Congratulations! In order to secure your place at PennWest Edinboro and meet all U.S.
immigration requirements, please follow these international student admittance procedures.
Follow These Steps
Submit an enrollment deposit
Accepted students must first place a $100 USD enrollment deposit to reserve their
space at PennWest Edinboro. The fee can be paid inside the U.S. to Edinboro’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
If you need an I-20 (certificate of eligibility) for an F-1 student visa, you must
first pay the enrollment deposit fee and submit the following documents to the Undergraduate
Admissions Office.
Provide a legible photocopy of your passport ID pages.
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 Edinboro.
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.
Currently Have an F-1 Visa?
If you are currently enrolled in a U.S. high school or college under F-1 visa status,
you need to submit only the following items:
We recommend that you submit your documents early, particularly if you will be applying
for a new F-1 visa. All documents listed above must be received by the Admissions
Office no later than the deadlines below:
Fall Semester (begins in late August) – Aug. 1
Spring Semester (begins in mid-January) – Dec. 1
How to Apply for F-1 Student Visa
After you receive your Form I-20 (Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant F-1
Students Status) from PennWest Edinboro, you must obtain an F-1 student visa by applying
for one at a U.S. Consulate or Embassy within your home country.
The following documents should be brought with you when you go to either of these
government offices:
A valid passport
Your PennWest Edinboro 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: 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. By law, you are
only authorized to attend the school whose I-20 you used upon entry.
Need More Information?
Consult U.S. Embassies Website for updates on country-specific visa processing requirements.
Click here to go to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security – Study in the States website.
