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.
Temporary exemptions to the on-site classroom component may only be granted to universities when authorized by the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP).
For more information, please contact International Student Services website at: https://www.utrgv.edu/iss/