International Students
Admissions Policy

Cowley College welcomes students who are citizens of other nations and are able to meet admissions and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) requirements.

Admission to Cowley College is open to all individuals who can academically benefit from its educational programs. Before full admission can be granted, students must provide:

• High school diploma or GED certificate;
• transcripts from all colleges previously attended; and
• assessment scores (unless exempt from assessment based on ACT scores).

Applicants may be provisionally admitted for a maximum of 12 credit hours pending submission of the required documents.

Cowley College reserves the right to deny a student admission or readmission if it is determined to be in the best interests of the college community to do so, or if the college is unable to provide the services, courses or program(s) needed to assist the student in meeting educational objectives.

Admissions Procedures for International Students

Requirements for issuance of I-20 include:

Step 1: Complete and submit the admissions application downloadable from the international admissions website.

Step 2: Evidence of graduation from an accredited secondary school or the equivalent in the form of an official transcript. Foreign transcripts must include certified English translations.

Step 3: Proof of sufficient funds to cover all expenses the student may incur while attending this college. Expenses may include tuition, fees, books, room and board, travel and miscellaneous personal expenses. Applicants must submit an Affidavit of Support notarized by a bank official complete with raised seal of verification from the sponsor's bank. The sponsor whose signature appears on the affidavit agrees by his/her signature to provide adequate funds to pay the student's account in full if the student fails to uphold their financial obligation. If the sponsor fails to provide promised funds; the student will be unable to enroll, their I-20 revoked, and they will be reported to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.
Step 4: Evidence of proficiency in the English language in one of the following ways:

• Obtain a minimum satisfactory score on the TOEFL test.  Internet based (iBT) = 61, Paper-based (PBT) = 500, Computer Based (CBT) = 173. Cowley’s TOEFL code is 6008.
• Obtain a TSE (Test of Spoken English) score of 4 or higher.
• Obtain an IELTS (International English Language Testing System) score of 5.0 or higher.
• Completion of the senior year from an accredited high school within the United States. The student must have earned a 2.0 or higher cumulative grade-point average for all coursework.
  

Step 5: Completion of a reading, writing, and math assessment prior to finalizing enrollment unless ACT scores exempt the student. An additional computer assessment will also be required. This test will be administered once the student arrives on campus.

Additional Requirements:

• All international students are required to obtain and carry a health insurance policy while studying in the United States. Contact admissions for plan information.
• Cowley requires a one-time non-refundable $100 processing fee for international students.  The fee does not apply to guest international students.  The fee will be added to the student’s first semester charges.  Note: This fee is in addition to the I-901 fee charged by SEVIS.

The I-20 will be issued to students upon acceptance to Cowley and proof of adequate financial resources as listed above. The student must pay the $100 I-901 fee to SEVIS at http://www.ice.gov/sevis/i901 and take the I-20 to the American Embassy in his or her country to apply for a student visa.
When an international student (new or transfer) enrolls at Cowley College, the student must present the following to the Cowley international student advisor:

• I-20
• I-94 Departure Record
• Passport
• Payment of tuition and fees

If the student does not enroll within six months from the time the I-20 was issued, the student's financial information must be re-submitted before another I-20 will be issued.

International Transfer Student

International students transferring from another college within the U.S. are required to complete Steps #1-4 as listed above. International transfer students may provide evidence of English proficiency by providing documentation of one of the following:

( a.) Completion of College English Composition I with a grade of "C" or better.
or
( b.) Successful completion of Intensive English training at the former college.

Any international transfer student who has not completed College English Composition I with a grade of "C" or better will be required to take a reading and writing course placement test prior to finalizing enrollment in courses. The Cowley International Student Advisor also must receive a completed "Request for Information on an F-1 Transfer Student" form from the International Student Advisor at the student's previous college.

International Guest Student
Cowley College also welcomes students who are currently on an I-20 from other schools. Requirements for attendance at Cowley include:
(1.) Application for admission.
(2.) Permission letter from current institution authorizing attendance at Cowley. Letter must include the semester the student plans to attend Cowley. A permission letter must be obtained each semester the student wants to attend Cowley.
(3.) An official copy of the student's class schedule at the current home institution showing enrollment of at least 12 credit hours.

Resident Aliens
Resident aliens are international students who have been granted permanent resident status by the USCIS. To qualify for in-state tuition, a student must present their resident alien card at the time of application for admission. Students who cannot provide this documentation will be classified as non-residents and will be required to pay out-ofstate tuition until the resident alien card is presented. Resident aliens may enroll part-time or full- time and are not governed by the regulations for F-1 international students.

Residency Guidelines for Resident Aliens
(1.) An international student will be changed from the international rate for tuition and fees to the out-of-state rate upon presentation of proper documentation, including the Permanent Resident Card and Employment Authorization Document (EAD). To obtain the EAD, applicants must submit USCIS form I-765. Eligible non-citizens include the following:
(a.) A U. S. permanent resident who has been issued and can present an Alien Registration Card (I-551)
(b.) A conditional permanent resident (I-551C)
(c.) Other eligible non-citizen whose Arrival - Departure Record (I-94) from the U. S. Immigration and Naturalization Service designates any of the following:
--- Refugee
--- Asylum granted (application only is not sufficient)
--- Indefinite parole
--- Humanitarian parole
--- Cuban-Haitian entrant

(2.) An international student will be changed to the in-state rate for tuition and fees upon satisfaction of the following requirements:
( a.) The student has applied for and received an Alien Registration Number and Permanent Resident Card.
( b.) The student has lived in Kansas for a minimum of six months prior to the beginning of the term and demonstrated intent to live in Kansas on a permanent or indefinite basis.
( c.) The student has completed the Kansas Board of Regents "Affidavit of Residency" form and submitted required documentation.

(3.) A student may appeal residency status by submitting a letter of appeal to the Residency Status Appeals Committee in care of the college Registrar. A student appealing residency status must first pay all tuition and fees that have been assessed. If the appeal is approved, the difference in tuition and fees will be refunded to the student.

Residency status for a semester will be determined the first day of classes for that semester.