Page Revised: April 11, 2002

Contents :
15.30   UNDERGRADUATE ADMISSIONS REVIEW COMMITTEE
15.40   OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPTS AND CREDENTIALS
15.50   APPLICATION FILE
15.60   INTERNATIONAL ADMISSIONS

15.30 UNDERGRADUATE ADMISSIONS REVIEW COMMITTEE

Effective:  January 19, 2000

The purpose of the Admissions Review Committee is to consider undergraduate lower division student admission appeals and to admit students under the exceptions Rule. All undergraduates who have below 60 transfer hours may appeal to the Admission Review Committee through the Director of Admissions. Undergraduate students with 60 hours of transfer credit may appeal directly to the chair of the Academic department.

Florida Administrative Code

Admissions Chapter 6C Section 6.001 Rules of the Department of Admissions, Florida Board of Education

In accordance with the Florida Board of Education rules, a student who is denied admission to the University may appeal this decision, in writing, to the Office of Admissions within 30 days. The Admissions Review Committee reviews these appeals and the Office of Admissions notifies the applicant of the decision.

Members of the Admissions Review Committee are selected by the Dean of Undergraduate Studies and Director of Admissions with the approval of the Provost. The Admissions Review Committee is composed of faculty and University staff with a ratio of six faculty and two staff members. Committee members serve for a 3-year appointment on a rotating basis. The Chairperson is selected yearly with approval of Provost. The Committee reports to the Provost.

Cases are reviewed on an individual basis. The Admissions Review Committee meets once a month, or as needed. Students are encouraged to appeal only if additional, unusual, or extenuating circumstances have affected their academic performance and the Admissions Office had not been notified of the circumstances at the time of the initial admission action.

After the review process, the Committee makes the admission decision.

15.40 OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPTS AND CREDENTIALS  

Effective:  January 19, 2000

 PURPOSE

To determine admissibility of the student.

Admissions Chapter 6C Section 6.001 Rules of the Department of Admissions, Florida Board of Education
Director of Admissions

All official transcripts, test scores, and any other required credentials must be received directly from the issuing agencies. It is the applicant's responsibility to initiate the request for credentials to the issuing agencies and to assure their receipt by FIU’s Office of Admissions.

Once transcripts are received and evaluated, an admission decision is determined and a letter is forwarded to the student.

A large percentage of institutions are sending transcripts electronically. Once a student applies to our institution a request is made for an electronic transcript.

A final decision will not be made until the Admissions Office can determine the authenticity of the academic record.

All transcripts and test scores submitted from an issuing agency become the property of Florida International University and cannot be released to a second party.

15.50 APPLICATION FILE

Effective:  January 19, 2000

PURPOSE

To begin an orderly process of identifying applicants.

Admissions Chapter 6C Section 6.001 Rules of the Department of Admissions, Florida Board of Education

Final admission decisions will not be made before a completed application and all supporting documents are on file in the Office of Admissions.

All credentials and documents submitted to the Office of Admissions become the property of Florida International University. Originals or copies of the originals will not be returned to the applicant or forwarded to another institution, agency, or person.

Applications are kept on file for one year from the anticipated entrance date.

Effective:  January 19, 2000

To provide international students information about requirements for admission.

Admissions Chapter 6C Section 6.001 Rules of the Department of Admissions, Florida Board of Education

An international student will be granted admission to the University when all academic and non-academic requirements have been met. A student should not travel to the University without having received the official Letter of Admission and the I-20A Form. All correspondence and document submissions should be directed to the Office of Admissions.

International student applicants must meet the admission requirements of the University and comply with the following:

Academic Records

Official transcripts and their English translations, validated by an official public translator, and all other appropriate credentials, must be forwarded directly to the Office of Admissions.  To determine a degree equivalent, all foreign institutions must be recognized in their countries as institutions of higher learning. 

