Middlebury Summer Programs I-20 Application Instructions

Middlebury Summer Programs

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 Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS). 

Incidental Study

If you are currently a student in valid F-1 or J-1 status at another U.S. institution, please discuss your plan to participate in a Middlebury summer program with your current International Student Advisor to determine if you will be able to engage in incidental study.  Generally, to qualify for incidental study, you must be in valid F-1 or J-1 status (and not in your post-program grace period), and generally you must be enrolled in a non-degree seeking Summer Program.  Please respond to the Middlebury email outreach to indicate if you will be participating under incidental study.

For those in active F student status, if incidental study is not allowed or is not a viable option for you, please read the information on our website about the SEVIS Transfer-In process (you will still need to submit an I-20 application to Middlebury). 

If you are in active J status and are not eligible for incidental study, please email us at isss@middlebury.edu to discuss next steps. 

I-20 Application Instructions

For Middlebury to issue your I-20 document, you must complete the I-20 Application.  These are instructions for completing the I-20 Application; the application itself is on the main New and Returning Students 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. 

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, room, board, books, travel, and personal expenses for the entirety of your summer program in the U.S. 

Cost Overview 

To help you determine what financial documentation you need to provide, here is a chart to show the breakdown of the costs for each summer program. 

2026 Summer Costs: Language Schools in Vermont 

Summer 2026 Costs: Bread Loaf School of English (BLSE)

If the costs of your Language School or summer program is not listed, please contact ISSS at isss@middlebury.edu.

 *Health Insurance: ISSS does not require students to show the estimated cost of health insurance for the purpose of I-20 issuance. However, it is important that a student hold valid health insurance that provides coverage to them while in the U.S. 

Financial Documentation Details 

You will need to provide financial documentation as part of your I-20 application. The following outlines the different types of financial documentation you might provide to cover the total estimated costs listed above.   

All studentswill need to provide financial documentation to ISSS.  If you receive financial aid or a scholarship that covers full tuition and room and board, you will still be responsible for uploading proof of your financial aid or scholarship and showing additional financial documentation to cover books/supplies and personal expenses (use the chart above to calculate this number). 

Financial Documentation Calculation Chart  

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

Proof of Financial Aid (if applicable) 

If you have received financial aid or scholarships 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.   

Acceptable forms of this proof include: 

• A screenshot of your Middlebury financial aid award from your Applicant Dashboard, which includes your name and total financial aid for the summer program
• A Middlebury scholarship letter, which includes your name and confirmation of the financial aid amount you are receiving,
• Or 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. 

Bank Statement or Letter 

This is personal financial documentation to cover all costs of the program not covered by financial aid/scholarships.  If you are not receiving financial aid, the bank statement or letter must cover all costs of your program.  The person whose name is on the bank statement or letter must also submit a Financial Sponsorship Letter (see below). 

The bank statement or letter must: 

• Be written in English or have a certified word-for-word English translation attached
• Be dated no more than 6 months from the start of your program
• Be have official bank information/letterhead printed on the document
• Include the account holder’s name
• Indicate the type of account. Funds need to be immediately available, 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 the program start date.)
• Indicate the balance in the account(s)
• Indicate the currency of funds, preferably in U.S. dollars (US $)
• Be stamped with the bank seal, if available

Loans 

If your financial documentation is in the form of a loan, you must show documentation that it meets the following conditions: 

• The loan must be fully approved and state the coverage period of the loan (when the funds will first be available)
• It must not be a conditional loan- no matter what the conditions are

Signed Financial Sponsor Letter 

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

• Declares that they, as your financial sponsor, intend to cover the program costs with the funds shown in the bank letter;
• Refers to the relationship between the sponsor and you (parent, relative, spouse, friend, self, etc.);
• Includes the full name of the student
• Includes a statement that the individual is willing to sponsor the student for a specified amount for the duration of the program
• Includes the date and the account holder’s name and original signature; and
• Is written in English, or has an English translation attached. 

If you are providing your own funds for your program, you must submit a letter using your self as the financial sponsor (a self-sponsor letter).

Note: You do not need to submit a financial sponsor letter associated with official financial aid awards/scholarships or for loans that you are receiving, it is only needed in connection with personal banking financial documentation. 

Keep copies of all financial aid and related documents submitted to Middlebury 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. 

Sample Financial Sponsor Letter

After you submit the I-20 Application 

ISSS will work as promptly as we can to issue the I-20. We will not be able to honor requests to expedite, given our high-volume workload at this time of year. It is important that you submit your complete I-20 application as early as possible.   

Once the I-20 has been issued, ISSS will send your I-20 to your @middlebury.edu email address, unless it has not yet been activated, then it will be sent to your personal email address.  This email will include information on how to pay your I-901 SEVIS fee and how to schedule a visa appointment at a U.S. embassy or consulate. 

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 non-immigrant student visa in your country, visit https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/visa-information-resources/wait-times.html  

Upon receiving your Form I-20 from Middlebury, you should apply for a visa as soon as possible*. Applying for a visa can take one month or more, depending on the country. Additionally, if you are subject to administrative processing, the process could be delayed several weeks.  

*You may enter the United States in F-1 visa status no more than 30 days before your program start date, regardless of when you receive the I-20 or F-1 visa. Plan your travel accordingly. 

Questions: 

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