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⇒ Student & Scholar Advising ⇒ Students ⇒ F-1 Students ⇒ Enrollment Information

Enrollment Information

• Full-Time Enrollment/Exceptions Information/Concurrent Enrollment
  • Exceptions
  • Concurrent
• Mandatory Military Service
• Break From Studies—No Enrollment
• Research Abroad
• Study Abroad
• Total Withdrawal From All Classes

Full-Time Enrollment

1. In order to maintain status, F-1 students must be enrolled full-time for each fall and spring semester.  Enrollment in summer sessions is not required, unless a student begins study at IU in the summer.

   • For undergraduates this means enrolling in at least 12 credit hours each fall and spring.
   • For graduate students this means enrolling in at least 8 credit hours each fall and spring.  (Exception: Six (6) credit hours is considered full-time if the student is an Associate Instructor, Research Assistant, or Graduate Assistant appointed at 37.5–50% FTE—employed by your department for 15–20 hours/week in one of these positions—and your department will allow you to be enrolled in only 6 credits.)

2. Exceptions to full-time enrollment:

   There are some exceptions to full-time enrollment that are designed to assist students, but all exceptions need to be authorized by OIS before you drop below full-time.

   Examples of exceptions:

   1. a first-semester student who is advised by an academic advisor to take less than a full load of courses due to language difficulties or unfamiliarity with US teaching methods;
   2. a student who must drop a class because they were placed in an incorrect level by an academic advisor
   3. a student in his final semester of coursework who does not need a full load in order to complete degree requirements;
   4. a student who is advised by a doctor to under-enroll due to a severe medical condition.  (documentation by a US medical doctor, licensed clinical psychologist, or doctor of osteopathy is required)

   To review these exceptions to full-time enrollment in more detail and request authorization for a reduced course load, please log on to iStart.  Dropping below full-time without authorization from OIS is a violation of your F-1 status!  If you are thinking about dropping below full-time, call OIS (855-9086) and set up an appointment to talk with us about your options before you drop.

3. Concurrent Enrollment:

   You may be enrolled concurrently at IU and another institution.

   • You must submit a copy of your current course registration at the other institution to OIS by the end of the first week of classes for each semester you are concurrently enrolled.
   • You must be enrolled in more credits at IU than at the secondary institution.  If you would like to take the majority of your classes at another school, please log into iStart to submit a transfer out request.
   • If you are in the final semester of your program of study, you cannot be enrolled in classes only at a secondary institution.
   • You are responsible for getting your credits transferred to IU.  You will need to submit your transcripts to the Office of International Admissions.

Mandatory Military Service

If you need to leave the US for mandatory military service in your home country, you should first call OIS to make an appointment with an advisor.  If you have already left the US for military service, please be sure to email OIS at intlserv@indiana.edu to inform us of your departure.

Once you depart the US for military service, we will terminate your SEVIS record which will end your legal F-1 status.  This means that when you are ready to resume your program of study at IU, you will need to request a new I-20 from OIS before you can return to the US.  In addition, you will need to get a new US visa.  Any student outside the US for more than 5 months will need to obtain a new US visa (see more info here).  If you need to obtain a copy of your transcripts, please visit the registrar’s website to request a copy.  Please note that your IU email account may expire when you’re not enrolled as a student at IU anymore, unless you have an Imail or Umail account!  Be sure to forward important pieces of information to a non-IU account or log into webmail to change your current account to an Imail or Umail account.)

When you are ready to return to your program of study:

• Contact OIS 4 months before you plan to return.  You can do this by emailing intlserv@indiana.edu with your name, university ID number, and the semester in which you plan to return.
• You will need to provide OIS with a copy of your passport identity page and financial documentation.
• You will also need to be in contact with your academic advisor, who will need to provide OIS with written confirmation that you are eligible to return to your program of study.  Some departments may require that you also submit a returning student form; you will need to check with your academic advisor if this will be required of you.

