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NEW STUDENT ORIENTATION, 8/19/23

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LEC International Education Information

Important Information for International Students at CU

Select from the following topics to quickly access information you may need while at CU.

  1. Healthcare
  2. Immigration Status
  3. Program Details
  4. Enrollment Status
  5. Practical Training and Employment
  6. Personal and Family Travel

Healthcare

Health Insurance Coverage
Reduced Course Load (RCL)

Immigration Status

Maintenance of Status Compliance Notification (pdf)

Maintenance of Evidence (pdf)

Change of Address Compliance Notification (pdf)

Change of Status Information Guide (pdf)

Address Change Form (TigerNet e-form)

Preparing for Successful Visa Interviews (pdf)

How you answer your H-1B RFE (pdf)

Guide to Correcting/Regaining Status (pdf)

EShip Global/UEMS Mailing Instructions (pdf)

Program Details

Travel & Your Program FAQ Sheet (pdf)

Enrollment Status

Courtesy SEVIS Record Transfer Form (pdf)

Reduced Course Load (RCL): Exceptions to the Full-Course of Study Requirement

    • Academic Difficulty in the First Semester
    • Temporary Illness or Medical Condition
    • Only One Course Remains to Complete Program

Program Extension Request Form (pdf)

Authorized Early Withdrawal Request Form (pdf)

Graduate Business Programs Withdrawal Form (pdf)

Practical Training and Employment

Social Security Number
SSNs are only for people who are working in the US. If are not employed, you do not need a SSN.

Economic Hardship

Employment

Personal and Family Travel

Travel and Your Programs FAQ Sheet (pdf)

Family Visit Visa Letter Template (MS Word template)

Traveling while on OPT


Health Insurance Coverage

Campbellsville University recommends new world-class coverage plans to support student access to healthcare through Cultural Insurance Services International (CISI), as well as dental and vision care through DeltaDental of KY and DeltaVision of KY. These companies have nationwide networks of providers available in most areas across the country. (See pdfs attached for complete details with specific coverages and exclusions.)

These insurance programs are Self-Enroll and Self-Pay, meaning students work directly with the insurance companies. Campbellsville University is not involved in any enrollment or any transactions and it has no impact on your program of study.

CISI Medical Insurance (Aetna Network) provides medical insurance plans on the nationwide Aetna network for students on F-1 VISAs and their dependents. The can be found here Cultural Insurance (CISI). The pdf World Class Coverage Plan includes everything students need to review the plan and sign-up for coverage.

Delta Dental is generally accepted nationwide and offers a couple of tiers for their plans (see Delta Dental Brochure). Students may search for local providers in their area at https://www.deltadental.com/us/en/find-a-dentist.html. Kathy Hawthorne (Kathy@jessieinsurance.com) from Jessie Insurance Agency of Central Kentucky is the local contact who can assist students with enrollment.

These insurance programs are Self-Enroll and Self-Pay; they are not administered by or billed through the University.

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Reduced Course Load

Under certain circumstances, SEVP regulations permit DSOs to grant students in F-1 status a reduction in their normal course load. Extreme situations may even permit a student to have no course load at all.

There are only three reasons for granting a Reduced Course Load (RCL):

  1. specific initial academic difficulties in their first semester;
  2. temporary illnesses or ongoing medical conditions;
  3. needing less than a full-load in the final term to complete a program of study.

In order to receive an RCL for health reasons, you must:

  • Log-in to myGlobalCU using your TigerNet credentials.
  • Click on F-1 Student Services in the menu on the left.
  • Carefully read and review all of the information.
  • Carefully follow all of the instructions.

The Office of International Student Services will make a decision on your RCL request within 7 business days after you submit your request and will notify you through your University email.

CAUTION: Do not discontinue participation or enrollment before receiving written notice of authorization of your RCL request, otherwise you risk having you SEVIS record terminated for unauthorized withdrawal, which would require the immediate departure of you and your dependents from the U.S.

The full text of the RCL regulations is available at: 8 CFR 214.2(f)(6)(iii).

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Special Student Relief and Severe Economic Hardship

Special Student Relief (SSR) originally permitted students to enroll part-time, apply for a work permit, and request a fee waiver—-­­­­ to apply for the I-765. In today’s COVID-19 environment with about one million international students in the US and the fact USCIS could not process benefits in a timely manner before this crisis, it is doubtful that this plan will be rolled out as it was in the past. If an SSR is rolled out it will likely be adjudicated by the Universities. If this is approved by DHS, CU will notify any eligible students with instructions about how to process a request.

For additional information:Humanitarian/Special Situations and Special Student Relief for F-1 Students: Essential Concepts.. Keep checking these sites and this page for updates.

Another option for students is called Severe Economic Hardship (SEH). This benefit is for students who have completed at least an academic year (two complete full-time semesters; about 8 months) at CU and have had unforeseen economic hardship. Examples of severe economic hardship could include such things as death of a sponsor or severe devaluation of currency.

Before you apply for this benefit, keep in mind that the eligibility requirements are extensive. If you have not completed two full semesters, you are not eligible.Further, the work permit only permits 20 hours per week, takes a minimum 90 days to approve, may require a $410 application fee, and approval is not guaranteed. Additionally, the work authorization will never permit more than 20 hours per week, since there are no vacations in for the Masters programs at CU.

If you already have work authorization through CPT, there would be no benefit in applying for a work permit outside your current benefit. The only difference between the two is, with the SEH employment authorization, you would not be limited to a job related to your program of study.

For additional questions and the links to the sites that offer work permits, contact Peter Thomas, PDSO at pithomas@campbellsville.edu so he can quickly help assess your situation and get you a rapid response.

Only DHS can authorize this. Do not be fooled by anyone else assuring you they can get you a work permit. CU will guide you if you have questions.

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Practical Training and Employment

While employment options are available for F-1 students, always remember that you have been admitted to the US based on education, not employment. At CU, we support practical training during a program through Curricular Practical Training (CPT) and after completion of a program through Optional Practical Training (OPT). All practical training employment is as a part of your program of study.

Curricular Practical Training (CPT)

CPT allows you to gain experience in your field of study while working through your program. To be eligible, you must be maintaining your immigration status and making normal academic progress toward completion of your educational objectives. CPT is authorized at the University by DSOs. For more information about eligibility and how to apply, log-in to myGlobalCU using your TigerNet credentials and click on F-1 Curricular Practical Training in the menu on the left.

Remember: You are not enrolled in order to support employment. If there is a conflict between your education and your employment, your education must always come first.

Optional Practical Training (OPT)

OPT allows you to gain experience in your field of study when you have finished all of your courses. CU supports students for two types of OPT: Post-Completion OPT and STEM Extension OPT. These training opportunities are not approved at the University. You must first receive a recommendation from a DSO and then apply to USCIS for approval.

Post-Completion OPT is for students who have just completed a program of study and is generally approved for up to 1 year. Great care must be taken when applying in order to ensure a smooth transition, so DSOs will help you prepare your application.

STEM Extension OPTextends OPT for students who have earned a degree in a STEM field, either at the current or a previous education level and is generally approved for up to 2 years.

For more information about eligibility and how to apply, log-in to myGlobalCU using your TigerNet credentials and click on F-1 Optional Practical Training in the menu on the left. Then click on either the Post Completion OPT Request or STEM Extension OPT Information tile for details.

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