Additional Admission Requirements for International Students
All international students, regardless of visa type, are individually responsible for ensuring that they are in good standing with the U.S. immigration authorities. International students applying for admission must meet the same admission requirements as other students. Transcripts sent from any educational institution recorded in a language other than English must be accompanied by a certified translation from a National Association of Credential and Evaluation Services member. All documents must be a certified copy of the original. Original documents will not be returned to the student unless otherwise stated.
Regardless of program, all students whose native language is not English must provide evidence that they are able to use the English language with sufficient facility to do college-level work in an English speaking institution. Prospective international students residing both in and out of the U.S. may obtain evidence of their English proficiency by one of the following methods:
- Taking the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), the International English Language Testing System (IELTS), the Cambridge Exam, or the McCann English Proficiency.
- Graduating from a college or high school where English is the primary language of instruction.
- Completing an ESL program at an institution that is recognized by a body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
International students enrolled in a graduate program may also be required to take ENG 115 or ENG 116 and ENG 201 or ENG 215 at Strayer, in addition to providing evidence of English proficiency as an admission requirement.
For international students residing in the U.S., the university offers the institutional TOEFL on a scheduled basis at select locations. Information about the test may be obtained from the admissions office.
The university evaluates official McCann, TOEFL, IELTS, and/or Cambridge exam scores in determining placement of prospective students. Score reports are valid for two years from the test date.
Undergraduate students must earn the following to be admitted to the university:
- A minimum McCann score of 4 on the writing skills portion and 13 on the ESL grammar, listening and reading portions, OR
- A minimum TOEFL score of 500 on the paper-based test (61 on the iBT version), OR
- A minimum score of 5.5 on the IELTS, OR
- A PET score on the Cambridge exam
Graduate students must earn the following to be admitted to the university:
- A minimum McCann score of 4 on the writing skills portion and 13 on the ESL grammar, listening and reading portions, OR
- A minimum TOEFL score of 500 on the paper-based test (61 on the iBT version), OR
- A minimum score of 5.5 on the IELTS, OR
- A minimum score of PET on the Cambridge exam
Information on the TOEFL may be obtained from any U.S. Embassy or by writing to:
ETS, Educational Testing Service
CN 6151
Princeton, NJ 08541-6151
or online at http://www.toefl.org. Strayer University’s TOEFL code is 5632.
Information on the IELTS may be obtained online from www.ielts.org.
Certificate of eligibility for nonimmigrant students SEVIS (F-1) Form I-20 will be issued to students residing outside the U.S. only when all of the admission and financial requirements are met. Additional fees are required for addition of dependents.
A $300 tuition deposit is required for international students residing outside the United States and is refundable only if the U.S. Embassy denies the F-1 visa. To obtain a refund, the student must return the original SEVIS Form I-20 to the University, copy of I-901 SEVIS fee receipt matching Strayer I-20 SEVIS number and visa denial letter within 12 months of the original application date. After one year, the tuition deposit is nonrefundable.
Strayer welcomes international students. New international F-1 students should arrive at Strayer no more than 30 days prior to the program start date listed on the Form I-20 to complete USCIS reporting requirements and counseling procedures. F-1 students may not arrive in the United States more than 30 days before their program start date and no later than the last day of add/drop.
International F-1 students transferring in from a U.S. institution must hold a current SEVIS Form I-20 and be in good standing. An international student with a terminated SEVIS record must apply for reinstatement with the previous school prior to transfer to Strayer. Students may also apply with Strayer for Reinstatement via Travel, requiring the students to travel to their home countries before being issued a new Form I-20 to return to Strayer.
Requests for changes of visa status are adjudicated on a case-by-case basis by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS). It should be noted that applicants (students) in the United States may be able to change classification to F-1 (student).
Students seeking to apply to change from B to F-1 cannot register for classes prior to approval from the USCIS. B visa holders must receive approval for a change of status to F-1 from USCIS prior to beginning full-time degree coursework.