When you return to IU, you will be required to attend international student orientation.  We understand that you are familiar with IU and were previously a student here.  However, immigration regulations have updates and changes and we want to be sure you are adequately prepared for success in your program and are updated with the most recent information we have since the last time you were a student at IU.  During orientation, you will be required to take the English Proficiency Exam.

When you return to your program of study, you will need to enroll again as a full-time student.  This would include summer as well.  If you return for the first summer session, you will need to enroll as a full-time student in the summer (this means you will need to enroll in at least 12 credits if you are an undergraduate student or at least 8 credits if you are a graduate student).  If you return for the second summer session you will need to enroll full-time (this means you will need to enroll in at least 6 credits if you are an undergraduate student or at least 4 credits if you are a graduate student).  In addition, please be advised that you will not be eligible for any off-campus employment options until you have been in status as a full-time student for at least two semesters.

Break From Studies—No Enrollment

If you will be taking a leave of absence from your program of study and not enrolling in classes, please call OIS at 855-9086 to schedule an appointment with an advisor.  If you have already left the US, please be sure to email OIS at intlserv@indiana.edu to inform us of your departure.

If you take a leave of absence from your program for more than one semester and are not enrolled during that time, we will terminate your SEVIS record which will end your legal F-1 status, and you will not be able to remain in the US as an F-1 student.  This means that when you are ready to resume your program of study at IU, you will need to request a new I-20 from OIS before you can return to the US.

In addition, you will need to get a new US visa.  Any student outside the US for more than 5 months will need to obtain a new US visa (see more info).

If you need to obtain a copy of your transcripts, please visit the registrar’s website to request a copy.

Please note that your IU email account may expire when you’re not enrolled as a student at IU anymore, unless you have an Imail or Umail account!  Be sure to forward important pieces of information to a non-IU account or log into webmail to change your current account to an Imail or Umail account.)

When you are ready to return to your program of study:

• Contact OIS 4 months before you plan to return.  You can do this by emailing intlserv@indiana.edu with your name, university ID number, and the semester in which you plan to return.
• You will need to provide OIS with a copy of your passport identity page and financial documentation.
• You will also need to be in contact with your academic advisor, who will need to provide OIS with written confirmation that you are eligible to return to your program of study.  Some departments may require that you also submit a returning student form; you will need to check with your academic advisor if this will be required of you.

When you return to IU, you will be required to attend international student orientation.  We understand that you are familiar with IU and were previously a student here.  However, immigration regulations have updates and changes and we want to be sure you are adequately prepared for success in your program and are updated with the most recent information we have since the last time you were a student at IU.  During orientation, you will be required to take the English Proficiency Exam.

When you return to your program of study, you will need to enroll again as a full-time student.  This would include summer as well.  If you return for the first summer session, you will need to enroll as a full-time student in the summer (this means you will need to enroll in at least 12 credits if you are an undergraduate student or at least 8 credits if you are a graduate student).  If you return for the second summer session you will need to enroll full-time (this means you will need to enroll in at least 6 credits if you are an undergraduate student or at least 4 credits if you are a graduate student).  In addition, please be advised that you will not be eligible for any off-campus employment options until you have been in status as a full-time student for at least two semesters.

Overseas Research—Enrolled in Research Credits at IU

If you will be doing research overseas please call OIS at 855-9086 to schedule an appointment with an advisor.  If you have already left the US, please be sure to email OIS at intlserv@indiana.edu to inform us of your departure.  Though you will be outside of the US, you will still need to be enrolled in research coursework appropriate to your degree program at IU while you are away.  Please check with your academic advisor for questions on course enrollment options.

