Dear Graduate Coordinators, Program Directors, and Financial Processors:
To better support our international graduate students and streamline the financial documentation process for Graduate School admission, we recommend that assistantship offer letters for international students span a full nine-month period.
Nine-Month Assistantship Appointment Periods:
- For students starting in the fall: August 16 to May 15 (9-month position term)
- For students starting in the spring: January 1 to May 15 (4.5-month position term) and August 16 to December 31 (4.5-month position term)
- Students starting in the summer require 12-months of assistantship support (Summer assistantship offer letter plus an Academic Year offer letter)
Providing international students with a nine-month assistantship appointment period offer is strongly encouraged, as it ensures their assistantship salary adequately meets the financial requirements for their Certificate of Finance. Whereas single-term offers are permissible in cases where future funding is uncertain, it requires international students to independently document approximately $25,000 in financial support for the remaining period. This documentation often creates significant financial strain and administrative burden. These challenges are especially concerning when the program intends to provide funding for a second semester but does not clearly document this intention in the initial offer letter.
We appreciate your cooperation in implementing this recommended practice, which aligns with our commitment to providing accessible and supportive pathways for our international students.
Thank you for your attention to this important matter.
Sincerely,
