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Obtaining the I-20 Form

To become an F-1 international student in the United States (U.S.), you must first obtain a Form I-20. Once you've been fully admitted to Cooper and paid your deposit, you will be contacted by the International Student and Scholars Office in regards to the next steps for obtaining your I-20. Please note that we do not collect documents for the I-20 until you've been fully admitted. 

I-20 Defined 

An I-20 is a U.S. government form that is issued by Cooper Union for the purpose of certifying that you are eligible for the F-1 student status. The I-20, also known as the Certificate of Eligibility (COE), certifies that:

  • You've been fully admitted to Cooper Union and we expect that you will be attending as a full-time student towards a specific educational objective.
  • You have sufficient funding to study and live in the U.S. for the duration of your educational program.

Obtaining the I-20

To obtain your I-20, we will require the following documentation, which must be uploaded to your applicant portal. 

Please note that we are looking for available funding for at least the first year of study (tuition and living expenses). Additionally, we look for financial capability to cover future years of study. You can review tuition and fees here. 

If you are already an F-1 student and will be transferring your I-20 to Cooper, you'll also need to: 

Downloadable Forms 

Submitting Your Documents

All documents can be uploaded to your applicant portal for review by the International Student and Scholars Office. Once all of your documents and your deposit have been submitted, you should follow up with the ISSO to confirm receipt. If all documents are sufficient, your I-20 will be issued within 2-3 weeks. The deadline for submitting all I-20 documents is June 1 but we recommend that you start your process as soon as your deposit is submitted.

Email: international@cooper.edu

  • Founded by inventor, industrialist and philanthropist Peter Cooper in 1859, The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art offers education in art, architecture and engineering, as well as courses in the humanities and social sciences.

  • “My feelings, my desires, my hopes, embrace humanity throughout the world,” Peter Cooper proclaimed in a speech in 1853. He looked forward to a time when, “knowledge shall cover the earth as waters cover the great deep.”

  • From its beginnings, Cooper Union was a unique institution, dedicated to founder Peter Cooper's proposition that education is the key not only to personal prosperity but to civic virtue and harmony.

  • Peter Cooper wanted his graduates to acquire the technical mastery and entrepreneurial skills, enrich their intellects and spark their creativity, and develop a sense of social justice that would translate into action.