International Student Admission Requirements

College of Central Florida has an Office of International Student Services to assist international students in making the transition from their home countries to CF. The staff will gladly assist students with immigration regulations, educational planning, personal problems, and other areas of concern.

College of Central Florida is authorized by United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to enroll non-immigrant alien students. These students are required to complete and submit an international student application packet no later than 90 days prior to the first class day of the term in which he or she seeks admission. The application packet must include:

1. One of the following online admissions applications: 
   • If you have not earned a college degree, please complete the CF General Application.
   • If you have earned an associate or higher degree and have an interest in earning a Bachelor’s degree, please complete the Bachelor Degree Application.
2. A $30.00 non-refundable application fee (U.S. dollars).
3. Complete the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Application Process and pay $200 fee.
4. Official, original, high school diploma or secondary school leaving certificate in English including a date of completion.
5. Official, original, final, high school or secondary school transcripts in English. Transcripts from schools outside of the U.S. must be evaluated, at the student’s expense, by an independent agency that evaluates foreign credentials. CF will accept such documentation from World Education Services Inc. (www.wes.org), Josef Silny & Associates (www.jsilny.com), SpanTran Educational Services (www.spantran-edu.org), or independent, academic-credential translating/evaluating agents contracted with the USA Community College Consortium (USACCC) .
6. 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. 
7. English Proficiency: 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.
8. Financial responsibility: In order to be issued a Form I-20 (Certificate of Eligibility of Non-Immigrant F-1 Student Status), applicants must provide evidence of financial responsibility and have sufficient funds to pay college matriculation and tuition fees, textbook cost, medical and living expenses, and health insurance. Financial aid is not available to non-immigrants and CF does not offer scholarships to international students. The Confidential Financial Statement and the Financial Support Information form need to be completed. A bank letter dated within the past three months must also be included in the admissions packet. All of this financial information must be submitted before the student will be considered for admission. A non-immigrant student may not be employed while attending college in the United States unless the USCIS has granted permission. When you request a student packet of information, a Confidential Financial Statement and a Financial Support Information form will be included.
9. Health and Accident Insurance: Insurance isMANDATORY. International students on F-1 or M-1 visas must provide proof of medical insurance in advance of the intended term of enrollment.This insurance must be continued for the entire period of enrollment. Insurance purchased by the student other than the College-approved insurance (website: www.ifcs.us) MUST be approved though a Waiver Request process prior to acceptance by the College.  Contact the Office of International Student Services at CF for details about the insurance coverage requirements.
10. The deadline for submitting ALL required paperwork is 90 days before classes begin. Your application will not be processed until CF receives ALL the required paperwork.
11. When a student is accepted for admission, a letter of acceptance with a date for a MANDATORY orientation and an I-20 will be sent.
    

Other Requirements to maintain non-immigrant student status

1. To maintain non-immigrant student status, students must enroll for a minimum of 12 credit hours during the Fall and Spring terms. Failure to maintain enrollment will result in the loss of student status and possible deportation.
2. Successfully completing a minimum of 24 semester hours in one academic year.
3. Maintaining an overall 2.0 grade point average (G.P.A)
4. Maintaining lawful F-1 visa status with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Students may not enroll beyond the expiration date of their I-20 form.
5. Students are responsible for knowing the expiration dates of their I-20 form, their visa and their passport.
6. Compliance with all CF rules and regulations is required. Students who do not meet the above regulations will not be permitted to register for subsequent terms.
7. In most instances, international students are not permitted to work off campus. On-campus employment is permitted. Please contact International Student Services for additional information.

 

 

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