Full-Time Enrollment Requirements

Students in F-1 status are required to maintain full-time enrollment each fall and spring semester in order to maintain nonimmigrant visa status.  Full-time enrollment is also required in the summer if students will complete their course of study in the summer.

A full course of study is defined as:

• Undergraduate students: At least 12 credit hours (6 in the summer)
• Graduate students: At least 5 graduate credit hours or a combination of 8 credit hours of graduate- and undergraduate-level courses (3 in the summer)
  • This may change depending on your graduate student registration status and level of course enrollment. Graduate School rules for full-time status apply.
  • Ask your Graduate Program Advisor for assistance in determining your graduate student registration status and how to define full-time enrollment based on that status.

Failure to meet the full-time enrollment requirement or receive an authorized reduced course load (see below for the Exceptions to the Full-Time Enrollment Requirement) can result in the loss of your F-1 visa status.

Online/ Distance Education Restriction

For both undergraduate and graduate students, only 3 credits of online or distance education coursework can count towards the full-time requirement.

• For example, if you are an undergraduate student, you can take a 3-credit class online, but you must have at least 9 additional on-campus credits that take place in a classroom.

Classes must be taken for a grade, satisfactory/unsatisfactory or pass/fail to count toward the full-time requirement.

• Classes taken for no-credit will not count toward the full-time enrollment requirement.

On-Campus Physical Presence Requirement

On-campus presence is required every fall and spring semester. It is also required in the summer if the summer term is your final semester of study. If you plan to graduate in the summer, you must maintain some level of on-campus presence by enrolling in in-person coursework. There is no exception to this rule.

Incomplete Grades (“I”)

Getting an incomplete grade of "I” counts toward the full-time minimum requirement for enrollment purposes. Students are responsible for working with their instructor to ensure they complete the coursework within the established deadline to receive a letter grade for the incomplete.

Exceptions to the Full-Time Enrollment Requirement

• Less than a Full-Time Course Load Remaining: If it is your final semester and less than a full-time course load is required to complete your degree, you must submit the Confirmation of Final Semester e-form (available in MyISSS Portal).
  • Students can count up to 3 credits of online/remote/distance education courses towards the credits needed to complete their academic program requirements in their final semester.
    • A student must demonstrate on-campus presence through enrollment in in-person credits in their final semester.
    • Examples:
      • If you are a graduate or an undergraduate student and need 4 credits to complete your degree in your final semester, then you must have at least 1 credit of in-person enrollment and the remaining 3 credits required to complete your degree may be online.
      • If you are an undergraduate student and need 8 credits to complete your degree in your final semester, then you must have at least 5 credits of in-person enrollment and the remaining 3 credits required to complete your degree can be online.
• Authorized Reduced Course Load: If you have a qualifying academic or medical reason, you may be eligible to be authorized for a reduced course load.

Enrollment for Administrative Purposes

While international students who hold F-1 status have some flexibility regarding the coursework they take toward their degree, there are a few important regulatory requirements to keep in mind such as the number of years given to complete the course of study (as reflected on the Form I-20), a limitation on the number of online credits that can count toward full-time enrollment, and enrollment for “administrative purposes.” This last limitation can cause some confusion.

The student visa regulations do not allow students who have satisfied all requirements for their degree completion or who have successfully defended their master's thesis or Ph.D. dissertation to continue to be enrolled for administrative purposes.

• For example, students who have successfully defended their thesis or dissertation do not need to enroll in subsequent terms, therefore future enrollment is considered enrollment for administrative purposes only.

Students who completed all required coursework for their major and/or minor cannot continue to maintain their F-1 status through enrollment because this would be considered enrollment for administrative purposes.

There are many reasons why a student may want to continue to enroll after having completed all their degree requirements. They want to:

• Prepare for graduate school through additional course work, or improving their GPA, would be helpful.
• Expand their knowledge of a particular topic and simply would like to take a few extra classes.
• Delay graduation for personal reasons, such as a job search or wanting more time to apply for graduate school.

While ISSS understands these reasons, the visa regulations prohibit enrollment for administrative purposes. If a student has completed the required coursework for their degree, or if they have defended their dissertation, then their F-1 SEVIS record will be shortened to the last day of required enrollment. ISSS can advise students on other options to maintain U.S. immigration status such as Optional Practical Training (OPT), change of level, change of status, or transferring to another school.

It is important to keep the restriction against enrollment for administrative purposes in mind and to plan accordingly. Ensure there is required coursework in the final semester– either for your major or minor. Make sure the thesis/dissertation defense takes place in a timely manner with the understanding that enrollment after the successful defense of the thesis or dissertation is prohibited.

Consult ISSS if you have questions and do not drop courses without ISSS authorization.