GEMS Blog for Advisors

February 2, 2021

Best Practices for Student I-20 Requests (2021)

If you are offering department financial support (RA/TA/Fellowship/scholarship) to an international graduate applicant:

  • complete the International Student Funding Detail page. To access, go to MGP >> View Applicants >> the student’s application >> Funding Info tab. (We can’t process the I-20 without this departmental funding information entered here.)
  • Awards approved by the Graduate School (International Student Tuition Waiver; Top Scholar, etc.) automatically appear in the Funding Detail page, and do not need to be entered by you.
  • Salary will be entered as the monthly amount. MyGrad will calculate the quarter total automatically.
  • You do not need to enter amounts for tuition and insurance awards; just select the answer from the drop-down menus.
  • More information:  I-20 Request and Funding for International Applicants reference guide.

The Financial Ability Requirement page has been updated with estimated total expenses for the 2021-2022 academic year. Please note that the official 2021 numbers have not yet been updated by the Office of Planning & Budgeting, so you can rely on your 2020 numbers while expecting that small increases are likely.

If your students have questions about the visa process or forms, please refer them to Admitted International Graduate Students. The sample I-20 request form on this page is also updated.

If you have questions, please contact us at gemshelp@uw.edu or call our advisor hotline at 206.897.1487.