Tuition Costs and Ability to Pay

Study in the U.S. is expensive. The exact cost of living and studying in the U.S. varies considerably from person to person and from one degree program to another.

• Cost figures currently used for purpose of issuing immigration documents. Please be aware that the University requires all students to have medical insurance while they study at CUA. The University will automatically enroll any student is the University's student health insurance plan unless the student can demonstrate that they have acquired comparable coverage through another company.
• actual university fee schedules for tuition, services, etc. for the academic year (including summer programs.)

Students who lack the means to cover these costs are encouraged to explore the possibility of applying for external funding. The International Student Organization headquartered in New York also maintains a good list of scholarship sources that are worth exploring. NAFSA: the Association of International Educators also maintains a site with information on funding sources for international students.

Documenting Ability to Pay

If you will be coming to the U.S. to study at The Catholic University of America and need to be sponsored by the University for F-1 or J-1 status, you must be able to establish your ability to cover the costs associated with your studies.

Since international students have very limited ability to work in the U.S. and cannot rely on the ability to work outside the school to meet their financial needs. Before the University can issue your immigration documents you must supply documentation showing you have the funds for the first year of study and have the reasonable expectation of being able to cover the rest of your studies. CUA uses the following currency conversion source when calculating whether or not the amount of money documented is sufficient: www.xe.com.

If your financial support comes from a combination of sources, you will need to document each source. The following links provide guidance on acceptable forms of financial documentation based on the funding source:

• You are paying for your own education
• You are supported by family or friends
• You have a scholarship that is not from CUA
• You will receive a scholarship, or teaching or research assistantship from CUA
• You will be supported by a company or employer
• You will take out a loan to pay for your education
• Your costs will be paid by a U.S. Catholic Archdiocese or religious order
• Your costs will be paid by an international religious order or diocese

CUA will not issue any immigration documents unless a student can provide the required financial resources. Money - or more precisely the lack of it - is one of the primary stressors faced by international students.