Estimate of Expenses: Certificate Programs

Updated: April 26, 2022

This page is for students admitted to a certificate (Postbac or Graduate Certificate) program in the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences, Engineering, and School of the Museum of Fine Arts (SMFA) requesting F-1 or J-1 student visa sponsorship from Tufts University.

Instructions

To qualify for a Form I-20 (for the F-1 student visa) or Form DS-2019 (for the J-1 Exchange Visitor visa) from Tufts University, you are required to provide financial documents that show you have adequate financial resources to meet the required tuition, fees, and living expenses for at least your first academic year of study. Your documents must show that your resources meets, or exceeds, the total amount listed in the Estimate of Expenses (EOE) table listed below for your school.

1. A list of acceptable financial documents can be found at https://icenter.tufts.edu/student-visa-certificate. Please read the instructions carefully, as submitting unacceptable documents may delay processing of your I-20 or DS-2019 visa document.
2. The EOE reflects minimum estimates for full-time study for a nine-month academic year (September-May). While you are only required to show funding documents that cover the figures on the EOE, please keep in mind the following:
   • The EOE is an estimate, but your actual costs may be higher depending on your individual needs
   • The EOE does NOT include the cost of travel (including travel for initial arrival, winter and summer vacations, etc.) or summer expenses, if you plan to remain in the US during the summer
   • If you are receiving financial aid through Tufts, your financial aid will not cover vacation travel or summer living expenses.
3. The funding documents you provide must reflect financial resources that will be available to you upon your arrival at Tufts. The funding documents you show should reflect resources that you will have access to when you start your program at Tufts. Presenting funding documents for resources that are not actually available to you may lead to termination of your status.
4. While you are required to provide funding documents only for your first year of study, you should develop a realistic financial plan for your entire program of study. Keep in mind the following and plan carefully, as any interruption of studies due to loss of funding may impact your ability to remain the US :
   • International students are required to study on a full-time basis every fall and spring semester, and have only limited options for getting financial resources through work.
   • On-campus work is restricted to part-time (not to exceed 20 hours per week) and the number of available on-campus jobs is limited. Off-campus work is not permitted for the first year of full-time study in the US.