International Student Information
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SECONDARY SCHOOL GRADUATION: A foreign student must have satisfactorily completed the secondary school level that would be required for university admission in your country. One of the official documents must have the date of completion. Final high school transcripts must be submitted. All documents must be in your native language as well as English. (See below for approved credential/translation agencies)
TOEFL SCORE REQUIREMENT: CF does not require a TOEFL for international student admission. All new students (both international as well as domestic students) must take the state of Florida Computerized Placement Test (CPT) to establish their English and mathematics proficiency. After the placement testing, each international student will meet with the director of the English as a Second Language program and the academic advisor for registration in the appropriate courses. Students whose test results show skills adequate for college work will be eligible for college level degree course work. CF offers four levels of intensive English to better serve international students. (If you have a TOEFL*, IELTS**, or STEP/EIKEN*** score (no older than 12 months), students will be able to enter directly into college level degree course work with the following scores: TOEFL (61 ITB; 173 computer based; 500 paper based); IELTS (5.5 or above) and STEP/EIKEN (Grade 2A or above). These test scores will only be accepted before students begin coursework at CF. New international students presenting one of the test scores above will still be required to take the CPT to assess mathematics proficiency.
FINANCIAL SECURITY: International students must provide evidence of financial responsibility and have sufficient funds to pay for all expenses while being a full-time student. This includes tuition, lab fees, textbooks, rent, and all living expenses. College of Central Florida (CF) does not offer financial aid to international students. Financial documents must be submitted before being considered for acceptance.
TUITION: Tuition is estimated to be about $8,914.00 per academic year. To be full-time you have to be enrolled in 24 credit hours in one academic year (9 months). Tuition is due when you register for classes during Orientation. For estimated expenses, please see the Confidential Financial Statement.
INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS: Accident & Hospital Insurance. Insurance is mandatory at College of Central Florida (CF) for all F-1 students! Please investigate insurance information.
FULL-TIME ENROLLMENT: You are required to enroll as a full-time student (12 credit hours in the Fall Semester and in the Spring Semester, or a total of 24 credit hours each academic year). Failure to do so will place you in violation of status and your status must be reported to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).
PASSPORT VALIDITY: You are required to keep your passport valid at all times to a date at least six (6) months beyond your graduation date or intended date of stay in the United States. To extend the validity of your passport, contact your consulate in the US.
ON-CAMPUS EMPLOYMENT: F-1 students are permitted to work on campus up to 20 hours per week without permission from immigration, providing they maintain F-1 status, maintain a full-time schedule, and keep a 2.0 GPA or higher.
TRANSFERRING SCHOOLS: Students wanting to transfer to another school should notify the International Student Service Office of their intention to transfer and complete a "Authorization To Release Sevis Record". F-1 students are eligible to transfer to another school if they meet the following requirements:
- have been enrolled full-time at the school he/she was last authorized to attend during the term immediately preceding the transfer or last preceding vacation period;
- plan to be a full-time student at the new school, from which the student must obtain a new I-20;
- maintain valid legal status.
Students wanting to transfer from another school to CF should notify the International Student Advisor where they are presently enrolled of their intention to transfer to CF and complete a "Transfer In" form. Students complete the first part of the form and the International Student Advisor completes the second part; then it should be sent to CF. F-1 students are eligible to transfer to another school if they meet the following requirements:
- Have been enrolled full-time at the school he/she was last authorized to attend during the term immediately preceding the transfer or last preceding vacation period.
- Plan to be a full-time student at the new school, from which the student must obtain a new I-20.
- Maintain valid legal status.
UNIVERSITY TRANSCRIPTS FROM OUTSIDE THE UNITED STATES: International students wanting to have postsecondary coursework from a foreign college or university considered for transfer to CF must submit official postsecondary transcripts in English, complete with a course-by-course translation. Students must also include translated course descriptions for the courses they want to have considered for transfer.Students must use World Education Services Inc. (www.wes.org), Josef Silny & Associates (www.jsilny.com)or SpanTran Educational Services (www.spantran-edu.org),for transcript translation and evaluation. These documents must be submitted prior to the first term of enrollment.
