FGCU is authorized under Federal law to enroll non-immigrant students. Applicants are classified as international if they are not United States citizens, dual citizens, or permanent residents, and if they are applying for an F-1 student visa or a J-1 Exchange Visitor visa (Exchange visitors are classified as either scholar or student).
International students must meet admission criteria at the level of entrance for the program to which they apply, as well as the following:
1. International students must have all credentials and admission information submitted to
the Office of Admissions prior to the published deadline on the Admissions website
for international students.
2. Josef Silny & Associates, Incorporated, World Education Services, or The American
Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admission Officers (AACRAO) must evaluate
credit from institutions outside the U.S. A course-by-course evaluation is required.
The applicant pays for this service and contacts the evaluating agency directly.
3. International students currently attending any institution in the United States must
submit a visa clearance form issued by FGCU to be completed by their current school
designating Florida Gulf Coast University as their transfer institution and confirming
their status as an F or J visa holder.
4. Applicants must demonstrate English proficiency in accordance with University policy, and
will be required to submit acceptable TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language)
scores unless the country of origin uses English as the official language. A minimum
score of 213 is required on the computerized TOEFL, 79 on the internet based TOEFL,
and 550 on the paper based TOEFL. Some programs, including the MS in Health
Science, require a TOEFL score greater than the minimum (see program requirements).
With the approval of the Director of Admissions and the appropriate dean, applicants
may furnish satisfactory evidence of English competency in lieu of the TOEFL. Examples
of satisfactory evidence include, but are not limited to, completion of the IELTS
(International English Language Testing System, www.IELTS.org) with a minimum score
of 6.5, completion of ENC 1101 and ENC 1102 (or equivalent) with a grade of C or higher;
and/or receipt of an Associate of Arts (AA) degree from a Florida public institution.
5. The applicant must file a Confidential Financial Statement confirming availability of
specific funds to finance the first year of study before the University issues the appropriate
documents for obtaining a visa. The Financial Statement cannot be more than 6 months
old, prior to the beginning of the term for which the applicant has submitted their
application.
6. The J-1 student's Confidential Financial Statement must document that the student
is directly or indirectly financed by the US government, the government of their home
country, an international organization of which the US is a member (by treaty or
statute) or if they are substantially supported by funding from any source other than
personal or family funds.
7. No international student in F or J non-immigrant status shall be permitted to register,
or continue enrollment, without demonstrating that the student has adequate medical
insurance coverage for illness and accidental injury and which meets the minimum
requirements set forth in FGCU-PR4.008 and the Board of Governors Regulation 6.009.
8. International students are subject to the same University policies and procedures that
apply to all students, such as admission, enrollment, immunization, etc. Additionally,
international students are obligated to follow and comply with the laws and regulations
set by the United States Department of State and/or the United States Citizenship and
Immigration Services, which may determine the student's eligibility for enrollment,
residency status, limitations on credit hours or semesters of study, and length of
presence in the U.S.
