The purpose of the APM 430 visiting scholars program is to promote intellectual relationships with other institutions and foster international exchanges in our programs and research labs through short-term appointments at UCSF. New guidance will allow eligible visiting students to access many student support services at the initial start of their appointment or at the time of their renewal. This new insurance guidance went into effect for new and renewing appointments as of September 1, 2021.
Please review the requirements and options regarding access to student support services and packet requirements, as well as important fee and insurance information.
Packet Requirements:
All packets sent for approval require the following documents in this order, in one PDF file:
- Departmental cover sheet
- Signature page
- Student cover sheet ("Applicant Form and Instructions")
- Insurance and supplemental fee form
- Supporting documents from the sponsoring program (if any)
- Student's vita/CV
- Student's proof of financial support dated within six months
- Student's insurance information
- Student's proof of active academic enrollment
⇒ See below for more details on packet components.
► Departmental cover sheet (under "Add'l Info on Visiting Scholars" section): Complete all fields. The stated research purpose should be thorough and written by the program. It should NOT be the same as the student's. In the case of extension requests, the research purpose should be updated to outline what remaining work is needed in order to complete the project.
► Signature page: this is part of the dep't cover sheet above.
► Student cover sheet ("Applicant Form and Instructions" under "Add'l Info on Visiting Scholars" section): Complete all fields. The personal statement should be written by the student and should NOT be the same as the research purpose on the departmental cover sheet. In the case of extension requests, the personal statement should be updated to outline what remaining work is needed in order to complete the project.
► Insurance and supplemental fee form (updated July 2024): Complete all fields. Mandatory for:
- New appointments (international or domestic)
- Renewals with appointments 90 days or longer (international or domestic)
- Proof of purchased insurance should be included with this form (if applicable). This proof should show the insurance type/tier purchased, as well as insurance start/end dates, and purchase price. Please do not submit copies of the insurance cards or quotes.
► Supporting documents from the sponsoring program (if any)
► Student's vita/CV
► Student's proof of financial self-support dated within six months
Domestic Student, living within the nine Bay Area counties:
Required: Visitor’s residential address within nine Bay Area counties
Preferred:
- Financial documentation from parent/guardian/other supporting party that reflects sufficient funding for the duration of the appointment
- A signed letter from parent/guardian/other supporting party indicating support of at minimum $3,141 USD per month of appointment duration
Domestic Student, living outside of the nine Bay Area counties
Required: Current (within six months) financial documentation either from the student, parent, or other financially supporting party that reflects sufficient funding for the duration of the appointment; see list below for acceptable financial documentation.
International Student:
Required: Current (within six months) financial documentation either from the student, parent, or other financially supporting party that reflects sufficient funding for the duration of the appointment; see list below for acceptable financial documentation; more information on the ISSO web site
For all students:
Minimum Funding Requirement: $3,141 USD per month of appointment duration
Examples of Acceptable Financial Documentation include but are not limited to:
- Current bank statement from parent/guardian/other supporting party
- Current financial aid documentation (*must show acceptance of aid for the aid year that coincides with the appointment period) from current attending institution
- A signed letter from parent/guardian/other supporting party indicating support of at minimum $3,141 USD per month of appointment duration
Additional Guidelines for Proof of Financial Support:
- If scholarship or financial aid documentation is used, it must reflect aid dates for the current or upcoming academic year, whichever coincides with the appointment dates.
- If the student is on a 100% remote appointment, proof of financial self-support is not required.
- Any proof of support provided in foreign currency should be converted to U.S. Dollars.
- For extension appointments, students cannot use the same funding documentation as was used for the previous appointment. New proof of financial self-support should be submitted using the guidelines outlined above.
► Student's insurance information
- Domestic: Insurance card will suffice
- J-1 (see #4 above): If initial appointment or extension is 90 days or longer, proof of insurance must be from a SMHW-vetted insurance carrier. Insurance must meet U.S. Department of State requirements as outlined on the Insurance Options page. Proof of insurance documentation must show insurance start and end dates. The insurance options we provided at the aforementioned link are the only options from which programs should select the visiting student's insurance plan. These pre-selected options meet U.S. Department of State requirements.
- If appointment is less than 90 days, regular traveler's insurance required by the U.S. Department of State will suffice. Supplemental insurance does not need to be purchased by the program.
► Student's proof of active academic enrollment (must be for the duration of the appointment). Proof of active academic enrollment in a degree-granting program provided from the student's institution account, or a letter from the institution indicating active enrollment. Documents should be current and can typically be obtained from the registrar's office. For extension appointments, students should request an updated enrollment letter from their home institution. Outdated documents should not be submitted. A school ID card is not accepted as proof of active enrollment.
