International Students
UNDERGRADUATE CATALOG INDEX

You should submit the following items to be considered for admission if you wish to attend Mountain State University on an international student visa:

• A completed undergraduate or graduate application for admission.
  
• A set of attested or original transcripts, translated into English, from the school where you completed your secondary education. Transcripts for any college-level credit earned at an institution outside the United States must be submitted for evaluation to Education Credential Evaluators (www.ece.org) or World Education Service (www.wes.org). Course-by-course evaluation is preferred. While evaluated college-level transcripts are not required for undergraduate admission, it is recommended you submit them before you enroll to be considered for transfer credit.
  
• Official scores from the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) if your native language is not English. Results must be sent directly to us by the testing agency. Regular University admission requires a minimum TOEFL score of 173 on the computerized exam or 61 on the Internet-based exam, or a minimum score of 5.5 on IELTS. Exceptions are made on an individual basis. If you have a lower score, you may be able to enroll in MSU’s English Language Training (see the following section).
  
• Statement from a recognized financial institution or responsible sponsor showing sufficient funds in U.S. dollars to cover academic and living expenses.
  
• Housing application or exemption form.
  

Whenever possible, all documents should be received at least three months before the beginning of the semester in which you plan to enroll.

Once you have been admitted to the University and your financial arrangements have been verified, you will receive a Form I-20 for presentation to an American embassy or consulate in application for a nonimmigrant F-1 student visa.

New federal regulations require that students applying for first-time attendance at a college or university in the United States pay a fee that goes toward maintaining the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System. This fee, known as the SEVIS I-901 fee, is generally $100 and must be paid before your interview. You may be required to pay this fee if your Form I-20 was issued on or after September 1, 2004. You can pay the SEVIS I-901 fee online at https://www.fmjfee.com/index.jhtml.

To maintain eligibility, you must register for a minimum of 12 semester hours of study for each semester of the academic year. Registration and credit hours must comply with federal regulations. You must also provide proof of health insurance. A qualifying health insurance plan is available for purchase through the University.

While international students are ineligible for most forms of financial aid, you may be able to qualify for part-time employment on campus through an International Fellowship. See International Fellowship in the Financial Aid chapter for details.

English Language Training
English Language Training at Mountain State University offers intensive English study to students who do not meet the English language requirement for Mountain State University admission. Some students take more than one semester of ELT study to gain enough English writing and speaking proficiency for University courses.

Learning a second language is a challenging process, and some individuals require more intensive study than others. ELT offers a unique opportunity for English language study to those whose language scores are not yet high enough to qualify them for regular University admission.

ELT includes classroom instruction as well as field trips into the community for a wide range of language and cultural knowledge and orientation. Students learn skills in reading, writing, speaking, and listening, as well as grammar, pronunciation, and American culture.

Entering ELT students are placed in one of two classes on the basis of their TOEFL score: ELT 98, for students whose TOEFL score is below 133 on the computerized exam or 45 on the Internet-based exam; or ELT 99, for students whose TOEFL scores are above 133 on the computerized exam or 45 on the Internet-based exam. Students who have only an IELTS score are given a practice TOEFL for ELT placement.

Students who score 59 or 60 on the Internet-based TOEFL (or an equivalent score on the computerized version) may be allowed to register for some regular University courses with further assessment. Exceptions to this requirement may be made on an individual basis.

Up to 6 hours of elective credit (3 hours of humanities/language credit and 3 hours of elective credit) can be earned for ELT studies and a successful TOEFL score.

Provisional Enrollment
ELT students who attain a qualifying score on the ELT placement test (133 on the com-puterized exam, 45 on the Internet-based exam, or 5.5 on the IELTS exam) or who are awaiting TOEFL scores are permitted to register for credit in up to two approved Mountain State University courses. These provisional students often enroll in such courses as SSCI 181 University Skills for Success, ENGL 100 College Writing, or RDNG 100 Reading and Study Skills, or in a computer or mathematics course.

Provisional students must register for classes by the last day of the drop-add period and are expected to meet all requirements of the classes in which they are enrolled. The University reserves the right to refuse admission to any specific class on the basis of its enrollment capacity and to terminate the provisional enrollment of students who fail to complete each class with a grade of C or better or who do not fulfill all ELT requirements.

Before an official transcript can be released, you must earn a qualifying TOEFL score (173 on the computerized exam or 61 on the Internet-based exam) by the end of the semester. You must also enroll, pay tuition for, and successfully complete at least one semester of full-time study at Mountain State University (a minimum of 12 credit hours during fall or spring, with a minimum grade of C in each class).

Once you have fulfilled these requirements, the grades and credits that you earned in provisional enrollment are credited to your academic transcript and applied toward your program of study.