Middlebury College I-20 Application Instructions

Middlebury College I-20 Application Instructions 

To enter the United States in a status that allows study, non-U.S. citizens and non-Legal Permanent Residents of the United States must obtain a Form I-20 (Certificate of Eligibility for Non-immigrant [F-1] Student Status) issued by Middlebury from the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS). For Middlebury to issue your I-20 document, you must complete the I-20 Application.  This web page contains instructions for completing the I-20 Application; the application itself can be found under New and Returning Students on the Forms and Resources page.

Once you begin the I-20 application, you must complete it. You cannot save it and come back. Therefore, make sure you have the following documents ready before starting the I-20 Application Form. 

Documents needed for I-20 Application

For Middlebury College to produce your I-20, you must submit the following items:

1. A completed Middlebury College I-20 Application Form for Academic Year students.  Carefully read these I-20 Application Instructions first. You will need to have scanned copies of your financial documents and passport ID page to upload as part of the online submission process.
2. Copy of your passport identification page showing name, photo, date of birth and passport expiration date.
3. Financial Documentation. U.S. immigration law requires official certification that you have the necessary financial resources to pay for your tuition and living expenses for your first academic year in the United States. Financial documentation includes a bank letter or statement, and proof of scholarships or financial aid (if applicable).
4. Financial Sponsor letter written by the person providing the funding in the financial documentation (i.e. the bank account owner). The letter must meet specific guidelines described below. 

Passport identification page  

This should clearly show the biographical page of your passport including your name, photo, date of birth, passport number, and passport expiration date. 

Financial Documentation

U.S. immigration law requires official certification that you have the necessary financial resources to pay for your tuition and living expenses for your first academic year (9 months) in the U.S.  

Middlebury College Cost Overview  

Middlebury College bases its estimated total cost of attendance on the following calculation:

Notes for Early Decision and Feb students: 

• Early Decision (ED) students receiving Middlebury financial aid (scholarships, grants, or loans): Due to the timing of your acceptance and financial aid review, Student Financial Services used the estimated cost of attendance from the current academic year because estimates for the next academic year (when new students will enroll) were not yet confirmed. As a result, when your financial aid award is finalized after May 1, the total cost of attendance will be adjusted to reflect the 2025-2026 academic year total and your aid award will be increased by $3,906 to meet that total. When calculating the amount of money you need to show ISSS in personal financial documentation, aided ED students enrolling in 2025-2026 need to add $3,906 to their financial aid award category (see calculation chart below).  If your financial aid was already calculated based on the 2025-2026 academic year costs of $92,756, please disregard this note.
   
• February entrants receiving Middlebury financial aid (scholarships, grants, or loans): Financial aid awards for Febs are calculated based on the cost for one semester (Spring Term only). To issue an I-20, we must see proof of funds to pay the costs for a a full academic year. Therefore, you must double the one-semester amount of grant and loans and then subtract that two-semester aid total from the academic year cost of attendance in the chart below to determine the amount you must show ISSS in personal financial documentation. Feb entrants who do not receive financial aid must show proof of funds for the full academic year amount ($92,756).

Financial Documentation Calculation Chart  

Use this chart to help you determine the amount of financial documentation you will need to show proof of for the I-20 application: 

Financial Documentation Details

If more than one person is providing funds, submit a bank document and financial sponsor letter for each person.

The financial documentation you submit must cover the total estimated costs as shown in the cost overview chart above.  Every student must submit financial documentation with their I-20 application.  

Below are some of the types of financial documentation you might submit:

Proof of Financial Aid award (if applicable)

If you have received financial aid (scholarships, grants, or loans) from Middlebury or from another organization to contribute towards paying the cost of attending your program, you must upload confirmation of this funding as part of your required financial documentation.

All funding and financial aid documents must include your full name and must be for the academic period in which you intend to enroll. 

Note: Financial aid in the form of a campus job is not acceptable as a form of funding for the I-20 because the dollar value indicates anticipated earnings and not currently available funds. When calculating the amount of funding you must show for the I-20, please do not include any anticipated campus job earnings (if you see them as part of your aid award) as part of your financial aid total.

Acceptable forms of proof of financial aid include:

• A screenshot of the Middlebury financial aid award from your Applicant Dashboard—with your name on it.
• A Middlebury scholarship letter that includes your name and confirmation of the financial aid amount.
• A signed letter on official letterhead from the organization providing the financial aid or scholarship that includes your name and the funding amount that will be provided. 

Note: If you indicated in your application to Middlebury that you did not intend to apply for need-based financial aid, please be aware that financial aid will not be available for you during your four years at Middlebury, even if your family’s circumstances change. Your acceptance letter also refers to this.

Bank Statement or Letter

If you will not receiving financial aid (scholarships, grants, and loans) from Middlebury or an external organization, your bank statement or bank letter must cover the estimated costs for a full academic year.  If you will receive financial aid, your bank statement or bank letter must cover any costs not met by the financial aid.

