I am an international doctoral student at a US university. My school asks me for a proof of funds to cover the expenses of my spouse. I therefore requested a bank statement. However, my statement reveals much personal information such as my account number and the details of all transactions.
My question is whether it is safe to supply this personal information.
You could also consider obtaining a Bank Letter (or Proof of Funds Letter) instead of using a monthly statement. American University has some sample documents on their site to show what can be used to demonstrate financial ability. Screenshot of the sample letter in case the link breaks in the future:
It may be safe to do so but still reveal stuff that you don't want to reveal and which they have no real need to know. For instance if your statement reveals you spent money at a sex toy shop it's probably "safe" to reveal that but it might be embarrassing or awkward and it's not really any of the school's business.
I would talk to your contact at the school (i.e., the person who asked for this documentation). Quite likely they would be okay with you cropping out part of the statement (e.g., the individual transactions), and/or obscuring (e.g., with black boxes) any sensitive information.
