Semester Reminder

Bookmark the following pages:

• Registrar's Office: Current and future semester registration dates. 
  • See Spring 2025 Registration dates at Dates & Deadlines | Registrar's Office.
• Academic Calendar: Future semesters' start and end dates (for planning overseas trips).
• Bursar's Office: Tuition deadline, payment methods, and refund information.

Register for a Full-Time Course Load

International students in F-1 status are required to maintain full-time enrollment during the Spring and Fall semesters. Enrollment during Summer and Winter sessions is optional.

The full-time enrollment requirements are as follows:

• Undergraduate Students (Bachelor’s):
  
  • Must enroll in a minimum of 12 units.
  • At least 9 units must be in-person or hybrid classes.
• Graduate Students (Master’s/Credential):
  
  • Must enroll in a minimum of 8 units.
  • At least 5 units must be in-person or hybrid classes.

Note: International students are prohibited from pursuing 100% fully online coursework while in the U.S. For more details, visit Maintaining Status.

Important Enrollment Dates

• Students are strongly encouraged to enroll full-time before the first day of the semester.
• Students can add or drop classes before the Student Drop DEADLINE posted on Dates & Deadlines | Registrar's Office.

Tips to Add Classes After Semester Starts: 

It’s best to finalize your class schedule within the first week of the semester. If you need to add a class after the semester begins:

• Attend the first class meeting, even if you’re not enrolled yet.
• Many instructors require attendance before providing permission numbers.

Deadline to Meet the Enrollment Requirement

All students must either:

1. Enroll full-time by the Student Drop DEADLINE posted on Dates & Deadlines | Registrar's Office, or
2. Justify part-time enrollment

Consequences of Non-Compliance:

Failure to meet the enrollment requirement will result in I-20 termination and loss of legal status in the U.S., including future eligibility for work authorization.

Three Ways to Justify Part-Time Enrollment

F-1 international students may be eligible to enroll part-time under specific circumstances. Below are the acceptable ways to justify part-time enrollment:

1. Reduced Course Load (RCL) – For Completion of Study
   • Undergraduate Students: If you are completing your program with fewer than a full-time course load remaining, you must apply for a Reduced Course Load (RCL).
   • Graduate Students: If you are continuing to work on your culminating experience courses after the grace semester, you must submit an RCL application instead of Full-Time Equivalency (FTE).
2. Full-Time Equivalency (FTE) – Graduate Students Only
   • Graduate students beginning or continuing culminating experience courses with fewer than the required full-time units must apply for Full-Time Equivalency (FTE).
3. Concurrent Enrollment
   • If you are taking additional units at another SEVP-certified school in the U.S. to meet full-time enrollment requirements, you must apply for Concurrent Enrollment. 
   • For more details, visit Taking Classes at Another School (Concurrent Enrollment).

Deadline to Justify Part-Time Enrollment

All students must enroll full-time or submit justification for part-time enrollment by the Student Drop DEADLINE posted on Dates & Deadlines | Registrar's Office.

• Spring 2025 Deadline: Monday, February 17, 2025

Consequences of Non-Compliance:

Failure to meet this requirement will result in I-20 termination, which means the student will fall out of legal status in the U.S. This includes losing eligibility for future work authorization, such as CPT, OPT, or STEM OPT extensions.

When to Submit a Time Off Request

If you are a current student who does not plan to attend SFSU for the upcoming semester, you must take one of the following actions by the Student Drop DEADLINE posted on Dates & Deadlines | Registrar's Office:

• Transfer Your I-20 to Another School: 
  If you plan to attend another school in the U.S., submit your transfer-out paperwork. Follow the instructions at I-20 Transfer Procedures.

• Take a Semester Off or Withdrawing from SFSU
  Follow the instructions at Taking a Temporary Leave or Withdrawing from SFSU. You must leave the U.S. within 15 days of submitting your time-off request or by the Student Drop DEADLINE, whichever comes first.

   

Deadline to Depart the U.S.

• Students must leave the U.S. before the Student Drop DEADLINE (refer to the Dates & Deadlines | Registrar's Office).
• Your I-20 will be terminated by the F-1 International Student Advisor for authorized withdrawal.

Important Note:

The termination of your I-20 will not affect your eligibility to enroll at SFSU in the future. For example, students can continue pursuing online studies from outside the U.S. during their time off.

Keeping personal and emergency contact information updated with SFSU is crucial for international students. It ensures swift communication in emergencies, supports health and safety needs, aids academic success, and maintains F-1 status compliance.

Students should log on to SF State Gateway / MySFSU to verify their current U.S. address, U.S. phone number, and emergency contact details. If the information remains unchanged, no further action is required. 

If there have been changes, please follow the instructions posted at Maintaining Status. 

