International Students FAQ

Yes. Concordia welcomes students from all over the world. We look forward to having you join our vibrant student community in Austin, TX.

• A resident or citizen of a country other than the United States.
• Requires an F-1 visa to attend school at Concordia University Texas.

An official transcript from your degree granting institution is required. If you did not attend college in the US, an official WES or ECE evaluation of all secondary and/or post-secondary work completed outside of the United States is required. For all college level work, you must submit a Course-by-Course Evaluation.

June 1 for Fall semester

November 1 for Spring semester

February 1 for summer semester

Deadlines for International Students are earlier than program deadlines due to the additional time required to process the visa request and to give ample time to visit the consulate or embassy and make travel arrangements for getting to the United States.

Please begin the online application process as soon as a decision is made to apply. The application process will guide students through the necessary steps and documentation required. Click here for the online application.

Students in the U.S. on a different visa type that are eligible to study in the US are not considered international students. If they are in the US on a visa that does not allow them to study in the US, they will need to return to their home country and apply for an initial F-1 or apply for a Change of Status. Consult a DSO for questions about eligibility of a visa to study in the US. Before being accepted into any program, the student must meet the international requirements in addition to the regular requirements for admission to CTX.

Students must be accepted into a program at Concordia and provide an enrollment deposit if applicable. Concordia University Texas will then issue a form I-20, which will need to be presented at the embassy during the visa interview, along with any other relevant documentation. Please consult your embassy for more information regarding requirements for your interview.

Unlike other visas that have end dates, student visas are valid for the duration of status. This means that students are allowed to stay in the U.S. as long as they maintain their F-1 status. The visa itself has an expiration date but the student is allowed to stay in the country as long as they are in status. If the student plans on traveling out of the country, they will have to renew their visa.

Issued by the DSO at Concordia, this document allows the student to apply for an F-1 visa if outside the U.S, apply for F-1 status within the U.S., enter and reenter the U.S. in F-1 status and prove eligibility for various F-1 benefits. The I-20 indicates the institution in which the student is permitted to study, the program of study, and the dates of eligibility. The form I-20 must remain valid at all times.

SEVIS (Student Exchange Visitor Information System)is an internet-based database that allows schools and federal immigration agencies to exchange data on the status of international students. Information is transmitted electronically throughout an F-1 student's academic career in the U.S. Each student has a unique SEVIS ID number, which is printed on the I-20 in the top right corner. A form I-20 will be issued to each international student upon their acceptance by the DSO.

Angie Beasley
512-313-4605 | angie.beasley@concordia.edu

Cindy Melendez
512-313-4704 | cindy.melendez@concordia.edu

• Processes initial I-20 and any change of status requests
• Monitors F-1 status to make sure students are in compliance
• Provides student with general support and advising.
• Assist with filing for OPT

Yes. Concordia's Office of Admissions requires a copy. This copy can be emailed, mailed, or dropped off in person. Without a passport, your application will not be complete.

If your visa is denied you have the option to re-apply for the next semester. If accepted, you will work with the embassy to determine your eligibility to re-apply for a new visa.

All International students seeking admission into Concordia University Texas must demonstrate English competency. An international student is defined, for purposes of English requirements only, as one who 1. Is applying for an F-1 visa or 2. Completed their prior schooling in a foreign country.

Students who must prove English proficiency can do so in the following three ways:

1. Citizenship in an English speaking country: Australia, New Zealand, the British Virgin Islands, Jamaica, United Kingdom, Ireland, Antigua, Northern Ireland, Philippines, Scotland, South Africa, St. Lucia, Wales, Bahamas, Barbados, Nigeria, Kenya, Zimbabwe, Ghana, Namibia, Tanzania, Uganda, the Fiji Islands, Sierra Leone, Gambia, Liberia, Switzerland, Holland and Canada, excluding French-speaking Quebec.
   
   
2. At least one year of successful education in the United States. Education must be at the high school level for those seeking undergraduate admission and at the collegiate level for those seeking graduate admission.
   
   
3. Satisfactory scores on one of the following tests:

TOEFL

Internet-Based TOEFL (IBT): 80
Paper-Based TOEFL (PBT): 550
Computer-Based TOEFL (CBT): 213

*The university encourages students to complete the TOEFL as we are now able to retrieve the official scores electronically from the ETS website.

