How to Complete and Submit the SJSU Declaration of Finance Form

San José State University’s Declaration of Finance form is a one-page financial certification that international applicants complete, sign, and upload with supporting bank documents so the university will issue a Form I-20 (for F-1 students) or DS-2019 (for J-1 exchange visitors). For the 2026–2027 academic year, you must prove at least $49,597 in available funds as an undergraduate or $48,477 as a graduate student, plus $5,000 for each dependent who will come with you.¹ The PDF is a free download from the SJSU International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS) iSpartan Hub, and you submit the completed form through MySJSU.²

How Much You Have to Show

The number on your form has to meet or exceed the full one-year cost of attendance for your program level. For 2026–2027, the minimums are:¹

Undergraduate (12 units per semester): $49,597, made up of $20,857 tuition and fees, $26,490 living expenses, and $2,250 medical insurance.
Graduate (9 units per semester): $48,477, made up of $19,737 tuition and fees, $26,490 living expenses, and $2,250 medical insurance.
Each dependent spouse or child: add $5,000.

An undergraduate bringing a spouse and one child, for example, has to document at least $59,597.

J-1 exchange visitors requesting a DS-2019 use a monthly calculation instead: at least $2,000 per month for the exchange visitor, $1,000 per month for a spouse, and $500 per month for each child. When a personal friend or family member covers those costs rather than the host institution, the Declaration of Finance has to be included with the DS-2019 request package.³

What Counts as Proof, and What Doesn’t

SJSU accepts bank letters, savings or checking account statements, fixed deposit certificates, pre-approved loan letters, and scholarship award letters. Each document must be:¹

Written in English, or accompanied by a certified translation.
Printed on official bank letterhead with a stamp, seal, or bank officer’s signature.
Dated within the past six months of when you submit the application.
Showing the account holder’s name and the type of account.
Stating the balance in U.S. dollars.

A balance shown only in local currency, with no USD conversion, is one of the most common reasons documents come back for revision. Ask the bank to put the dollar equivalent on the letter itself, or attach a separate conversion statement.

If you are using a fixed or term deposit, you also need a separate letter on bank letterhead confirming that the funds can be withdrawn without penalty at any time.¹

Several document types are rejected outright. Don’t bother submitting any of these:

Solvency letters from a bank stating general creditworthiness.
Employer letters or salary statements.
Lines of credit.
Retirement or provident fund statements, including PPF accounts.
Stock, equity, or mutual fund statements.
Valuation statements for jewelry, gold, or real property.

The common thread is liquidity. SJSU wants money you can actually withdraw and spend on tuition, not assets that fluctuate or need to be sold.

Filling in the Form

Download the PDF from the F-1 Student Forms section of the iSpartan Hub page.² The direct link is sjsu.edu/admissions/docs/DeclarationFinance.pdf. The form has two parts.⁴

Part I: Applicant Information

Enter your family name and given name, date of birth, SJSU ID number, email, city and country of birth, and country of citizenship. If dependents will accompany you, check the box and list each one with name, date of birth, birthplace, citizenship, and relationship. If you are already in the United States, indicate your current visa status; F-1 students transferring from another school should also write in that school’s name.

One caveat: if you are currently in the U.S. on an F-2 or H-4 visa, SJSU advises against submitting the Declaration of Finance at the time of admission. Contact an ISSS advisor first about changing status.¹

Part II: Source of Funds

Check every box that applies and write in the dollar amount each source will contribute. The categories are:

Personal account (your own savings or checking), with your bank document attached.
Family member or sponsor, with their bank document attached and the sponsor section signed.
Scholarship, with the award letter attached.
Student loan, with a pre-approved or sanctioned loan letter showing your name and the approved amount.
Government or company sponsorship, with the official sponsorship letter showing your name and the funding amount.

The dollar figures from every checked box have to add up to at least one full year of costs for your program. The numbers you write on the form also have to match the balances on the attached bank documents. A mismatch between the stated amount and the actual balance is one of the fastest ways to get your packet sent back.

Signatures and Sponsor Rules

The form has signature lines for up to three sponsors. Each person contributing funds must print their name and sign, certifying that they will provide the funds required for your study at SJSU and that financial documents showing the funds are attached.⁴

Only two signature formats count as valid: a handwritten ink signature, or an electronic signature through DocuSign or Adobe Sign. Typed names and signatures drawn with a stylus are not accepted.⁴ If a sponsor is overseas and can’t sign a physical copy, send the document through DocuSign or Adobe Sign rather than letting them type their name into the PDF field.

One restriction catches people out: a dependent cannot also serve as a sponsor. If your spouse is listed as a dependent, they can’t also be listed as the person funding your education.¹

You sign the form yourself at the bottom. The form warns that any false or misleading statement will result in automatic denial of admission.⁴

List every accompanying dependent in Part I and attach copies of their passport biographical pages. Dependent paperwork follows the same six-month freshness and English-language rules as your own.³

Deadlines and How to Upload

SJSU’s international document deadlines are separate from and earlier than its general enrollment deadlines:⁵

Fall 2026 entry: May 2, 2026 for international documents.
Spring 2027 entry: December 1, 2026 for I-20 documents, which explicitly include the completed Declaration of Finance, bank statement, passport copy, and proof of English proficiency.

Upload the completed form and all supporting documents through your MySJSU account. Look for the checklist item on your MySJSU “To Do List” labeled for international financial documentation, and upload everything there in PDF format.⁵ Students already enrolled who need to submit ongoing immigration documents use the iSpartan portal instead.²

After You Submit

Once SJSU verifies your financial documents, the school issues the immigration document you need to apply for your visa: an I-20 for F-1 students or a DS-2019 for J-1 exchange visitors. Graduate applicants should expect a MySJSU message titled “I-20 Information” within four to five days after their status shows “Accepted” and their financial documents are complete; if nothing arrives within 14 days, email graduatei20@sjsu.edu.⁶ DS-2019 processing for J-1 scholars takes roughly three to five business days once funding and English proficiency are confirmed.⁷

1
San Jose State University. Required Financial Documents for International Students
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San José State University. iSpartan Hub
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San José State University. J-1 Exchange Visitor DS-2019 Request Form
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San José State University. International Applicant Financial Form
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San Jose State University. Deadlines
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San Jose State University. International Steps to Enrollment
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San José State University. Requesting a DS-2019