Frequently Asked Questions

FIU considers any current or prospective student who is not a US Citizen or permanent resident an international student.

To apply to any of the programs at the Chapman Graduate School of Business, please click here.

A student visa (F or M) is required to study in the United States. If you are not on a valid visa for study in the U.S., you will need an initial I-20. FIU creates this document for you to take to the U.S. Embassy/Consulate in your home country. We are required by the Department of Homeland Security/US Citizenship and Immigration Services to carefully review the financial ability of each student prior to issuing this document. Therefore, it is important that you are aware of the cost of attending FIU and that you have sufficient funds to support yourself.

For FIU’s Chapman Graduate School of Business to issue an I-20, you must supply the following documents:

• Declaration of Finance (DCF) form – Please complete all information requested in the form. The DCF form must reflect, at a minimum, the total cost of the program (tuition, books, and medical insurance). This must be signed on ALL pages for the document to be valid, even if no information supplied on this page. Download the Declaration of Finance (DCF) form here.
• Official bank letter – This can be completed using Page 4 of the DCF form and must has signature and seals from the bank official. You may also submit a current copy of the bank statement, or a letter printed on the official bank letterhead, containing the following information:
  • State the name of the account holder (applicant or sponsor)
  • Be signed and/or stamped by an authorized member of the bank
  • Show sufficient funds to cover tuition and living expenses
  • Bank letters are accepted from the following types of accounts: savings, checking, current, or money market accounts. Any other account available would need to specify if the account is liquid, or if the funds are available for withdrawal at any time.
• Sponsor letter – This can be completed using Page 4 of the DCF form. If the bank letter or account is not in the student’s name (e.g., family member, employer, etc.), the sponsor will need to sign the Affidavit of Support section of the DCF form or submit a signed letter stating that they will be financially responsible for all expenses while the student is pursuing a degree at FIU.
• Copy of passport – A valid passport is required to verify all names are spelled correctly on the I-20, and that there are no errors on the birth date. This is required for the applicant and all dependents (if applicable).
• F1 transfer form – If you are currently in the U.S. on a valid I-20 and are transferring your visa to FIU, we require all the documents listed above plus the F-1 Transfer Form found on Page 5 of the DCF Form. This form must be completed by your international student advisor and include an appropriate SEVIS release date. Without this date and your international student advisor’s approval of your transfer, the F-1 Transfer Form remains incomplete.

No, your proof of funds does not have to be in USD. We will do the conversion to USD in our offices.

Currently, I-20s and admission letters are being sent via email only due to the ongoing situation with COVID-19. No further action will be needed on your part to receive your I-20. Please be sure to check your email regularly, your I-20 will be sent by the University’s central admission office and not your program.

If you have not received this within 3 weeks of submitting all financial documents, please follow up with cobglobal@fiu.edu.

At the graduate level, financial aid is available in the form of scholarships. The Chapman Graduate School of Business's dedicated page for international student scholarships and assistance provides detailed information for international applicants. Additionally, our academic works page provides a list of internal and external scholarships accepted at FIU.

In terms of government aid for international students, please see the response for the question “Can international students apply for the FAFSA?”.

Additional government or private aid loans may be available from your home country.

There are many scholarships for both domestic and international students at FIU. The Chapman Graduate School of Business's dedicated page for international student scholarships and assistance provides detailed information for international applicants. Additionally, our academic works page provides a list of internal and external scholarships accepted at FIU.

Most foreign citizens are not eligible for federal student aid from the U.S. Department of Education. However, there are some instances in which non-citizens may be eligible for financial aid from the U.S. federal government. Eligible non-citizens include:

• A U.S. national (includes natives of American Samoa or Swains Island), U.S. permanent resident (who has an I-151, I-551 or I-551C [Permanent Resident Card]), or an individual who has an Arrival-Departure Record (I-94) from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) showing one of the following designations:
  • "Refugee"
  • "Asylum Granted"
  • "Cuban-Haitian Entrant (Status Pending)"
  • "Conditional Entrant" (valid only if issued before April 1, 1980)
    Victims of human trafficking, T-visa (T-2, T-3, or T-4, etc.) holder
  • "Parolee" (You must be paroled into the United States for at least one year and you must be able to provide evidence from the USCIS that you are in the United States for other than a temporary purpose and that you intend to become a U.S. citizen or permanent resident.)

If you meet the non-citizen criteria above, you are eligible to receive federal student aid. If you are unsure of your eligibility, please check with our financial aid office for more information or visit https://studentaid.gov/understand-aid/eligibility/requirements to learn more.

According to U.S. Citizen and Immigration Services, some international students with an F-1 visa can work during their studies under limited circumstances. Students may not begin any type of employment without prior work authorization.

As an F1 international student, you are eligible to work on campus up to 20 hours per week. If your program has an internship component, you are eligible to use CPT, or Curricular Practical Training. Curricular Practical Training (CPT) is a temporary employment authorization for international students in F-1 Student visa status. CPT allows F-1 students to take up an off-campus training/internship which is an integral part of students’ major for a specific period of time. This is only available to students enrolled in an internship course as part of their program of study.

For more information about international students working in the U.S., please see the “Employment” section of the Students and Employment page on the U.S. Citizen and Immigration Services website.

There were over 1 million international students in the United States enrolled in a degree program in the 2019-2020 academic year. FIU’s student body represents over 142 different nations and cultures.

Applicants having earned their degree in the following countries are exempt from providing proof of language proficiency:

All other international applicants must provide acceptable proof of English proficiency. FIU only accepts test scores sent directly from the testing agency as official. FIU’s institution code is 5206. FIU accepts the following tests as proof of English proficiency:

TOEFL: 80 iBT / 550 PBT
IELTS: 5 Overall Band Score
Duolingo: 105 (approved through Fall 2022 intake only)

FIU accepts the following TOEFL scores as proof of English proficiency: 80 iBT / 550 PBT. FIU only accepts test scores sent directly from the testing agency as official. Our institution code is 5206.

FIU has on-campus housing available at the Modesto A. Maidique Campus, but many graduate students choose to live off-campus for more privacy and independence. On-campus housing must be reserved prior to the start of the semester. More information on housing application deadlines can be found on the housing website.

FIU’s off-campus housing site provides many options for students seeking independent housing and has a message board to look for roommates. Within walking distance to the Modesto A. Maidique Campus, students can consider FIU-approved independent housing at 109 Tower, 4th Street Commons, Identity Miami, and The One at University City. These units are fully furnished, and rental rates are inclusive of utilities. Many of these options can be reserved prior to arrival.

For students taking classes at FIU Downtown on Brickell or FIU at I-75, there are many housing options within the vicinity of these locations.

Be sure to bring all your important documents in your hand baggage. The following documents are needed when arriving to the US:

• A passport that is valid for at least 6 months after your arrival date
• Your F-1 visa
• Your I20 – be sure to bring a printed copy with you!
• Copies of your admission letter and financial documents
• Evidence that you have paid your SEVIS fee
• Evidence that your first semester in the US is not 100% online; you can provide a copy of your class schedule as provided by your program

You should also bring information on your student health insurance and any other important documents with you in your hand baggage.

Check out the State Department’s resources for International Students page to find all the resources the government provides.