IELTS

Undergraduate 5.5
Graduate 6.5

Pearsons Test of English

Score 64

The scores are only valid for two years from given test date. Students are required to provide an official copy (in sealed envelope) of the test (with exception to TOEFL).

Concordia Office of Admission Processing
11400 Concordia University Drive
Austin, TX 78726

Not all schools use the US grading system. Therefore, we request that an official evaluation from WES for all credits earned at an institution outside of the United States. These agencies do extensive research on each class and provide a detailed evaluation that Concordia uses to determine admission.

Undergraduate: yes, all transcripts from institutions outside of the US must be evaluated and sent to Concordia.

Graduate: No. You only need to send your official transcript from the school that granted your degree.

Yes. If you attended school outside of the US, your transcript must be evaluated by WES.

Undergraduate: if applicable

Graduate: No.

Students are not required to have or obtain a drivers license. For information on how to apply for a drivers license, click the link below:

https://www.dps.texas.gov/DriverLicense/

A social security card is only required for students who become employed on-campus or through OPT. If you need assistance getting a social security number, drivers license, or other items related to being a non-resident, contact the International Student Support Coordinator:

Cindy Melendez
cindy.melendez@concordia.edu
512-313-4704

Undergraduate students enrolled at Concordia have the option to live in campus housing, if there is space and the housing requirements are met. Graduate students (MBA and MED) cannot live on campus.

Yes. The maximum number of hours a student can work is 19 hours per week and employment must be on campus. If the student is eligible for OPT, they can consult their DSO for guidance on this process.

If a student wishes to transfer to Concordia, they must provide all the same documentation as an initial visa, along with the transfer in form. Each student will most likely be required to complete a transfer out form from their current university. Once the university releases the student SEVIS record to Concordia we can then process a new I-20.

Once your application is complete and all required documents have been received by the university, an official admissions decision will be sent within two weeks.

An official email from the university will be sent to accepted students.

International students do not qualify for Federal Aid.

All Traditional International Undergraduate students are eligible for a $10,000.00 per academic year scholarship. This scholarship will be renewable upon satisfactory academic progress. Please check with your counselor for more information.

Concordia offers free online tutoring through Tutor.com and has peer tutoring programs available on campus.

Costs vary per program and are subject to change each year. All international students are required to show proof that they can cover all related costs for one year. Costs include Tuition/fees, books and supplies, housing and food, personal expenses, health insurance, and additional costs for spouse and dependents. Please check the website for the most current requirement amounts.

No.

The Peregrine levelling courses may be required for:

1. Non-business undergraduates

2. Business major undergraduates who have a GPA below 2.75, or who earned their degree over 10 years ago.

Peregrine a tool used to provide you with background knowledge in statistics, accounting, finance, and economics concepts. Your counselor will inform you which, if any, levelling courses you may need to take to help ensure your success in MBA classes. The Peregrine modules are self-paced and include a pre-test and a post-test. Save your post-test score and send it via email to your admissions counselor.

You will be allowed to take each Peregrine post-test once.

1. International Application with an additional $50 international application fee

2. Proof of Financial Support which includes a Bank Stamp, Seal, or is notarized

• Original Bank Statement showing the last 90 days balance with official bank stamp or letter from bank with the account balance in USD (preferably).
• If you are being sponsored by another person, you will need to submit the sponsors bank statement and a notarized Sponsors Affidavit

3. Copy of your passport and passports of any dependents

If you are already in the US on an F-1 visa with another university you must also submit the Transfer In Form and have your current DSO release your SEVIS record to Concordia. These transfers generally have a much faster processing time than initial visas.

After all of the above items have been received AND all required pieces for admission to Concordia, an admissions decision will be made.

MBA tuition is $760 per credit hour. The MBA program is 30 credit hours. Tornado Textbooks offers book rentals at $150 per semester. There is a $50 per semester fee that covers professional development workshops, and a $125 fee that covers program delivery. There is a $300 capstone fee in the last semester of the MBA program.

Up to 6 graduate transfer credits may be transferred in at the discretion of the program director.