Registration Requirements for International Student Status

F-1 and J-1 students at the University of North Alabama are required by the laws governing F-1 and J-1 students to enroll according to these requirements every fall and every spring semester. 

Registration Requirements

Required Full Course of Study per semester

Education Level

Academic English

Undergraduate

Graduate

Minimum Required Total Enrollment

5 classes (term)

10 classes (semester)

12 credit hours

9 credit hours

Minimum Required Face-to-Face Enrollment

 4 classes (term)

8 classes (semester)

9 credit hours

6 credit hours

If they choose, a student may take additional courses/credit hours above and beyond the minimum requirements. 

The Form I-20 or DS-2019 was issued for a specific amount of time. It has a Start Date and an End Date. The Program End Date was chosen to allow all the time necessary to finish study and earn the degree. This might be one semester or several years, depending on what the student is at UNA to do.

To finish their degree before the Program End Date, students should enroll and sucessfully pass all required courses. This is called making "normal progress".  Students must make progress each semester in order to be finished with the degree before the Form I-20 or DS-2019 ends.

If study is not complete by the Program End Date, the student should request an extension before the end date. Failure to submit a complete request extension before the Program End Date will result in loss of status and all benefits associated with the status. Learn more about extending the Program of Study here.

There are a few limited exceptions to enrolling in a full course of study. This is known as a Reduced Course Load (RCL) and it must be authorized in advance by your Designated School Official (DSO) or Responsible Officer (RO/ARO). If an F-1 or J-1 student is having initial academic difficulties, a temporary illness or medical condition, or needs fewer courses than a full course load in their last term in order to complete the program of study, the student may be eligible for a reduced course load. 

Do not drop below a full course of study unless a DSO or ARO approves it and updates your student record in SEVIS.  Read more about RCL on our website.

Special Student Relief

The US government authorizes certain F-1 students for Special Student Relief (SSR) in recognition of emergency circumstances in countries around the world. SSR is a combination of expanded work authorization, on-campus and/or off-campus, and, if desired, Reduced Course Load. Learn more about Special Student Relief.

F-1 and J-1 students become eligible to take an "Annual Vacation" after completing at least one academic year of their program in the United States.  All academic students are eligible for vacation during the summer term of UNA with two exceptions (see below). While UNA offers a summer term, it is not considered part of the regular academic year and the university does not offer a full schedule of courses. 

Student in undergraduate or graduate programs of study who were enrolled in the spring semester and will enroll in the fall semester:

  • are not required to enroll in summer semester
  • can enroll in summer semester if they choose
  • can be 100% online 
  • can remain in the U.S. with or without study

Students in the Academic English Program students who begin study in August are eligible for summer vacation (June & July). Students who begin in October, January, March, or June will need to be continuously enrolled for one academic year to be eligible for vacation; these students must enroll in summer term. UNA Academic English Program offers the necessary courses in the summer term for AEP students.

Summer as First Semester

If a students begins a new I-20 or DS-2019 during the summer semester, the student must enroll in the full course of study summer semester.

F-1 students with a Program Start Date for summer semester

SEVIS-Initial students: This student will be coming to UNA from outside the United States on an I-20 issued for initial attendance. This may be their very first enrollment in the U.S. or it may be their first enrollment after a gap outside the U.S. Noted below as Initial. Also included in this category are students moving from high school to undergraduate studies despite being a SEVIS-Initial Transfer Pending. 

Full Course of Study for Summer for Initial students

ESL       

Bachelor’s

Master’s

Doctoral

5 classes (term)

12 credit hours

9 credit hours

Defined by program

NA

(min. 9 face-to-face)

(min. 6 face-to-face)

Only one online

 

SEVIS-Initial (Change of Education Level): This student has completed their academic Program of Study at UNA and is now advancing to the next academic level at UNA. This does not apply to students moving from AEP to academic study; it is only for students going academic to academic (e.g. UG to GR). This type of student does not include SEVIS transfers. This student is noted below as Initial-COE.

Full Course of Study for Summer for Initial-COE students

ESL       

Bachelor’s

Master’s

Doctoral

NA

NA

6 credit hours

Defined by program

NA

NA

(min. 3 face-to-face)

Only one online

 

SEVIS-Initial (Transfer Pending): This student has been enrolled at another SEVP-certified school as an F-1 student. They are transferring to UNA to continue at the same education level (e.g. UG to UG) or to begin a new program at a higher education level (e.g. UG to GR), GR to DR). This does not apply to students moving from language training to academic study or students moving from high school to undergraduate; it is only to students going academic to academic. Must show proof of enrollment and SEVIS-Active status at the transfer-out school. This student is noted below as Initial-TR.

Full Course of Study for Summer for Initial-TR students

ESL       

Bachelor’s

Master’s

Doctoral

5 classes (term)

6 credit hours

6 credit hours

Defined by program

NA

(min. 3 face-to-face)

(min. 3 face-to-face)

Only one online

Summer as Final Semester

If a student takes their last classes in summer semester, the student must enroll in summer semester with the correct number of total and face-to-face credit hours to remain in the U.S.  This student may be eligible for a Reduced Course Load due to completing program of study (see RCL section above).

Reduced Course Load does NOT allow a student to be completely or mostly online. Students who wish to take only online classes in the last semester must depart the U.S. upon completion of the last in-person course.