Graduate/Teaching Assistantships and Your I-20

Graduate applicants are not guaranteed a graduate/teaching/research assistantship and are responsible for applying to open positions. Applicants must typically send a cover letter and resume along with their assistantship application. KIC staff recommends that all international candidates review American standards for cover letters and resumes before applying to any positions. 

You will find open positions available on the Graduate Assistantship Opportunities webpage. 

Official employment offer letters are important for two reasons:

1. Kearney International Center staff can only use official offer letters to verify the funding offered by the employing department. 
2. Embassy and consulate officials will verify that your employment is on-campus and related to your program of study. 

If your potential employing department does not automatically provide you with an official offer letter, you can send the following requirements to your future supervisor and request an official offer letter. 

Offer letters must meet the following requirements:

• Printed/Written on University or Department Letterhead
• Must indicate the position title and the MNSU department
• Must include the employment start and end date
• Should indicate the type of support provided, such as:
  • Number of Credits Waived per Semester
  • Stipend 

When requesting your Form I-20, the official offer letter may be used as evidence of financial support. Assistantships must be recorded in the "School Funding" section of the Form I-20 Request and you must upload the official letter as supporting documentation. 

Kearney International Center staff have calculated the monetary equivalent of the most common assistantship offers. Review the most common assistantship award amounts below: