Current INTO Mason Pathway students in F-1 status who are eligible to enter George Mason in degree status are required to submit several documents to start the process of getting a new I-20. Your new I-20 will reflect your degree status.
Below you can find the checklists depending on your scenario and semester.
For Fall 2024 Students:
6 Steps to Degree Status
This is the first step (out of six steps) towards getting your I-20:
Instructions
Please carefully review the instructions and prepare the required documents BEFORE you click the blue submit button at the bottom of this page. If you have any questions, please send an email to oipsinto@gmu.edu (include your full name and G number).
HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO COMPLETE THE FORM?
On average it takes approximately 20 minutes to complete the form. You cannot save your work until you have uploaded all of the required documents. You will have to complete the form in one session (after 45 minutes you will be logged out of the system).
Tip: We recommend you gather the required documents before you get started.
WHO MUST COMPLETE THIS FORM?
- Current INTO Mason Pathway students in F-1 status who are eligible to enter George Mason in degree status
REQUIRED DOCUMENTS
For all students:
- Document 1: Proof of Funding
- Bank statement OR
- Financial Guarantee (preferred) or Admission Purposes Only (APO) if SACM sponsored
- Document 2: Certificate of Financial Responsibility (CFR)
PROOF OF FUNDING REQUIREMENTS
In this section, you will review the proof of funding requirements (dates, amounts, etc.). We also included samples. As noted earlier, the majority of students will have to submit only one proof of funding. This can be a bank statement OR a Financial Guarantee OR an Admission Purpose Only (APO is for SACM sponsored students only). Students with dependents might have to submit additional proof of funding.
Bank Statement Requirements
- Must be from an account that lets you take out money at any time: checking, savings, money market. You are NOT required to freeze funds.
- Must show account holder's name in English
- Must have a date of September 1, 2023 or later
- Must show required amount for your degree studies
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- Undergraduate: $62,590
- Graduate: $55,307 - $72,365 depending on your major
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- Must show additional amount for dependents
- $7,500 for spouse
- $5,000 for each child
Admission Purposes Only (APO) Requirements
-- For SACM sponsored students only --
- Must have a current issue date
- Must cover tuition, health insurance, living expenses, and if applicable, dependents
- If the APO does not cover dependents, then you must submit additional proof of funding
- Bank statement OR
- Letter from your Embassy/Government stating that dependents are covered
Financial Guarantee Requirements
- Must cover the dates of the Fall 2024 term (August 26, 2024 – December 18, 2024 or later)
- Must match your Fall 2024 program (Bachelor's or Master's)
- Must cover tuition, health insurance, living expenses, and if applicable, dependents
CERTIFICATE OF FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY (CFR)
The university is required to review your financial documentation prior to issuing an I-20 form. You must document sufficient funds available for academic and living expenses. You do this by completing a Certificate of Financial Responsibility (CFR).
Certificate of Financial Responsibility (CFR)
*Signature(s) on page 3 of the CFR must be signed or drawn by hand (you will need to print page 3 and scan it to be able to upload it or you may electronically draw your signature)
FAQ 1: Who must sign the CFR?
- You (the student) must sign the CFR.
- If you submit a bank statement as proof of funding and you are not the account holder, then the account holder (e.g. family member or a friend) will also have to sign the CFR.
Example 1:
You submit a bank statement as proof of funding. The account is in the name of your father. This means that both you and your father must sign the CFR.
Example 2:
You submit a bank statement as proof of funding. The account is in your name. This means that only you need to sign the CFR.
Example 3:
You submit an APO as proof of funding for you and a bank statement as proof of funding for your dependents. The account is in the name of your spouse. This means that both you and your spouse must sign the CFR.
FAQ 2: I have two different bank statement. My mother is the account holder for the first bank statement and my uncle is the account holder for the second bank statement. Do they both need to sign the CFR?
Yes. You will have to print and complete page 3 twice. Your mother will have to sign the first copy of page 3 and your uncle will have to sign the second copy of page 3. (Don't forget the also complete one copy of page 1 and 2!)
FAQ 3: Does my Embassy/Government have to sign the CFR if I submit a letter from my Embassy/Government as additional proof of funding for my dependents?
No. Only you need to sign the CFR.
FAQ 4: Do I need to freeze the money in my bank account?
No, you do not need to freeze the money.
Ready to submit your financial documents?
Answer the following questions:
- Are you a current INTO Mason Pathway student in F-1 status eligible to enter George Mason in degree status
- Do you have proof of funding?
- Did you complete and sign the Certificate of Financial Responsibility (CFR)?
- If you will use a bank statement as proof of funding and you are not the account holder, has the account holder (e.g. family member or a friend) also signed the CFR page 3)?
If you answered "yes" to all of the questions above, then you are ready to submit your financial documents! Click on the blue button to proceed.
ACCEPTED FILE UPLOAD FORMATS
Accepted File Upload Formats are pdf, jpeg, png and word doc. We accept documents as scans, screenshots and photos. If the quality of the document is not good (illegible or the entire image wasn't scanned) your form submission will be rejected and you will need to upload new versions of your documents.