International Students

Special Instructions for International Students

Information regarding the process for application to baccalaureate or graduate programs can be found in the Getting Started section of this catalog. Processing applications for international students takes several months. International students must complete all UAF application requirements as well as meet requirements for U.S. immigration agencies.

The application for admission for international students must reach the Office of Admissions before March 1 for the fall semester and Sept. 1 for the spring semester. Once a student has been accepted into UAF, the Office of International Programs will issue a Form I-20, which students must present at a U.S. embassy or consulate in their country of citizenship in order to obtain an F-1 (student) visa. The I-20 form requires the university to certify to U.S. immigration agencies that a student has been accepted for full-time enrollment and has sufficient funds to meet estimated expenses for an academic program. For the I-20 form to be issued with enough time for a student to apply for and receive a visa, applications for admission must be completed and accepted by July 1 for the fall semester and Nov. 1 for the spring semester.

Anyone who is in the United States on an F-1 visa must maintain a full-time course load and may not enroll as a part-time student (less than 12 credits per semester for undergraduate students, or less than nine credits per semester for graduate students).

International students must sign a financial statement and provide documentation that they have funds available to pay all expenses at UAF, as well as round-trip transportation between their home and Alaska. Because the application for F-1 visas requires students to affirm that they do not intend to live in the United States permanently, they are not eligible for resident tuition fees. The minimum estimated cost for one school year at UAF for an international student is $19,882 for undergraduate students, $19,998 for graduate students. This covers university fees, room and board on campus, and a reasonable amount of personal expenses. It does not include transportation to and from Alaska, summer living or winter clothing costs.

Test Requirements

1. Students whose native language is not English must pass the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) with a minimum score of 213 (computer exam) or 550 (paper exam).
2. Permanent residents on an immigrant visa must pass the TOEFL if all their previous formal education is from a country where English is not the primary language, or if the documents presented for admission do not clearly indicate proficiency in English.

Other tests may be required to satisfy application requirements for specific undergraduate or graduate degree programs. Additional information for international students is available at www.uaf.edu/admissions/international/ and www.uaf.edu/oip/, by e-mail at fyisa@uaf.edu or by calling (907) 474-7677 or (907) 474-5327.