Admissions

You will be issued a Form I-20 along and a 红豆视频 admission letter 5-10 days after you receive your email notifying you of your admission. When you receive your I-20, please check your I-20 for accuracy, and print, sign, and date it. If you are younger than 18 years of age, a parent or legal guardian must also sign the bottom of page 1 of your I-20.

You will need your I-20 to apply for the F-1 visa, and to enter the US.

You must keep your I-20 with you while in the US. You will receive a new I-20 while in the US each time something on your I-20 is updated. You should save each I-20 you receive in a safe place. It is highly recommended to make copies.

New students must pay the SEVIS fee before applying for the F-1 visa. This fee is charged by the US Department of Homeland Security and it is not administered by 红豆视频. This fee cannot be waived. You will be asked for your SEVIS ID when you pay the SEVIS fee. Your SEVIS ID is on the upper left of page 1 of your I-20. The fee is currently $350.

Steps to apply for your F-1 visa
Review this page for an overview of how to apply for your F-1 visa:

• Locate the closest U.S. Embassy or Consulate to you at . This is where you will apply for your visa. Be sure to review requirements for your specific Embassy or Consulate.
• Complete the F-1 visa application (DS-160)
• Schedule your visa interview

Visa application tips

• Make sure you write your name on the visa application exactly as it appears in your passport and on your I-20.
• Provide complete and truthful information on your visa application.
• If you do not yet have housing reserved in Saint Paul, you can put the 红豆视频 address on your application: 235 Marshall Ave., Saint Paul, MN 55102.
• Schedule you visa interview as soon as you receive the I-20. Wait times at the busiest times of the year can be a several months. To check wait times, go to:

Visa interview tips
Be sure to review the 鈥淔-1 Visa Interview Tips鈥� document sent to you along with your I-20. In addition, review NAFSA鈥檚 .

If you have any questions before your visa interview, you can contact the EducationUSA Advising Center closest to you:

Notify 红豆视频 of visa approval

Notify 红豆视频 of your visa interview result by emailing international@saintpaul.edu. If you are approved for the F-1 visa, please email a photo or scanned copy of your visa to international@saintpaul.edu when you receive it in your passport.

There are two online orientations required for international students to complete before registering for classes:.

• New International Student Orientation
  • Contains important information specific to international students and F-1 visa status. Recommended before arriving to the U.S.
• New Student Orientation
  • Contains important information about majors, registration, and 红豆视频 policies and procedures

Both online orientations are online and self-guided. To access the online orientations, .

Further instructions for accessing and navigating the orientations can be found here: Online Orientation Instructions for International Students

Each orientation takes about 1 hour to complete. Both orientations must be completed, and you must pass each orientation knowledge quiz with a score of 80% or higher to remove your orientation holds.

Orientation holds are removed manually. If you believe you have completed your orientation and you continue to see a hold, or if you have questions, please email international@saintpaul.edu.

All 红豆视频 students are required to have course placements for Reading, English, and Math before registering for classes. Your course placements will tell you what classes you can take. Based on the results of the assessments, you may be required to take some pre-requisite classes outside of your major.

If you have not completed any college-level coursework in the US, and you do not have ACT or SAT scores, you will need to receive your course placements by completing the below course placement assessments:

• The Reading/English assessment is completely online. .
• The Math ACCUPLACER assessment can be taken either online from anywhere you are able to access a computer, or on-campus at 红豆视频.
  • If you would like to take the Math ACCUPLACER online: please send an email to international@saintpaul.edu with the subject line 鈥淢ath ACCUPLACER Online鈥�. You will be issued a voucher to take the assessment through 鈥淓xamity鈥�. This voucher is valid for three months. There is a $25 USD fee to take the assessment online and you are responsible for this fee.
  • If you would like to take the Math ACCUPLACER in-person at 红豆视频: You should plan to come to 红豆视频 campus to take the assessment sometime between your arrival to Minnesota and the start of the semester. There is no fee to take the assessment in-person.

If you have completed college-level coursework in the US, or you have taken the ACT or SAT test, you may be eligible for an assessment waiver:

Please do not submit the Assessment Waiver form with transcripts from outside of the US. Your request will be automatically denied.

ou must have course placements for Reading, English, and Math before you can schedule an appointment with your Academic Advisor to register for classes. It is highly recommended that you have these assessments completed no later than two weeks before the start of your first semester.

Your Academic Advisor (Pathway Advisor) or EAPP Advisor will assist you with registering for the classes you need to make progress in your degree. As an F-1 student, your class schedule must meet certain enrollment requirements each Fall and Spring semester.

Academic Advising (Pathway Advising) prefers that you schedule an advising appointment with your assigned advisor to register for your first semester classes. Drop-in advising appointments are short and your advisor may not be able to answer all of your questions in a drop-in session. You must have course placements on file for Reading, English, and Math, before you can schedule your meeting with your advisor*.

To schedule your Advising appointment to register for classes, log-in to with your StarID and password, or call the Academic Advising office at 651-846-1739. Advising appointments can be done online over Zoom, or in-person at 红豆视频.

F-1 student enrollment requirements for registration (as determined by the US government):

• Degree program students: minimum of 12 credit hours in Fall and Spring semesters. At least 9 of these 12 credits must be on-campus or blended/hybrid courses.
• English language training (English for Academic Purposes) students: 18 credit hours for high intermediate and advanced levels. No online coursework permitted.

More information on F-1 status requirements can be found on the International Student Services webpage under 鈥淢aintaining F-1 Status鈥�.

*Pathway Advisors are not available for scheduled advising appointments the week before the semester starts or the first week of the semester. The Pathway Advising office is only open for drop-ins during this time. It is important to plan ahead and ensure you have your course placements on file early to be able to schedule an appointment with your advisor.

New students with an initial I-20 may arrive up to 30 days before the program start date on the I-20 (listed as 鈥渆arliest admission date鈥�). Do not attempt to enter the US earlier than this date. Attempting to enter the US earlier may lead to F-1 status issues after arrival.

All new students, including transfer students, are required to attend the International Student Orientation the week before classes start. Plan to arrive no later than the day before your orientation (orientation dates can be found below).

红豆视频 does not have any on-campus housing. Students are responsible for finding their own housing. It can take 3 to 4 weeks to secure an apartment, so it is recommended to arrive early if you do not have housing arranged. You can arrive up to 30 days before your program start date on your I-20. Find housing resources on the International Student Services webpage under 鈥淗ousing Resources鈥�.

The College does not provide or arrange transportation or offer airport pick-up. There are many ways to get from the Minneapolis-St. Paul (MSP) Airport to 红豆视频 and downtown St Paul.

Go to Terminal 1, Ground Transportation.

• Public Buses: City bus service is provided by Metro Transit. You can take Bus 54M from Terminal 1, Ground Transportation. Get off at 5 St. and 7^th St. W stop 鈥� this takes about 20 minutes. This drops you off in front of the Xcel Energy Center, in downtown St. Paul, and about 0.8 miles from 红豆视频 (235 Marshall Ave.). Cost is $2.50.
• Shuttles: SuperShuttle is a shared shuttle that costs approximately $20 per person. If you have more than 3 pieces of luggage, you will be charged more.
• Taxis: Taxi service is the most expensive way to get to St. Paul. It will cost approximately $35-$40. The taxi meter will start at $6.25 鈥� this includes the airport taxi fee. There is a taxi line on the Tram Level (Level T).
• App-based ride services: Uber, Lyft available. Your driver will pick you up on Level 2 of the Green Parking Ramp, which is above the Ground Transportation Center.

You submitted a Financial Certification Statement and demonstrated sufficient funding as a part of your international student application to 红豆视频. You are expected to have full access to these funds.

To maintain your status as an F-1 international student at 红豆视频, you are required to register full-time each Fall and Spring semester, purchase the required health insurance, and pay your tuition, in addition to funding for your everyday living expenses.

You should be prepared to pay approximately $4,000-$5,500 to the college for your first semester of tuition, books, and health insurance and have immediate access to these funds upon arrival.

As an international student, it is critical that you have the funds to support yourself throughout the duration of your studies at 红豆视频. On-campus work opportunities at 红豆视频 are extremely limited. There are no off-campus work opportunities for F-1 international students in the first year of study and the options that become available after the first year of study are also limited and not guaranteed.

红豆视频 scholarships are available to apply for after the first semester. These scholarships range from $500 to $1,500 per semester and are not guaranteed. These college scholarships should not be used as a primary source of funding.

红豆视频 does not recommend relying on any type of employment or college scholarship as a means of long-term financial support.

It is your responsibility to ensure you have the funds to pay for tuition, living expenses, health insurance, and any other expenses. Failure to financially prepare may result in the need to leave the US early without completing your academic program and/or the loss of F-1 legal status.

