Students can buy whatever paper documents they'd like; I don't waste my time reviewing them.

One uncharacteristically candid consular officer shared his insight during a few government / SEVIS sessions last month at NAFSA's Bi-Regional Conference in San Juan. When asked about actual documents that students should take to their student visa interviews, he said a valid I-20 or DS-2019 is certainly mandatory. Beyond that, though, I often ignore the other paperwork; I can read much more in the faces of the student visa applicants, rather than on the sheets of paper in front of them.

My interpretation? It's incumbent upon the U.S. campus to ensure that the application for a student visa has been issued in good faith -- and that, of course, includes proof of financial capacity.

FundsV improves the efficiency and integrity of the international student funds verification process, by empowering the account holder to securely point their online banking data to the host that requested it. In our tightly-controlled environment, the only way students can register with FundsV is through an authorized host's .edu domain; that referring host is the only entity with access to that student's data.

Learn more about how FundsV works:
     

To participate, review the proposal at FundsV.com/media/img/proposal.pdf, and send the completed document to cheryl@FundsV.com (We're also happy to schedule online demonstrations at your convenience.)

Another component in the rising demand for FundsV lies in the popular movement toward "paperless" offices. Most campus colleagues define that as storing scanned PDFs; in my mind, that's not truly paperless. My definition of paperless is without paper or an electronic transfer of data. In the case of FundsV, the account holder corresponds with the bank to authorize an electronic capture of account data -- so there is no need for the host to "eye-ball" documents for accurate logos or familiar signatures.

A few months ago, GoAbroad named FundsV as one of five worldwide finalists in their "Innovative Use of Technology" competition. I really think that this recognition is a strong testament to the readiness of colleagues involved in global student mobility, to advance their paperless process. Six years ago, when we started exploring solutions for this dilemma, students weren't ready, sponsors weren't ready, host campuses weren't ready, and certainly host governments weren't ready.

That's changed. People around the world feel more comfortable with online banking than ever before, and expect (some might say demand) that they'll be able to point their data wherever they want it go. When colleagues decide to take advantage of this existing technology, they'll find that FundsV provides a robust platform to reach their goals.

11-12 January 2013: Educ Expo, West Africa's Largest International Education and Study Abroad Fair, will take place at the Hotel Ivoire in Abidjan, Cote D'Ivoire.

Seize the opportunity to recruit in this untapped market. Educ Expo is based on increasing need and demand for a legitimate and efficiently-run platform for exhibitors to interact with motivated and eligible students, their parents, agents and other stakeholders.

We invite all universities, colleges, language and boarding high schools around the world to attend the fair or promote their programs in our fair guide. Log on EducExpo.com or contact info@EducExpo.com for registration and information.