{
  "tool": "f1-proof-of-funds-calculator",
  "name": "F-1 proof of funds calculator",
  "url": "https://visaful.com/tools/f1-proof-of-funds-calculator",
  "version": "1.0.0",
  "updated": "2026-11-01",
  "description": "Free tool: enter your Form I-20 amount, years of study and F-2 dependents to see how much to show for an F-1 visa, with the State Department rules and 7 schools' published I-20 estimates as examples.",
  "sources": [
    {
      "id": "student",
      "label": "Student Visa, travel.state.gov",
      "url": "https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/study/student-visa.html",
      "checked": "2026-10-28"
    },
    {
      "id": "fam4025",
      "label": "9 FAM 402.5, Students and Exchange Visitors, fam.state.gov",
      "url": "https://fam.state.gov/fam/09FAM/09FAM040205.html",
      "checked": "2026-10-28"
    },
    {
      "id": "cfr2142",
      "label": "8 CFR 214.2(f), ecfr.gov",
      "url": "https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-8/chapter-I/subchapter-B/part-214/subpart-A/section-214.2",
      "checked": "2026-10-28"
    },
    {
      "id": "sitsFunds",
      "label": "Financial Ability, Study in the States (DHS)",
      "url": "https://studyinthestates.dhs.gov/students/prepare/financial-ability",
      "checked": "2026-10-28"
    },
    {
      "id": "sitsI20Costs",
      "label": "What Financial Information Should Be Included on the Form I-20?, Study in the States (DHS)",
      "url": "https://studyinthestates.dhs.gov/2017/04/questions-designated-school-officials-what-financial-information-should-be-included-form-i",
      "checked": "2026-10-28"
    },
    {
      "id": "sitsI20",
      "label": "Students and the Form I-20, Study in the States (DHS)",
      "url": "https://studyinthestates.dhs.gov/students/prepare/students-and-the-form-i-20",
      "checked": "2026-10-28"
    }
  ],
  "inputs": [
    {
      "id": "i20",
      "label": "Estimated first-year costs on your I-20",
      "help": "In US dollars, the total from your I-20 or your school's estimate.",
      "options": []
    },
    {
      "id": "years",
      "label": "Years of study",
      "options": [
        {
          "value": "1",
          "label": "1"
        },
        {
          "value": "2",
          "label": "2"
        },
        {
          "value": "3",
          "label": "3"
        },
        {
          "value": "4",
          "label": "4"
        },
        {
          "value": "5",
          "label": "5"
        },
        {
          "value": "6",
          "label": "6"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "id": "spouse",
      "label": "Spouse coming on F-2",
      "kind": "toggle",
      "options": [
        {
          "value": "yes",
          "label": "Yes"
        },
        {
          "value": "no",
          "label": "No"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "id": "children",
      "label": "Children coming on F-2",
      "options": [
        {
          "value": "0",
          "label": "0"
        },
        {
          "value": "1",
          "label": "1"
        },
        {
          "value": "2",
          "label": "2"
        },
        {
          "value": "3",
          "label": "3"
        },
        {
          "value": "4",
          "label": "4"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "id": "dependentAmounts",
      "label": "Your school's amount for each F-2",
      "help": "Per spouse and per child, from your school or DSO.",
      "optional": true,
      "options": []
    }
  ],
  "howToUse": [
    "First-year funds to show = the estimated first-year costs on the student's Form I-20 + the amount the school adds for each F-2 dependent. There is no government minimum: the I-20 amount, set by the school, is the target.",
    "Later years need a specifically identified, reliable source (9 FAM 402.5), not cash in hand. Multiplying by the years of study is only a planning estimate.",
    "`data.schools` lists 7 schools whose own published I-20 estimate was read on 2026-11-01, with the page, year, period and any dependent amounts. They are examples: always use the amount on the student's own I-20.",
    "Interactive: https://visaful.com/tools/f1-proof-of-funds-calculator?i20=60000&years=2&spouse=1&children=1&spouseAmount=10000&childAmount=6000 (or school=<id>&figure=<index>)."
  ],
  "outcomes": [
    {
      "firstYear": 60000,
      "dependents": 0,
      "programEstimate": 120000,
      "answer": "Show at least $60,000 for your first year, the amount on your I-20, in money that's ready to use.  For the second year, show where the money will come from.",
      "breakdown": [
        {
          "label": "Your I-20's estimated first-year costs",
          "amount": 60000
        }
      ],
      "lines": [
        {
          "text": "Officers look for enough readily available funds for all first-year expenses, and a specifically identified, reliable source for each later year.",
          "source": "fam4025"
        },
        {
          "text": "If every year costs about the same, the whole 2-year program comes to about $120,000. That's an estimate to plan with, not an amount to hold in the bank now."
