Admission Requirements for Individuals with F-1 Visa Status

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F-1 Visa Initial Applicants

San Jacinto College is authorized under federal law to enroll non-immigrant students.

International students residing outside the United States may be admitted to San Jacinto College and issued the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Certificate of Eligibility (Form I-20) for F-1 Visa processing when all admission requirements have been met.

To complete the admission process, students must do the following:

  1. Complete the online application for admission at https://goapplytexas.org/.
  2. Complete the application for an I-20. For complete steps, students may refer to the College website regarding students residing outside the US.  
  3. Have all foreign secondary and college transcripts evaluated. The evaluation must show a secondary education that is equivalent to a US high school diploma or higher. Students must submit official secondary school records and/or college/university transcripts to be evaluated by an approved foreign transcript evaluation agency. For a list of approved agencies, students may contact the International Student Services Office or visit the College website regarding International students.
  4. Provide proof of financial ability. San Jacinto College requires financial support of $31,977 US dollars annually. This is the estimated cost of educational and living expenses for one year at San Jacinto College. An additional $6,000 is required for the first dependent and $3,500 for each additional dependent. Students are required to submit documentation of these funds and currency exchange rates (if applicable). For more information, students may refer to the Initial Admissions Checklist. Documentation of scholarships and fellowships may be in the form of an official award letter, and personal or family funds should be on bank letterhead stationery.
  5. Provide proof of English proficiency. Students must meet requirements as listed under the English Language Proficiency Requirement for Students Who are Speakers of Other Languages section in this catalog. Students meeting English language proficiency may be required to test for college readiness in reading, writing, and math, unless exempt. Students may refer to the Testing section in this catalog.

Students must register full-time for courses in a specific degree plan to maintain F1 status.

A full-time course of study is 12 semester credit hours per term. One fall plus one spring semester constitutes one academic year.

F-1 Visa Holder SEVIS Transfer Applicants

International students who are transferring from another United States college or university must submit the above admission documents as well as the items below. For more information, students may refer to Transfer Students Residing Inside the US (https://www.sanjac.edu/admissions/how-to-apply/international-student/transfer-students-residing-inside-us).

  1. Visa, passport, and I-94 card.
  2. All previous I-20s since initial entry into the United States.
  3. Completed SEVIS Transfer Release Form. Must be filled out by the International Student Counselor/Advisor at the student’s current institution.
  4. Official transcripts from all United States schools attended.
  5. All students must be counseled by the International Student Services Office before registration and must follow the agreed-upon degree plan.

Transfer students who are out of status must contact the International Student Counselor/DSO prior to admission.

Transfer students on academic suspension must apply for suspension appeal in the Center for Advising, Career, and Transfer Office at South campus prior to admission. Transfer students admitted on academic probation must earn at least a 2.0 GPA to maintain good academic standing.

Admission Requirements for Individuals with Other Types of Visas

Students with other types of visas or non-immigrant status may be eligible for admission. To determine eligibility, students may contact the Admissions Office. Current B1/B2 visa holders are not eligible for admission under United States Department of Homeland Security regulations (8 CFR 214.2(b)(7)).

To be admitted, the student must apply for change of status. For more information, students may refer to Other Visa Categories on the website: (https://www.sanjac.edu/admissions/how-to-apply/international-student/international-students-faq).

  1. Complete the online application for admission.
  2. Have secondary and college transcripts evaluated. The evaluation must show a secondary education that is equivalent to a US high school diploma. Students must submit official secondary school records and/or college/university transcripts to be evaluated by an approved foreign transcript evaluation agency. For a list of approved agencies, students may contact the International Student Services Office or visit the College website regarding International students.
  3. Provide proof of English proficiency. Students must meet requirements as listed under the English Language Proficiency Requirement for Students Who are Speakers of Other Languages section in this catalog. Students meeting English language proficiency may be required to test for college readiness in reading, writing and math, unless exempt. TOEFL and IELTS scores are valid for two years. Students may refer to the Testing section in this catalog.
  4. Provide Visa, passport, and I-94 card or applicable proof of residency document.

All students who are enrolling for the first time will be counseled into appropriate levels of English, mathematics, and reading based upon their state-approved test scores. (See the Residence Status for Tuition Purposes section to determine residency classification.)

Admission Requirements for Non-US Citizens and Students without Current Visa Status

San Jacinto College is committed to serving students and assisting them to reach their educational goals, regardless of citizenship status. Students who are not citizens of the United States and/or do not have a valid Visa status are eligible for admission.