- Copy of Passport: Provide a legible photocopy of your passport ID pages.
- Affidavit of Support: Send financial documents, specifically an Affidavit of Support document, accompanied by the sponsor’s certified bank statements. An Affidavit of Support is an official financial statement that proves students will have sufficient funds available to meet all tuition and living expenses required by PennWest. You must provide an official original bank statement showing you can afford $31,034 per year on your Affidavit of Support. This amount represents a reasonable estimate of all expenses related to your education for one academic year. This bank statement must be signed and stamped by a bank official and dated no earlier than three months prior to the issuing of the I-20.
Congratulations! Follow these instructions to officially secure your place at PennWest and meet all U.S. immigration requirements.
Your Next Steps
Make your deposit
To officially reserve your place at PennWest, you must first pay your $100 USD enrollment deposit. The fee can be paid to PennWest’s Student Accounts Office in the form of a check drawn on a U.S.-based branch of a U.S. bank in U.S. dollars or a U.S. debit or credit card. Payments made from outside the U.S. must be via Flywire.
Obtain an I-20 Certificate
If you need an I-20 Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant F-1 Student Status, you must first pay the enrollment deposit fee and submit the following documents to the Undergraduate Admissions Office.
Apply for an F-1 Student Visa
After you receive your Form I-20 Certificate from PennWest, you must obtain an F-1 Student Visa by applying through the U.S. Consulate or Embassy within your home country.
Be sure to bring the following documents:
- A valid passport
- Your PennWest Form I-20
- Financial documentation to support the I-20. You will need to provide proof of support for at least one full year of study. Examples include a bank statement, an affidavit of support from a sponsor, and/or letters stating that you have been awarded a scholarship.
- Documentation showing your intention to return to your country of residency after completing your education in the U.S. Examples include papers showing that your family owns either a home, business or other property within your country; a letter from a potential employer willing to consider you for a position after your return; or a letter from an educator stating that the knowledge you seek is greatly needed in your country.
Please note: By law, you are only authorized to attend the school whose I-20 you used upon entry to the United States. If you have I-20 forms from more than one college or university and have not yet decided where to attend, you will be required to attend the school whose I-20 form you use when applying for entry to the U.S. You may not use one school’s I-20 to enter the U.S. and then, upon arrival, attend the other school.