bellows Academic (BA) 158

1501 State Street

Marshall, MN 56258