Proficiency in English

Proficiency in English must be established if the native language is not English.   Two types of TOEFL tests are recognized by the University; paper-based with a minimum score of 500 for undergraduates, and 550 for graduates; computer-based with a minimum score of 173 for undergraduates, and 213 for graduates are required, however there are some departments that may require a higher TOEFL score.  For TOEFL information contact: TOEFL Program Box 899, Princeton, New Jersey 08540.

Declaration and Certification of Finances

Upon receipt of the application for admission, the Declaration and Certification of Finances will be mailed to the applicant. It must be completed and returned to the Office of Admissions. A Certificate of Eligibility (Form I-20A) will be issued once the applicant has been found admissible to the University.

The University is required by immigration authorities to carefully check the financial resources of each applicant prior to issuing the Form I-20A. Therefore, it is important that applicants are aware of the cost of attending the University and have the necessary support funds for the period of enrollment. Applicants should refer to the Annual Estimate of Cost Chart.

The total funds available for the student for the first or second academic year, or both, must equal the total estimate of institutional costs and living expenses. All items in the Declaration and Certification of Finances must be accurately answered to avoid unnecessary delay in processing. This document must be received by the Office of Admissions two months prior to the anticipated entry date.

Medical Insurance

The State of Florida requires that all international students maintain health insurance coverage to help defray the costs in case of catastrophic medical emergencies. The policy must provide specific levels of coverage which have been established to ensure that the policy is adequate to provide for the costs at U.S. hospitals, usually much higher than the costs in many other parts of the world. In addition, a policy must have a claims agent in the United States who may be contacted by medical providers and who facilitates prompt payment of claims. The University has approved a plan which meets the state requirements and which meets the needs of most students; however, a student may select alternate coverage provided it meets the state requirements for minimal coverage. Students are advised not to purchase insurance policies prior to arrival without verifying that the policies meet FIU/SUS requirements. Compliance with the insurance regulation is required prior to registration.

Full-Time Enrollment

Non-immigrant alien students in F-1 visa status are required by United States immigration to be enrolled full-time, except for the summer terms, and to make satisfactory progress toward the degree program in each term; otherwise the student's immigration status may be jeopardized. Full-time enrollment is defined as enrollment every term for a minimum of 12 semester hours (undergraduate), or nine semester hours (graduate).

The laws and regulations of the United States Department of Justice, Immigration, and Naturalization Service state: It is the student's responsibility to comply with all non-immigrant alien requirements as stated under the United States laws under section 101(a)(15)(f)(i) of the Immigration and Nationality Act.

Granting official "Extension of Stay" is dependent upon the student's achieving normal academic progress toward the degree requirements.

Employment

The legal regulations governing F-1 student employment are complex. Advisors in the Office of International Services are available to explain these regulations. In general, however, employment is available only to students who maintain their legal status in the U.S. and is regulated under these three categories:

a) On-campus employment: F-1 students may be employed on the FIU campus for a maximum of 20 hours per week during the fall and spring semesters while school is in session, and full-time during holidays, vacations, and summer. On-campus employment includes teaching and research assistantships for graduate students and hourly part-time work. Students must contact individual campus departments to inquire about employment opportunities.

b) Off-campus employment: F-1 students may request off-campus employment only after maintaining F-1 status for at least one full academic year. Employment is authorized only after the employer files a labor attestation with the U.S. Department of Labor, certifying that he or she has attempted to find a qualified U.S. citizen or permanent resident to fill the job vacancy but has been unable to do so. Off-campus employment opportunities are not readily available, and students should not rely on off-campus employment as a source of income to finance their studies.

c) Practical training: F-1 students may request practical training employment to accept jobs related to their studies. Students usually pursue practical training employment after completion of degree requirements, although in some cases practical training may be authorized prior to completion of studies. Since practical training employment is limited to one year of full-time employment, students cannot rely on it as a source of income to finance their studies.

After receipt of official transcripts and necessary documents, an admission decision is made and a letter is mailed to the student.

Page last updated: December 19, 2002