Greetings from USF! We hope this year is off to a great start for you.

If you are interested in applying to be an exchange student, the first step is to visit the international office at your home university. Students applying for exchange programs must apply through their home university’s exchange coordinator to ensure all students being processed are eligible for enrollment at their home university. You may not apply independently of your university for any exchange program.

Students seeking a degree from USF must enroll for a full program through the Admissions office.

Please read the following information very carefully.

Applications will be considered incomplete unless all of the following materials are received. To access forms visit the Incoming Exchange Forms page. (If you have difficulty downloading forms please contact our office and the documents will be sent to you via e-mail.)

Required Forms:

1. USF Education Abroad Application and Conduct Form
2. Toefl Score – All Students who do not have English as their native language must submit a TOEFL score to ensure ability to attend and comprehend classes.  The test score can be from a paper-based, internet-based, or computer based exam.   The minimum scores are:  Paper-based – 550; Computer-based – 213; Internet-based – 79.
3. Copy of the student’s passport
4. Official transcripts from the student’s home university
5. Financial Verification: Complete only when authorized by a bank or accompanied by bank documents and a letter of support should those funds be in a name other than the student’s. Scholarships, grants, or government funds require a letter of offer which states the amount being disbursed. Students should be advised that the US Embassy will also require proof of funding when they go for their visa interview. **see Estimated Expenses section below for complete detailed requirements
6. Immunization Form / USF Insurance Confirmation Form
7. Housing Application / Meal Plan: Students planning to make independent arrangements for housing are asked to inform the Education Abroad Office of their decision in the form of a letter attached to the application so their application is not considered incomplete. Please note that all students applying for on-campus housing are required to submit a Meal Plan form in order to be considered for housing assignment. If you are notified as placed in one of the listed "Apartment-style" Housing options then you will have the option to cancel your Meal Plan.

Please read the following instructions thoroughly to ensure your application is complete and acceptable. You will find links to our required exchange student application forms at the bottom of this page.

1. Application Deadlines
2. Course Selection
3. Health Insurance
4. Housing and Meal Plan
5. Estimated Expenses
6. Useful Links

Application Deadlines:
We will have two deadlines for submission of USF Incoming Exchange Application Materials.

• For students beginning classes in our Fall Semester, we need completed applications submitted by April 24th.
• For students beginning classes in our Spring Semester, we need completed applications by August 24th.
• ADVISORS, PLEASE NOTE: You need not wait to forward Spring Semester applications until the Fall Semester cycle has passed. However, Spring classes are not published until a later date and those classes can not be confirmed until that time.

Forms should be returned by fax or mail to the address below.

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Course Selections:
Keep in mind that 12 credit hours is considered “full time” at USF for immigration purposes (undergraduate students & 9 hours for Graduate students).  This typically comprises of 3 or 4 classes, depending on the number of credit hours associated with the course.

Students can look up available courses at: http://usfweb.usf.edu/ssearch/search.htm (HINT: Select "Tampa" as your campus, as this is where our offices are located and the other campus' are too far to commute to). Students MUST seek approval from the Home University for course requests before submitting them to USF to ensure that proper credit can later be accepted toward your degree.  A copy of your most recent transcript of grades must also be submitted with your course request list.  Fall classes will not be posted until sometime in late February/early March. Spring courses are not posted until the end of October/beginning of November. Your students can also look up classes (although this method WILL NOT state if the course is being offered in the Fall Term) through the Undergraduate Catalog. The Undergraduate Catalog can be found at: http://www.ugs.usf.edu/catalogs.htm.

Students intending on taking courses in USF’s College of Business, College of Education, College of Engineering, Mass Communications, Information Systems Management, and ALL GRADUATE programs must indicate this on the initial application.  Your USF Program Coordinator must first contact the respective academic departments for approval to permit the students to take classes within each department.  The academic departments must review the student’s transcript in order to verify which courses would best be suited for each student before your classes can be confirmed.  This is to ensure the most successful academic experience for each student. 
Students applying for courses in the College of Business may be limited to no more than 3 courses within the college in their finalized course schedule. Students who are studying business will need to choose some options outside of the College of Business in order to complete their academic schedule since most courses in the College of Business are 3 credit hours each and Undergraduate student are required to have a minimum of 12 credit hours a semester. The university does offer a wide range of interesting courses that any student would qualify for and we are able to offer suggestions based on your student’s interest. Please contact me for further information. Media and Broadcasting courses in Mass Communications are not available to exchange students.