        },
        {
          "text": "Funds can be yours, your family's, a sponsor's, a scholarship or an existing loan. A loan you only plan to get isn't enough. If a sponsor pays, know their job, their income and why they're paying.",
          "source": "fam4025"
        }
      ],
      "sources": [
        "fam4025"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "data": {
    "checked": "2026-11-01",
    "about": "Schools whose own published I-20 estimate for new international students was read on the school's own page (HTML or the PDF it links to) on the checked date, from shared-operations/notes/visaful-seo/backlog/families/V5-f1-university-costs/pipeline/i20-verified-2026-11-01.json (evidence in tools-evidence/i20-schools-2026-11-01/). Shown as examples, not as anyone's I-20 amount. Left out of that file's 11: Arizona State and Purdue (a general cost of attendance, not labeled as an I-20 amount), Georgia Tech (year not in the page text, figures only in images), UT Arlington (its own pages give different figures). Dependent amounts only where the school publishes them.",
    "schools": [
      {
        "id": "bu",
        "name": "Boston University",
        "year": "2026-27",
        "url": "https://www.bu.edu/isso/getting-started/documents-procedures/requiredfinancialdocumentation/expenses-crc/",
        "kind": "I-20 estimate",
        "figures": [
          {
            "label": "Undergraduate",
            "amount": 105666,
            "period": "9 months"
          },
          {
            "label": "Graduate, Charles River Campus (most programs)",
            "amount": 105566,
            "period": "9 months"
          }
        ],
        "dependents": {
          "first": 12563,
          "second": 10172,
          "after": 7388,
          "period": "9 months",
          "text": "$12,563 for one dependent, $22,735 for two, and $7,388 for each one after that"
        },
        "note": "Some graduate schools use lower tuition. Medical Campus programs use a separate page."
      },
      {
        "id": "cornell",
        "name": "Cornell University",
        "year": "2027-28",
        "url": "https://admissions.cornell.edu/sites/default/files/2026-09/2027-28%20Declaration%20of%20Finances%20Form%20FY%20and%20Transfer_Fillable%20Form.pdf",
        "kind": "Declaration of Finances amount",
        "figures": [
          {
            "label": "Undergraduate (first-year and transfer)",
            "amount": 103826,
            "period": "academic year"
          }
        ],
        "note": "Undergraduate only. Excludes travel."
      },
      {
        "id": "northeastern",
        "name": "Northeastern University",
        "year": "2026-27",
        "url": "https://international.northeastern.edu/ogs/new-students/i-20-ds-2019-application/estimate-of-expenses-for-i-20-requests-2026-2027/",
        "kind": "Estimate of expenses for I-20 requests",
        "figures": [
          {
            "label": "Undergraduate, Boston",
            "amount": 97153,
            "period": "academic year"
          },
          {
            "label": "Engineering master's and graduate certificates (Boston and other US campuses)",
            "amount": 59711,
            "period": "academic year"
          }
        ],
        "dependents": {
          "spouse": 10000,
          "child": 6000,
          "period": "added to the program's estimate",
          "text": "$10,000 for a spouse and $6,000 for each child"
        },
        "note": "Totals vary by program and campus. Find your program on the school's page."
      },
      {
        "id": "sjsu",
        "name": "San Jose State University",
        "year": "2026-27",
        "url": "https://www.sjsu.edu/admissions/internationalfinancialdocs.php",
        "kind": "Minimum costs for the I-20",
        "figures": [
          {
            "label": "Undergraduate",
            "amount": 49278,
            "period": "academic year"
          },
          {
            "label": "Graduate",
            "amount": 48162,
            "period": "academic year"
          }
        ],
        "dependents": {
          "each": 5000,
          "period": "academic year",
          "text": "$5,000 for each family member"
        },
        "note": "The school also publishes 2027-28 figures."
      },
      {
        "id": "tamu",
        "name": "Texas A&M University",
        "year": "2027",
        "url": "https://global.tamu.edu/_files/_documents/isss-documents/ecoa-2027/ecoa-2027-12m-no-summer.pdf",
        "kind": "Estimated cost of attendance for the I-20",
        "figures": [
          {
            "label": "Undergraduate (all programs except those listed separately)",
            "amount": 60918,
            "period": "12 months"
          },
          {
            "label": "Graduate, College of Engineering",
            "amount": 46138,
            "period": "12 months"
          }
        ],
        "dependents": {
          "each": 8000,
          "period": "12 months",
          "text": "$8,000 for each dependent"
        },
        "note": "For terms starting in 2027. Graduate totals vary by program."
      },
      {
        "id": "unt",
        "name": "University of North Texas",
        "year": "2026-27",
        "url": "https://international.unt.edu/international-students/newly-admitted-international-students/2627expenseworksheet.pdf",
        "kind": "Estimated expenses for the I-20",
        "figures": [
          {
            "label": "Undergraduate, College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences",
            "amount": 44014,
            "period": "9 months"
          },
          {
            "label": "Graduate, College of Engineering",
            "amount": 42067,
            "period": "9 months"
          }
        ],
        "dependents": {
          "spouse": 5500,
          "child": 5500,
          "period": "9 months",
          "text": "$5,500 for a spouse or each child"
        },
        "note": "Totals vary by college."
      },
      {
        "id": "uw",
        "name": "University of Washington",
        "year": "2026-27",
        "url": "https://iss.washington.edu/annual-expenses/",
        "kind": "Annual expenses for the I-20",
        "figures": [
          {
            "label": "Undergraduate (nonresident tuition)",
            "amount": 70740,
            "period": "three quarters"
          },
          {
            "label": "Graduate (Tier I tuition)",
            "amount": 63279,
            "period": "three quarters"
          }
        ],
        "dependents": {
          "spouse": 12025,
          "child": 7459,
          "period": "three quarters",
          "text": "$12,025 for a spouse and $7,459 for each child"
        },
        "note": "Some graduate and professional programs differ."
      }
    ]
  },
  "disclaimer": "Plain-language rules from the State Department, DHS and the regulations, and schools' own published estimates, not legal or financial advice. Visaful is not affiliated with the U.S. government, the Department of State or any school."
}