For each semester that you are outside of the US:

• You will need to submit an in-absentia e-form via iStart if you would prefer not to have the mandatory IU health insurance coverage while you are gone.  We will be able to help you with the insurance waiver, but do be sure to check your OneStart account regularly while you’re gone so that you can be sure that you’re not receiving unexpected charges.  You will need to make this request for each semester that you will be gone (no later than the first week of each semester).
• You will be billed the international student fee.
• Please ask your academic advisor to send an email to intlserv@indiana.edu confirming the approximate dates that you will be out of the US and what you will be doing while you’re gone.  You will need to be sure this information is sent to OIS by the end of the first week of classes.  We will use that information to update your SEVIS record and keep it active while you’re gone.  Depending on what your academic advisor says about how long you will be gone, you will want to be sure to take care of this for each semester that you will be out of the US.
• Please log into OneStart and update your “local” address to: ℅ Int’l Services, Franklin 306, Bloomington, IN 47405.  We’ll use that to update your SEVIS record.  If your academic department prefers that you use their departmental address, please update your “local” address to their address, using “℅.”  This address information will be used to update your SEVIS record.
• Please be sure you obtain a new travel signature on your I-20 before you leave the US.  If you have already departed the US, you will need to log into iStart and to request a travel signature before you return.  You will need to be sure you allow enough time for shipping your I-20 to OIS and for us to ship it back to you if you have already left the US.

Overseas Study—Enrolled at IU while Studying in Another Country

If you will be completing an overseas study program outside the US, please call OIS at 855-9086 to schedule an appointment with an advisor.  If you have already left the US, please be sure to email OIS at intlserv@indiana.edu to inform us of your departure.  You will need to provide our office with documentation of your overseas study program, and you will need to be enrolled in coursework at IU.

While you are outside of the US for an overseas study program:

• You will need to submit an in-absentia e-form via iStart if you would prefer not to have the mandatory IU health insurance coverage while you are gone, please log into iStart and fill out an in-absentia e-form.  We will be able to help you with the insurance waiver, but do be sure to check your OneStart account regularly while you’re gone so that you can be sure that you’re not receiving unexpected charges.  You will need to make this request for each semester that you will be gone (no later than the first week of each semester).
• You will be billed the international student fee.
• You will need to submit a copy of your overseas study contract to OIS by the end of the first week of classes during the semester in which you are overseas.
• Please log into OneStart and update your “local” address to: ℅ Int’l Services, Franklin 306, Bloomington, IN 47405.  We’ll use that to update your SEVIS record.  If your academic department prefers that you use their departmental address, please update your “local” address to their address, using “℅.”  This address information will be used to update your SEVIS record.
• Please be sure you obtain a new travel signature on your I-20 before you leave the US.  If you have already departed the US, you will need to log into iStart and to request a travel signature before you return.  You will need to be sure you allow enough time for shipping your I-20 to OIS and for us to ship it back to you if you have already left the US.

Withdrawing from all Classes

If you find that you need to withdrawal from all classes, you must first come to the OIS to speak with an advisor.  OIS is the only office on campus that can process a total withdrawal form for you.

If you need to withdraw from classes due to a medical reason, you will need to provide medical documentation from a US doctor or clinical psychologist.  Please log into iStart to find a Reduced Course Load form for medical reason, which you can submit to your US doctor.  We can use this information to keep your SEVIS record active while you are away from classes.  You can also use this documentation to request a fee appeal from the Office of the Bursar.  For more information on a Bursar fee appeal please visit the bursar’s website.

If your withdrawal from classes is not based on a medical reason, OIS will terminate your SEVIS record for early authorized withdrawal.  You will need to depart from the US within 15 days from the date of withdrawal and you will need to contact our office at least 4 months before you are ready to return.  Your previous I-20 will no longer be valid and you will need to request a new one from OIS to return to the US.

You will want to be sure you take care of your housing before you leave the US.  If you live in on-campus housing you will need to talk to the Center Desk at your residence center to make the appropriate arrangements.  Please note that from the date your withdrawal slip is submitted to the Office of the Registrar, you will need to vacate your residence hall within 48 hours.

You will also want to be sure you notify your academic advisor and professors of your withdrawal.  For information about the “Auto-W” please visit the registrar’s website.