International F-1 Student
Sponsor Letter
02/06/2020
Greetings from the United States! We are excited that you are considering
financially sponsoring an international student’s education at Southwestern
Assemblies of God University. Your generosity will assist the student in obtaining a
Christ-centered education at an accredited U.S. institution. Please take a moment
and carefully read through this information sheet so you have a thorough
understanding of your role as a sponsor.
Because the U.S. government places certain employment restrictions on F-1 visa
holders, it is necessary for students to establish that they have adequate financial
means of completing a degree in the U.S.
Usually, students can do this through a variety of venues such as scholarships, grants,
and self-support. If these means are not available or do not sufficiently cover the cost
of their projected expenses, they can ask people to financially sponsor them.
Attached to this information sheet is a Sponsor Support Form which must be
completed and returned to SAGU. This document must also be accompanied by
current bank statements from a checking account detailing at least six months of
transaction history.
According to SAGU policy, students must pay their school bill in full every semester.
Students who do not pay their bill are not permitted to enroll in subsequent semesters.
For students on an F-1 visa, adherence to this policy is especially important in that if
they fail to enroll as a full-time student, they are required to leave the country
immediately or risk violating their F-1 status. Staying in the country while out-of-status
can potentially hurt an international student’s chances of returning for several years.
Therefore, as a potential sponsor, we ask that you carefully consider and communicate
how much financial assistance you are able to give and for how long so that the
student has adequate time to make adjustments, if necessary. Of course, we
understand that emergencies arise which can undermine your ability to support the
student. In such an event, please let the student know as soon as possible. With
enough notice, emergency situations can often be mitigated without detriment to the
student’s status.
We hope this helps you have a better understanding of sponsorship and the
immense blessing you can be to a student who would otherwise not have this
opportunity.
Sincerely,
SAGU Admissions