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Health Insurance:

The University also requires MANDATORY health coverage for students studying at USF as an exchange student. Students must purchase the USF insurance policy that is guaranteed to fulfill requirements set forth by the State of Florida/USF for immigration purposes. You can find information on the health insurance at http://shsweb.shs.usf.edu/SHSForms.html.
The only exception to this rule is for those students who are enrolled in an insurance policy through their home institution that has been reviewed and pre-approved to meet all requirements prior to arrival at USF. The Health Insurance Verification Form lists the requirements of insurance. Inability to prove full insurance coverage by the second week of classes will result in a change of visa status and possible termination of the exchange in accordance with U.S. Department of State Regulations (CFR 22 Sec. 62.14 Insurance).
http://shsweb.shs.usf.edu/ins/insurance.html#Policy.

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Housing & Meal Plan:

The Housing and Meal Plan Applications must be received as soon as possible, but no later than February 15th for the fall semester and September 15th for the Spring Semester. This will allow us enough time to have the student's application reviewed before the housing deadline. We will not be able to guarantee on-campus housing, since the assignments are made on a first come, first serve basis, however we will do our best to facilitate in the process.

The fastest and easiest way to apply is ONLINE at:  http://www.housing.usf.edu/. The sooner your students apply, the better their chances of getting into their first preference for accommodation. You may also submit a paper application to us if preferred.

One of the most preferred housing options by our students is the Magnolia Apartments.  The Apartments provide kitchen access and a more private living space, and provide the option to cancel your meal plan if preferable.  You may find that you prefer to find housing off-campus.  If so, there are numerous apartments very nearby that USF students enjoy.  Some of the most popular are:  The Avalon Apartments:  www.avalonheights.net/1.html, the Malibu:  www.malibuusf.com/, and many more which may be found at: www.sra.usf.edu/och/ or requested from your USF Program Coordinator.  If you are planning on arranging independent housing off-campus, please include a letter stating such with your application or email to the USF Coordinator upon acceptance.

If you plan to apply for on-campus housing, you must obtain the Meningitis vaccine and submit the confirmation as part of your Immunization form to USF to be considered for housing.  For those students who are not able to have the Meningitis vaccine in their home country, then please notify your USF program coordinator as soon as you begin your application.

In order to be considered for housing on-campus, all students MUST submit a meal plan form.  More information about the meal plan options can be found at: http://www.usfdiningservices.com/. After students have been officially accepted and issued a USF ID number, they may submit a contract on-line by going to the website :  http://www.campusdish.com/en-US/CSS/UnivSouthFlorida/MealMemberships/. Then select the option at the left-side menu under “Quick Links” to “Complete Online version of the Meal Plan Form.”  This is the easiest way to complete the process.  If you are later confirmed into one of the apartment-style houses, then you will be given the option to cancel your meal plan if you prefer.

Important Reminder:  If you decide apply for housing on-campus, make certain to read the detailed contract terms and conditions and the cancellation policy.  If you decide to cancel your housing assignment, you must do so before the deadline listed on your application forms or you will be subject to a strict cancellation penalty.

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Estimated Expenses:

*Please note that these are estimated expenses and the actual amount which you will spend will depend on your personal spending trends. You must provide proof of funds totaling the amounts above in order to complete your DS2019 visa application process as explained below.

Provide official documentation of liquid assets to cover your period of study.  You must submit ORIGINAL DOCUMENTATION in order for your DS2019 form to be processed. This documentation must be sent along with your application documents.

NOTE:  Liquid assets include money in a banking account, stocks, bonds, or other investments with cash value.  Retirement accounts cannot be used as a source of financial support unless the sponsor can provide evidence that he/she is, in fact, retired and able to access those funds without penalty for early withdrawal.  Real estate or other non-liquid asset such as automobiles, jewelry, or other personal property cannot be used as a source of financial support under any circumstances.

Example Sources of Funding and Documentation

All amounts must be in United States currency or show applicable conversion rate.

Additional Support Needed for Dependants:

If you have a spouse or children that will accompany you to the United States, you must include an additional $5,000 per year for your spouse and each child.  Please note that this estimate for dependents is the minimum amount you must show.  If purchasing insurance in the U.S. for dependents, actual costs for your dependents will likely increase.

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Useful Links:

• Incoming Exchange Arrival Checklist
• Academic Calendar
• Online Campus Tour
• Course Descriptions
• Schedule of Classes
• Map of Tampa Campus
• International Services

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Thank you for reading the instructions. Below is a link to the incoming exchange forms:

Incoming Exchange Forms

If you or your students have any questions, please feel free to contact me:

Patricia Smith
Program Coordinator, Education Abroad
University of South Florida
4202 E. Fowler Avenue, CPR 107
Tampa, FL    33620-5550  USA
Phone:  813-974-6148
Fax:     813-974-4613
psmith@iac.usf.edu

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