The bank statement must:

• Be dated on or after March 1 for September entrants. (February entrants: dated on or after August 1.)
• Include the account holder’s name.
• Indicate the type of account. Funds need to be immediately available to the student, such as in a checking or savings account. Investments or restricted assets cannot be used to show financial support. (Certificates of Deposit need to mature and be available on or before program start date.)
• Indicate the balance of the account(s) from where the financial support will come.
• Indicate the currency of funds, preferably in U.S. dollars (US$).
• Be stamped with the bank seal, if available.
• Be written in English or have an official word-for-word English translation attached.
• Show available funds to pay the cost of your first year of education.
  • If you receive financial aid from Middlebury College, the bank letter must show funds to cover the financial documentation amount that you calculated above. (Total estimated cost of attendance for the full academic year minus the financial aid in the form of scholarships, grants, or loans.)
  • If you do not receive financial assistance from Middlebury College, the bank letter must show the total estimated cost of attendance for the full academic year, without travel. (Transportation is an additional cost that varies based on the student’s location. Families should anticipate that expense.) 

If submitting a letter instead of a bank statement, in addition to including the requirements above, it must:

• Be on official bank letterhead.
• Be signed by an official of the bank, including typed name and title.

If you anticipate difficulty being able to obtain the required financial documentation, contact ISSS.

Signed Financial Sponsor Letter

The account holder (i.e. the person(s) in whose name the bank funds are held) must submit a letter that:

• Declares that, as your financial sponsor, they will cover the costs of the first year of your education with funds shown in the bank letter or bank statement, and they intend to pay the costs of your entire enrollment at Middlebury (please include the bolded information in your letter);
• Refers to the relationship (parent, relative, etc.) between the financial sponsor and you;
• Is written in English or has an official English word-for-word translation included with it;
• Includes the account holder’s original signature (not a digital signature) and date it was issued/signed.

Keep copies of all financial aid and related documents submitted to Middlebury College with this application. The U.S. Consulate may ask you to present this documentation when you apply for your visa, and in some cases, you may be asked to show them to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security when you enter the U.S. 

Additional Expenses  

Students may need to consider the following additional expenses:

• Health Insurance: If you do not have health insurance with a U.S.-based provider that is comparable to the plan offered by Middlebury College, then you will need to purchase the insurance provided by Gallagher Student Health and Special Risk.  The cost for next year’s insurance plan will be confirmed by June. We estimate that the amount will be $3,322 for the year.
• Taxes & Tax Liability: Students who receive awards, significant financial aid, and/or earn income through authorized employment must file an income tax return each year. Tax liability often exceeds $500 per year.
  • For tax-related questions, contact the Middlebury Tax Office at middleburytaxoffice@middlebury.edu.
  • For financial aid questions, please contact Student Financial Services at sfs@middlebury.edu.

After You Submit the I-20 Application

Please be sure to read our Pre-Arrival Guide for additional details and information!

We understand that many of you are eager to book your visa appointments. You will be able to do so once your I-20 is issued. 

Obtaining a visa and managing travel to the U.S. continues to be complicated and uncertain due to U.S. consulate appointment availability and other factors. We encourage international students to respond to all visa-related processing requirements promptly and comply with all travel guidance. 

U.S. consulates around the world are offering varied levels of visa processing services. If you are experiencing significant challenges in obtaining your F-1 visa or have significant concerns about travel, please contact ISSS at isss@middlebury.edu.

Prior to receiving the I-20, we recommend that you check the website of the nearest U.S. embassy/consulate to learn more about the visa application process, including the process for making an appointment. For visa application guidance and wait times for obtaining a nonimmigrant student visa in your country, visit https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/visa-information-resources/wait-times.html  

Middlebury ISSS I-20 Processing Steps/Timelines:

• ISSS will issue I-20 forms for undergraduates no earlier than mid-April (for students starting in the fall semester) or mid-October (for those starting in the spring semester) for students who submit a completed application and sufficient I-20 application. An incomplete I-20 application will result in feedback sent from ISSS to assist you in updating any missing or unclear information.  
• We typically issue the I-20 within 3 weeks of the date the complete I-20 application was received after our timeline for starting issuance has begun.  
• When ISSS issues the I-20, we send an email with a link to your I-20 document (you will print and sign it) and additional guidance about the next steps.
  • On this I-20, you will find your SEVIS ID number and our School/Program Code.
    • You will need that information to pay the SEVIS I-901 fee and to make a visa appointment.
    • We will provide information about the SEVIS I-901 fee. Please do not attempt to pay this required fee until you receive your I-20 from ISSS.
    • We will provide guidance about how to schedule a visa appointment at a U.S. Consulate and what to do if the appointment date is far into the future.

Helpful Links:

• New Student Orientation
• Get to know the ISSS team on our Who We Are page
• Our For Students page which has information about student visa maintenance as well as information about our Friends of International Students Host Family Program.
• Our Travel Updates page

Questions: 

If you have any questions about this process, please contact International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS) at isss@middlebury.edu