International Undergraduate Student Admission

DEFINITION OF INTERNATIONAL STUDENT

Applicants are considered International students if they meet all the following criteria:

Not a U.S. citizen,
Not a U.S. permanent resident,
Does not have an application on file to become a permanent resident of the United States, and
Will be attending UTRGV on a visa

APPLICATION DOCUMENTS REQUIRED

International Student Application. International First-year or Transfer students submit applications as international students. Other types of applicants may require communication with the Admissions office for proper classification. Applications are available through www.applytexas.org
Application Fee. $50.00 International Application fee; nonrefundable. The fee must be paid to proceed with the application process. Information on how to pay the fee through UTRGV's Marketplace will be provided via email upon receipt of application.
English Proficiency. International applicants must provide proof of English Language Proficiency if they are not eligible for an exemption. UTRGV accepts only the following scores: Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) scores, Duolingo, International English Language Testing System (IELTS), or Pearson's PTE Academic. See the English Language Proficiency section below for more details.
ACT or SAT Scores. For the current catalog cycle, UTRGV is test optional. Freshman applicants can provide entrance exam scores for either ACT or SAT. These exams are designed to assess high school students' general educational development and their ability to complete college-level work. For more information visit www.act.org or www.sat.org
Foreign Credentials. English translation and evaluation of foreign educational records (high school and/or college) from the approved companies. See the Evaluation of Foreign Credentials section below for more details.

DOCUMENTS REQUIRED AFTER ADMISSION:

Texas Success Initiative (TSI). TSI examination requires students to be assessed in reading, writing and math skills prior to enrolling in college, and to be advised on course placement based on the results of that assessment. The approved TSI testing instruments is the TSI Assessment exam. TSI is mandatory in order to register for classes. For information on taking the TSI assessment from home, contact the Testing Center.
Meningitis Vaccination. Medical records documenting Meningitis Vaccination administered within 5 years prior to the start of the application term or exemption will not be used for admission purposes but is a requirement for enrollment. Please check with the Office of Undergraduate Admissions for full details.

EVALUATION OF FOREIGN CREDENTIALS

International and Domestic undergraduate applicants that attended a foreign institution, either a high school or college/university must submit a Foreign Credential Evaluation. The Office of Undergraduate Admissions accepts evaluations only from the following companies: World Education Services (WES), Foreign Credential Services of America (FCSA), the Evaluation Company (previously SPANTRAN), or the International Education Evaluation (IEE).

Students who are currently enrolled at a foreign institution should request the evaluation with the coursework completed to date, followed by a final evaluation to be sent upon completion of the current semester. For high school transcripts, a final evaluation is needed upon graduation from high school.

Although not required for admission, to perform an accurate evaluation of the transfer coursework, applicants with academic coursework taken at a foreign higher education institution are encouraged to submit to UTRGV the course descriptions along with a copy of their foreign transcript in addition to the Foreign Credential Evaluation before starting enrollment at UTRGV. The course descriptions and foreign transcripts submitted to UTRGV must be accompanied by a certified English translation if the document is not originally in English.

EVALUATION OF PROFICIENCY IN ENGLISH

International undergraduate applicants from a foreign country whose native language is not English are required to take a test to demonstrate proficiency in English. UTRGV only accepts the following exams: Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), Duolingo English Test, the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) exam, or Pearson's PTE Academic exam for admissions purposes. Scores must be sent directly from the educational testing service. UTRGV will not accept residual TOEFL exams taken at another institution (TOEFL ITP).

The minimum scores for the tests are below. The UTRGV school code for TOEFL is 7585.

English Proficiency Exam Minimum Score

TOEFL IBT (Computer-Based) 61

TOEFL IBT (Home) 61

TOEFL IBT (Paper- Edition) 61

TOEFL IBT MyBest Scores 61

TOEFL Essentials 6.5

TOEFL MyBest Scores 6.5

Duolingo 95

IELTS 6

PTE Academic 45

Undergraduate applicants from the following countries do not need to submit English Proficiency scores:
America Samoa Dominica New Zealand
Anguilla Gambia Nigeria
Antigua/Barbuda Ghana Saint Kitts and Nevis
Australia Gibraltar St. Helena
Bahamas Grand Cayman St. Lucia
Barbados Grenada St. Vincent
Belize Guyana Trinidad/Tobago
Bermuda Ireland Turks & Caicos Islands
British Virgin Islands Jamaica United Kingdom
Canada (except Quebec) Liberia Virgin Islands
Cayman Islands Montserrat  

Exemptions
Applicants meeting exemptions based on the college or high school criteria below must submit an official transcript to the Office of Undergraduate Admissions before the exemption can be applied to their application.

Applicants who have completed two semesters of freshmen English composition in a U.S. institution and earned a “C” or better.
Applicants who have successfully completed the highest ESL Advanced Level course through the UTRGV Language Institute.
Applicants who hold a bachelor’s degree from a U.S. Higher Education Institution.
Applicants who have successfully completed three years of high school in the U.S.
Applicants who have recently and successfully completed at least 30 credit hours from an accredited university in the U.S. or in one of the countries listed above.

PROCEDURE AFTER ADMISSION FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS – ISSUANCE OF I-20

UTRGV is an approved Student Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) school to issue the I-20 form needed to request an F-1 student visa.

Once the international student has received an acceptance letter from the Office of Undergraduate Admissions, the student must turn in the following documents to International Student Services:

Provide a copy of your valid passport (with at least 6 months before expiration date).
Submit a Certificate of Financial Responsibility (CFR) form.
Submit a bank statement, scholarship award, or any other financial support letter showing sufficient funds for one academic year of study and living. See cost of attendance tables for required amounts.
If applicable, please submit your Mexican Tuition Waiver form (Mexican students only).

The student must submit all documents mentioned above to the Office of International Student Services or via email to international@utrgv.edu.

For the most up-to-date information on procedures after admission, speak to an International Admissions Specialist within in the International Student Services. For more information, prospective students can email intlnewstudent@utrgv.edu.

MEDICAL INSURANCE REQUIREMENT FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS

As required by Regents’ Rule 50402, students holding non-immigrant visas are required to maintain approved comprehensive health insurance or coverage while enrolled. Medical insurance is required each semester of attendance with required coverage by UT System. Medical insurance will be automatically billed to the student account at the beginning each semester and must be maintained throughout their time at our University. An international student can request a waiver by providing alternate health insurance coverage. To be approved for the waiver, the student’s alternate health coverage must meet or exceed the requirements set in the System regulation, be PPACA compliant, and will need to provide the required documentation. Waiver must be submitted and approved by Academic Health Plan (AHP).

International students will be automatically enrolled in health insurance coverage all year long (Fall, Spring, Summer). The only exception to this rule is for Mexican students (due to the proximity in health care services), and/or students who will be out of the United States for the summer session or if they are going to graduate.

Mexican nationals are not required to obtain university medical insurance via AHP this can be an optional coverage. For Mexican student doing a Curriculum Practical Training (CPT) at least 75 miles away from campus must need medical insurance coverage through AHP. For more information regarding waiver of medical insurance deadlines, the student must contact the International Student Advisor or visit our website.