Admissions Requirements for International Students

International students seeking college credit admission on the F-1 visa or seeking career certificate program admission on the M-1 visa must meet the following requirements:

1. Completion of the Application for Admission and International Student form.
2. Final placement into English classes is based on Postsecondary Education Readiness Test (PERT) scores for language and reading skills or a combination of PERT, Level of English Proficiency (LOEP), and writing sample scores for possible placement into English for Academic Purposes (EAP) courses. These assessments are made after the student arrives at Seminole State. International students who are not applying for college or whose scores are not appropriate for college may consider non-credit intensive English courses (see English Language Institute section of the College Catalog).
3. Admissions materials must be sent to the Seminole State International Student before the following deadlines:
   • Spring admission deadline - December 1
   • Summer admission deadline - April 1
   • Fall admission deadline - July 1
4. Pay a $50 non-refundable processing fee.
5. Evaluation of Foreign Education Transcript:
   1. If the student attended only high school, transcripts must be officially translated to English and then evaluated by a member of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES). The NACES members most commonly used by Seminole State students are World Education Services, SpanTran or Josef Silny and Associates.
   2. All foreign education evaluations must be sent directly from the evaluation company to Student Records.
6. Demonstration of financial support (required documents include the following):
   1. A signed, original bank letter on letterhead from student or sponsor account, as applicable, stating when the account was opened, type of account and current balance.
   2. A signed Affidavit of Financial/Educational Support must state relationship to and responsibility to pay all educational and personal expenses of the student.
      Note: It is possible to have more than one sponsor. The sponsor(s) does not need to reside in the United States, nor be a relative of the applicant.
   3. An Affidavit of Living Expenses should be completed if the student will live with the sponsor.
      Note: The address must be within commuting distance of the College.
   4. Only documents in English will be accepted. Translations must be completed by an official body (a notary public does not automatically qualify as a translator).
7. As part of the admissions process, students on an F-1 or M-1 visa must purchase and provide proof of health insurance from the college's provider prior to enrolling in classes. They must maintain this coverage during their entire period of study. Insurance must be purchased for each academic year.
8. For transfer students only, the following documents are needed in addition to the previous requirements: completed International Student Transfer Form, all previous I-20, I-94 documents, passport and F-1 Visa and official transcripts from previous colleges.
9. According to USCIS, an international student must study full-time. Full-time, college credit studies at Seminole State is a minimum of 12 credits each for the fall and spring semesters; nine of these credits must be face-to-face in a classroom. Students who choose to begin during the summer semester must also study full time.

Send all forms and documents in English to international@seminolestate.edu.

For more information, visit Seminole State's International Student Office or email international@seminolestate.edu.

Guidelines for Level of English Proficiency, Writing and Reading Assessment

1. For placement purposes only, all Seminole State students must meet State of Florida test score requirements (PERT, ACT, SAT) prior to enrollment in courses that require English and reading proficiency. Students who do not meet state minimum requirements will need to complete additional English and/or reading coursework prior to entry into those college-level courses.
2. Students who attended high school in English in the United States for at least four years without enrollment in ESOL classes must take preparatory coursework to meet the state requirements.
3. Students who have not attended high school in English in the United States for at least four years without enrollment in ESOL classes must take English for Academic Purposes (EAP) courses to meet state requirements. Some take non-credit courses prior to EAP. Placement into EAP may require students to take the Level of English Proficiency (LOEP) test and complete a writing sample to ensure the most appropriate placement.
4. Students who have attended high school in English in countries outside the United States where English is the official language may be placed into college-level English courses based on PERT scores or preparatory EAP courses based on PERT scores, LOEP scores and a writing sample. If language interference problems are assessed in writing samples completed by students from countries where English is the official language, students are placed into preparatory EAP courses.