Tuition Payment Information

• Payment Timing: Students should pay tuition after course enrollment, not before. The Bursar's Office advises all students to make payments once the tuition charges appear on their account. SFSU can only accept the exact amount owed for tuition and fees.
• Tuition Payment Deadline: Refer to the Bursar's Office for the most up-to-date payment deadlines.
• Spring 2025 tuition payment deadline is Friday, February 21, 2025

Payment Methods for International Students:

• Flywire: International students are encouraged to use Flywire for secure and convenient international payments.
• In-Person: Payments can also be made in person at the Bursar's Office:
  • Administration (ADM) Building, First Floor
  • Student Services Building (SSB), One Stop, First Floor

The Division of International Education will email important immigration reminders to students’ SFSU student email accounts only. We encourage all students to check their SFSU email regularly.

Impact of W and WU Grades on F-1 Status

As an F-1 student, it's important to understand how "W" (Withdrawal) and "WU" (Unauthorized Withdrawal) grades can affect your immigration status.

What Are W and WU Grades?

• W Grade: Assigned when a student formally withdraws from a class.
• WU Grade: Assigned when a student stops attending or participating in a class without officially withdrawing.

Why Do W and WU Grades Matter?

Receiving a W or WU grade can negatively impact your F-1 status if it reduces your enrollment below the required minimum units.

Example:

An F-1 undergraduate student enrolled in 12 units who receives a WU grade for a 3-unit class would no longer meet the full-time enrollment requirement of 12 units and would be considered out of status.

Grades That Satisfy Full-Time Requirements

The following grades count toward maintaining full-time enrollment: A, B, C, D, F, CR (Credit), and NC (No-Credit). Students do not always automatically receive an "F" (Fail) grade for stopping attendance. A WU grade may be assigned instead.

For Students with Approved RCL or FTE

If you have an approved Reduced Course Load (RCL) or Full-Time Enrollment (FTE) authorization, you must successfully complete the specific number of units for which you have approval.

Example:

A student approved for an RCL of 5 units who receives a WU grade for a 3-unit class would only complete 2 units and be considered out of status.

Seek Help and Support

Academic Help:

• If you're struggling academically, reach out to your instructor, academic advisor, or the Tutoring and Academic Support Center (TASC) for assistance. TASC provides resources for Reading, Writing, and Academic Study Skills to support all students.

Maintaining F-1 Status:

• If you're facing challenges, whether mental, physical, or related to cultural adjustment, that may affect your studies and your F-1 status, please contact the international student advisors at f1@sfsu.edu. The advisors can provide guidance and connect you to the right campus resources to help you stay on track while maintaining your F-1 status.

   

Explore the Credit/No Credit (CR/NC) Grading Option

If you are concerned about your final grade as you reach the midpoint of a course, you may consider the Credit/No Credit (CR/NC) grading option. CR/NC grades can count toward the full-time enrollment requirement for F-1 immigration purposes.

• Refer to the university’s Grading Information and Systems in the SFSU Bulletin. 
• Generally, you can change to CR/NC grading before the "Grading Option DEADLINE" posted at Dates & Deadlines | Registrar's Office. See instructions at How To: Change Grading Options | Registrar's Office
• However, note that not all courses, especially major core courses, offer this option. It’s important to consult your academic advisor for guidance on how choosing CR/NC may impact your graduation plan.
• Grading option is not available after the "Grading Option DEADLINE" posted at Dates & Deadlines | Registrar's Office.

You can check your final grades on SF State Gateway / MySFSU. 

If you receive a W or WU grade and your total enrollment is below the full-time requirements, contact the F-1 international student advisors at f1@sfsu.edu. If you do not contact the advisors, you will still receive an email from the F-1 international student advisors regarding your F-1 status.

Students must clear outstanding balances of the current semester in full before they can enroll in the next semester. 

Those who have not paid outstanding tuition and fees will receive "Campus Financial Obligation" registration holds that will prevent them from enrolling in the next semester.

• Campus financial obligation hold: If you still have outstanding tuition and the financial obligation hold, please make payment to clear this hold.  
• Clearing the international health Insurance Hold: Follow the instructions at Health Insurance Requirement & U.S. Health Care.
• See other Registration Holds.

• F-1 students must enroll full time unless it is their final semester or for graduate students, the semester of their culminating experience course. 
• Full time enrollment is at least 12 units for undergraduate students (with at least 9 of the 12 units as in-person or hybrid courses), and at least 8 units for graduate students (with at least 5 of the 8 units as in-person or hybrid courses).
• Students are allowed to take multiple fully online courses during each semester. However, no more than the equivalent of one class or three (3) units will count towards their full-time unit requirement.  

See “Definition of Full-Time Requirement” and “Fully Online, Hybrid, And In-Person Courses” on the Maintaining Status page.

If students' I-20 will expire at the end of the semester, they will need to apply for an I-20 extension at least six (6) weeks before the expiration date.

If a student will be traveling outside the U.S. while in F-1 status, their I-20 must be signed by an F-1 international student advisor.

See Travel information for details.