Destination USA: Documenting income sources must for visa

Q. What documents are required as proof of finances for Master’s programs in the United States? A. Most colleges and universities in the United States include a form called a Declaration and Certification of Finances or Affidavit of Financial Support in their application packets. This must be signed by your parents or whoever is paying […]

Q. What documents are required as proof of finances for Master’s programs in the United States?

A. Most colleges and universities in the United States include a form called a Declaration and Certification of Finances or Affidavit of Financial Support in their application packets. This must be signed by your parents or whoever is paying your college expenses and must be certified by a bank or lawyer. Keep a copy of this form since you will also need it to apply for your student visa.

Schools usually need to know that you have at least the first year’s expenses covered, although many may also ask you to indicate your source of income for the entire period of study. If you know when you apply that you will need some form of assistance from the college, indicate how much you plan to request from the university.

Do not wait until you have been accepted into a university to request assistance, as it will be too late in most instances. Please note that the university will issue the relevant certificate of eligibility for a student visa only if you are able to fully document your source(s) of income.

Q. Where can we find more information about education-related programs in the United States?

A. The professional accrediting organisation for the field of education is the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation or CAEP (www.caepnet.org). Students should also find out if a course or university is accredited by visiting the database of accredited programs and institutions published by the US Department of Education at https://ope.ed.gov/dapip/#/home or the Department of Homeland Security at https://studyinthestates.dhs.gov/school-search.

Students may visit the websites of associations and organisations that are affiliated with the study of education to further understand the field:
• American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education, www.aacte.org
• National Council of Teachers of English, www.ncte.org
• National Education Association, www.nea.org
• National Association for the Education of Young Children, www.naeyc.org
• National Association of Special Education Teaching, www.naset.org
• TESOL International Association, www.tesol.org

Q. What types of degrees are available in the field of public health in the United States?

A. In the field of public health, the options for graduate programs in the United States include Master of Public Health (MPH), Master of Science in Public Health (MSPH), Master of Science in a specialization (e.g. MS in Biostatistics), Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Doctor of Public Health (DrPH), and certificate programs.

The MS and PhD degrees are focused on research and designed for students interested in a research career in the field of public health. On the other hand, MPH and DrPH programs are designed for students with an interest in a professional career in the field. Students from different disciplines and professional backgrounds may pursue a public health degree in the United States.

Q. How should one select coursework when starting an undergraduate program at a US institution?

A. There are certain required subjects and credits all students must take when studying for a degree in the United States. Also, there are required core subjects one will be expected to take to complete the major. The student will have the opportunity to also choose a list of electives. Degree programs in some subject areas are highly structured, and universities dictate exactly which courses a student must take and when they must take them in order to graduate with a major in that field of studies.

It is important to check the requirements of any major one may wish to pursue. There is also great variation between course requirements at liberal arts colleges. Some colleges require students to take a certain number of classes in each of the broad subject groups, while other liberal arts colleges have no such requirements, merely making a ‘strong recommendation’ that students complete a well-rounded education.

Finally, international students must take a minimum number of credits to remain registered as ‘full-time’ students in accordance with F1 visa guidance. Verify and understand the specific information with the US institution your daughter plans to attend.

Q. What is the difference between a college and a university in the United States?

A. The terms, college and university, are used interchangeably and mean the same thing in the United States. As a rule, colleges tend to be smaller and usually offer only undergraduate degrees, while a university also offers graduate degrees.

Within each college or university, you will find schools, such as schools of arts and sciences or the school of business. High school education is usually required to become an undergraduate university student. Many institutions will not accept international students who are younger than age 17. However, there are sometimes exceptions to that general rule.

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