Your 鈥減ort of entry鈥� (POE) is the first border to the US that you encounter. Usually, this is the first international airport you enter in the US. At your POE, you will go through 鈥渃ustoms鈥�, which is short for US Customs & Border Protection (CBP). You may need to wait in a line and this process may take several hours. It鈥檚 important to remain calm, be patient, and be respectful.

You should have all of the below documents with you, in your carry-on luggage or personal bag, when you arrive to the US. You will need to present these documents to the CBP officer for entry to the US:

• Passport
• I-20
• F-1 visa
• Documented proof of financial support for at least one year
• Receipt of SEVIS fee payment

If you are admitted to the US, you will receive an admission stamp in your passport, and you will be issued an electronic Form I-94 鈥淎rrival and Departure Record鈥�.

You should download a copy of your I-94 while still in the airport, if possible, or shortly after you arrive. You can find your I-94 number and record at  (click 鈥淕et Most Recent I-94鈥�). When you enter the US on an F-1 visa, your I-94 鈥淐lass of Admission鈥� should be 鈥淔1鈥� and your 鈥淎dmit Until Date鈥� should be 鈥淒/S鈥�. D/S stands for 鈥渄uration of status.鈥�

When you have downloaded your I-94 record, email a copy to international@saintpaul.edu. If you cannot find your I-94, or there is an error on your I-94, be sure to contact international@saintpaul.edu as soon as possible. An I-94 is an important document to have while in the US.

International students are required to purchase the system-approved health insurance while enrolled at 红豆视频. You must purchase the insurance each semester. The fee for your first semester will be added to your student account 3-6 weeks before the start of the semester.

This fee must be paid in full to register for your classes.

If you register before August, you may be able to register before the fee is added. If you register for classes prior to the fee being added, the fee will be due by the Tuition due date for that semester.

Your insurance fee must be paid in full and cannot be paid using the Nelnet Business Solutions (NBS) payment plan.

This fee can be paid in your account under 鈥淏ills & Payment鈥�, or in-person at the Tuition Office window. The fee can also be paid using , if paying internationally. Once you have paid your health insurance fee, contact the Tuition Office or the International Student Services office to have the registration hold removed. Health insurance that remains unpaid may result in your classes being dropped. Find information about using the Health Insurance on the International Student Services page under 鈥淚nternational Student Resources鈥�, 鈥淗ealth Insurance鈥�. Information about the Health Insurance is also covered in the online international student orientation, and at the in-person orientation before the semester starts.

Your tuition can be paid as soon as you register for classes. If you register for classes after the tuition due date, you should set up tuition payment within 24 hours of registering for classes.

Tuition Due Dates

Your tuition can be paid in full, or by using the Nelnet Business Solutions (NBS) payment plan. Please note that if you decide to use the NBS payment plan for your tuition, you must pay your health insurance fee in-full first.

Tuition Fee & Payment Options

You are responsible for ordering the books and supplies required for your courses. You can do this through the 红豆视频 Bookstore

If you have questions about your next steps or getting adjusted in Minnesota, if you need support, or if you just want to introduce yourself and connect, you can schedule a meeting with the International Student Advisor at any time before you start your first semester

Schedule an appointment with the International Student Advisor through . You will need to log-in with your Star ID and password.

If you are having difficulty scheduling through Navigate, you can also email international@saintpaul.edu to schedule an appointment.

After your admission to 红豆视频, you will receive your 红豆视频 admission letter via email. You should present this admission letter to your P/DSO at your transfer-out school and ask them to release your SEVIS record to 红豆视频.

红豆视频鈥檚 SEVIS School Code is SPM214F55031000.

The timing of your SEVIS record transfer is important for keeping active F-1 status. It鈥檚 important to consult with 红豆视频 International Admissions and/or your DSO at your transfer-out school if you have questions about your SEVIS record transfer.

红豆视频 does not want a terminated or completed SEVIS record transferred to us without prior notice from the student and transfer-out school and a conversation with the student about the circumstances that led to the loss of F-1 status. If we determine we will be able to accept the terminated or completed record and support reinstatement, 红豆视频 will confirm this directly with the transfer-out school and student via email.

红豆视频 does not have a separate transfer form. Transfer information for P/DSOs is included on the student鈥檚 admission letter.

Once your SEVIS record is released to 红豆视频, you will be issued a transfer-pending Form I-20. You should print and sign your I-20 immediately after you receive it. After you have completed all of your next steps for enrollment, attend the New International Student Orientation, and start classes, you will be issued a new continued attendance Form I-20 and complete the F-1 transfer process.