INTERNATIONAL STUDENT ACADEMIC STATUS REPORT

CENTER FOR INTERNATIONAL FACULTY AND STUDENT SERVICES

180 College Avenue, New Brunswick, N.J. 08901-8537 * 732-932- 7015

To Undergraduate Deans and Graduate Program Directors

From Marcy Cohen, Director, International Faculty and Student Services

Re Enrollment Status of an International Student

Your assistance is requested in determining the status of an international student. Please complete sections I and III and those items checked in section II. (Forms completed by students can not be accepted.)

I. Please Complete for All Students

This is to certify that (name)

is an undergraduate graduate student majoring in

in (college/department/school) _________________________. He/she is expected to complete studies in (month/year) and to receive the diploma in (month/year) .

II. Please Read and Complete Those Sections Checked

• U.S. Immigration law requires all international students to maintain full-time student status (defined by Rutgers as 12 credits minimum). Students are considered to be maintaining their status as full-time students while registered for fewer than 12 credits only in the following circumstances:

1) severe medical problems make full-time study impossible (physician's diagnosis and recommendation with corroboration from Rutgers Student Health Service required);

2) studying in the U.S. for the first time, the student needs to adjust to English language instruction and/or the new educational system (permitted in the first semester only);

3) the student has been placed in courses for which he or she is not prepared and must drop below 12 credits to complete the term successfully (permitted for one semester only);

4) fewer than 12 credits remain to complete all degree requirements (permitted in the last semester only);

5) the student must take a reduced course load to fulfill the terms of a graduate, teaching, or research assistantship;

6) the student has completed all required course work and is engaged in full-time thesis research.

In general, with the exception of conditions 4, 5, and 6, reduction below 9 credits will not satisfy the U.S. Immigration Service definition of full-time study.

If it is recommended that this student take fewer than 12 credits, please explain in detail below. If the recommendation is for reasons other than those indicated above, the international student adviser may contact you to discuss this student's status before approving the student's request for reduced registration. To maintain immigration status and eligibility for immigration benefits such as on-campus employment (including teaching, graduate, and research assistantships), international students must be pursuing a full course of study at all times; thus the reasons for the student's reduced course load must be consistent with the program's normal definition of the equivalent of full-time study.

Students taking fewer than twelve credits must be advised of the following:

It is expected that students taking a reduced course load for medical or academic reasons (items 1, 2, and 3) will not engage in employment of any kind. Students experiencing language difficulties may be required to enroll in at least one English language class.

Students may lose eligibility for on-campus housing and must apply to the appropriate dean for permission to reduce the course load and remain in university housing.

Please explain why this student is taking fewer than 12 credits:

Semester for which this explanation applies: ______________________

Number of credits recommended for the semester in question______________________

Number of credits remaining for degree completion after the semester in question_____________________

III. Please Read and Complete Sections Checked (continued from page 1)

• U.S. Immigration regulations require that a student who has not completed a course of study within the time authorized at the point of admission obtain an "extension of program." Your assistance is needed to determine whether the student is eligible for an extension of the time limitation placed by the INS upon the student's current program of study. Students who do not obtain an extension prior to the expiration of their authorized period of study are out of status and consequently ineligible for immigration benefits such as on-campus employment, including teaching, graduate, and research assistantships. Qualifying reasons for extensions include:

1) delay caused by a change in major field of study;

2) delay caused by a change in research topic;

3) delay caused by unexpected research problems;

4) delay caused by lost credits upon transfer to our school;

5) delay caused by extended approved leave of absence;

6) original length of time given to complete studies was not reasonable for an average student in this program.

This student's original immigration document indicated a graduation date of .

Please explain why this date has been delayed:

Has this student been continuously enrolled for a full course of study? _____ Yes _____ No

If not, please explain.

• Please verify whether this student is currently in a Master's or Ph.D. program:

______________ /

Master's PhD / (date student began PhD program)

• This student has an assistantship. Please detail:

Period of assistantship: From to

or Academic Year 19______

Stipend for above period:

Tuition remission: ____________%

IV. Please Complete for All Students

Undergraduate Dean or Graduate Program Director name

College or Graduate Program

Signature

Phone Extension E-mail__________________________________

Today's date

If you have any questions, please contact the student's international student adviser at the Center for International Faculty and Student Services directly.

Thank you.