Office of Admissions

International Student Admissions

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The Schenectady County Community College accepts applications for admission from international students for the Fall and Spring semesters. Students attending the College on a student visa (F1) as authorized by an I-20 Certificate of Eligibility are considered to be international students. Applicants who are permanent residents of the United States should follow the normal admissions procedures and are not considered to be international students. Acceptance of international students is based on the following factors:


1. The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) is required prior to Admission. The minimum acceptable score on the computer based TOEFL is 213. The minimum acceptable score on the internet based test is 79. These are equivalent to the paper based TOEFL score of 550. This may be waived for students from countries where English is the primary language or when a student has successfully completed English Composition courses at an accredited U.S. college.



2. Students must have academic credentials at a level appropriate for entrance in college level study. The Full Opportunity Program regarding admission to the College does not apply to international students.



3. Application Deadline for International Students - Due to the amount of time required to process international student applications and evaluate academic credentials, the State University of New York International Student Application for Admission (available from the Admissions Office) should be processed as early as possible to insure adequate time for acceptance to the College. For international students, the application process should be totally completed with all documentation prior to August 1 for the Fall semester and December 1 for the Spring semester.



4. Normally, all students who have earned their educational credentials outside of the United States must have their records evaluated by World Educational Services (WES). WES must conclude that the credential is at least equivalent to a U.S. secondary school diploma (successful completion of 12th grade). This evaluation must be at the student's expense. See www.wes.org for more information.



5. Students must be able to certify the availability of $16,000 (U.S. currency) per each 12 month period to support their cost of tuition, fees, books, room, board, and other living costs while in attendance at the College.



6. Health insurance coverage is required. Students must provide documentation of health insurance coverage while attending Schenectady County Community College prior to registration. This is in addition to the accident insurance that is required for all students ($18.00 per year).



7. International students are not eligible for any form of financial aid for attendance at Schenectady County Community College. Students attending the College on a student visa must pay non-resident tuition (double the resident tuition) regardless of the length of time that they have resided in New York State. (See section on Tuition and Fees in the catalog).



8. International students who entered the country with an F-1 Visa or who changed their immigration status to F-1 while in the United States are strongly recommended to report to the Office of Student Development (E223) every semester to assure maintenance of status. All F-1 students who transfer to SCCC must also apply for an SCCC I-20 (certificate of eligibility) within 15 days of registering for classes.



9. Students are responsible for the $100 fee that SEVIS charges for F-1 students.