/Institutions/University-of-Texas-Rio-Grande-Valley/json/2022-2023/Student-Policies-local.json

/Institutions/University-of-Texas-Rio-Grande-Valley/json/2022-2023/Student-Policies.json

International Student Registration and Enrollment

REDUCED COURSE LOAD FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS

To maintain F-1 status, international students must be enrolled in a full course of study each fall and spring semester (summer enrollment is optional if it is not your first semester). For undergraduate students, full-time enrollment is 12 credits. For graduate students, full-time enrollment is 9 credits. Part-time undergraduate borders commuters must be enrolled for at least 6 hours and part-time graduate border commuters for at least 3 hrs.

There are only certain reasons which U.S. Immigration will accept for enrolling less than full-time. Some of the reasons include medical, academic, and last term of enrollment, please visit your international student advisor for more information. Immigration regulations do not consider financial difficulties a valid reason for enrolling less than full time.

ON-SITE CLASSROOM COMPONENT FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS

F-1 students completing programs at UTRGV are not permitted to take a full course of study through online courses. To maintain F-1 eligibility students may take a maximum of one class or three credit hours online or through distance education. As defined in federal immigration regulations, an on-line or distance education course is a course that is offered principally through the use of television, audio, or computer transmission including open broadcast, closed circuit, cable, microwave, or satellite, audio conferencing, or computer conferencing.

If a student is enrolled in an online or distance education course which put the student above and beyond the allowable limit, a blended or hybrid onsite class needs to be followed.

These are the requirements to qualify for an additional hybrid course:

1. The student must report in person to the professor of the specified online course no less than four times within that given semester.
2. The student must obtain signature from the instructor after each meeting.
3. The student must obtain initial acknowledgement at the beginning of the semester and final approval at the end of the semester from an international student advisor at International Admissions and Student Services.

The instructor of the hybrid course must set up specific, recurring on-campus meetings required for international students enrolled in the course. In addition, all examinations be taken on-site at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. In addition, the student must complete the On-Site Component Form in order to receive credit for the course to meet the full-time enrollment requirement by US. Department of Homeland Security.

Temporary exemptions to the on-site classroom component may only be granted to universities when authorized by the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP).