Middlebury Summer Programs DS-2019 Application Instructions

Middlebury Summer Programs DS-2019 Application Instructions 

Exchange students, who are non-U.S. citizens/non-U.S. permanent residents, must apply for a J-1 visa (non-degree student category) prior to entering the United States. (Note: Citizens of Canada and Bermuda need a DS-2019 form issued by Middlebury, but not a visa.) For Middlebury to issue your DS-2019 document, you must complete the DS-2019 Application.  These are instructions for completing the DS-2019 Application; the application itself is on the main New and Returning Students Forms and Resources page.

Once you begin the DS-2019 application, you must complete it. You cannot save it and come back. Therefore, it is important to read this page carefully and then gather the documents listed below before starting the application form, as you will need to upload them into the application. 

Passport identification page  

This image should clearly show the biographical page of your passport including your name, photo, date of birth, passport number, and passport expiration date. We do not need the page with your signature.

English Language Proficiency (ELP) Documentation

Exchange Visitor sponsors, including Middlebury College, must verify English language proficiency to issue a DS-2019. You may have submitted a TOEFL or IELTS score or other English Language proficiency evidence with your Middlebury Exchange Student Application. You can provide a copy of that same document with the DS-2019 Application. For more information on why we must have this, please visit the J-1 Students ELP section of our website.

Financial Documentation:  

U.S. immigration law requires official certification that you have the necessary financial resources to pay for your tuition, room, board/meals, books, health insurance, travel, and personal expenses expenses for the entirety of your summer program in the U.S. 

As an Exchange Student, your financial support from Middlebury specifically will cover the cost of your tuition, room and board, and facility fees (if applicable).  You must provide additional financial documentation for the below estimated costs:

• Books/supplies;
• Estimated health insurance costs; and
• personal expenses.

All students are required to submit any of the relevant funding documentation for their situation as described below with the DS-2019 application as evidence to demonstrate the ability to pay all expenses for the summer program.  All financial documentation submitted must be written in English or have a certified/official word-for-word English translation attached.  The funds do not have to be stated n U.S. Dollars.

Middlebury Letter of Support:

As one of your financial documents, you must submit the letter of support you were provided that outlines the expenses covered by your exchange agreement as part of your financial documentation.  

Bank Statement or Letter 

The bank statement or bank letter is a personal financial document demonstrating your ability to pay all costs of the program not covered by the terms of your exchange student agreement with Middlebury. The person whose name is on the bank statement or letter must also submit a Financial Sponsorship Letter (see below). To determine how much you (or your sponsor) will need to show in personal financial documentation, see the Cost Overview below for reference, particularly the categories of books/supplies, insurance costs, and personal expenses. 

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
• Have the official bank information (name of bank, address including country and zip, website, and phone) 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 $) though we can convert if needed.
• Be stamped with the bank seal, if available.

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 your full name
• 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
• 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 yourself as the financial sponsor (a self-sponsor letter). A sample financial letter is provided via the link below.

Home-institution support or other third-party funding (financial aid/loans/scholarships/etc.)

You must submit the award letter or document you were provided that is on the letterhead of the funding institution/agency.  The letter must have you named as the recipient of the funds, the period of time or academic terms the funds are valid for, and the total amount of the funding being provided.  The letter must be written in English or have a certified/official word-for-word English translation attached.

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. 

2025 Summer Costs: Language Schools in Vermont 

2025 Summer Costs: English Language Programs in California 

Summer 2025 Costs: Bread Loaf School of English (BLSE)

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

Health Insurance:

Health insurance coverage is a requirement of the J-1 visa.  More information about health insurance requirements can be found on our website at: https://www.middlebury.edu/international-student-and-scholar-services/scholars/j-1-visitors/j-exchange-visitor-health. You may purchase any plan that you wish, as long as it meets the federal requirements. You will need to make sure the coverage is for the entire duration of your program as listed on the DS-2019 (program start date to program end date).

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 yourself as the financial sponsor (i.e., a self-sponsor letter).  A sample financial letter is provided via the link below.

Note: You do not need to submit a financial sponsor letter associated with official financial aid awards/scholarships/grants 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 that you submit to Middlebury with this application. The U.S. Consulate may ask you to present your financial 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/U.S. Customs and Border Protection when you request entry to the United States.

Sample Financial Sponsor Letter

After you submit the DS-2019 Application 

ISSS will work as promptly as we can to issue the DS-2019. 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 DS-2019 application as early as possible.   

Once the DS-2019 has been issued, ISSS will send your DS-2019 to your @middlebury.edu 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 DS-2019, 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  

Upon receiving your Form DS-2019 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 J-1 visa status no more than 30 days before your program start date, regardless of when you receive the DS-2019 or J-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  

Updated as of 03/17/2025