Post-Arrival: Maintaining Status

Once the student has been issued an F-1 visa and arrives on campus, KSU's Office of Global Education and Programs (OGEP) is responsible for ensuring the student remains "in status" according to his or her visa as well as maintaining up-to-date information on the student in the SEVIS database. The next step is:

4. Immediately upon arrival on campus students should report to OGEP. In addition to issuing I-20s, KSU, via OGEP, is required to report the enrollment of F-1 students every semester. Also, OGEP must report in SEVIS current students that fail to enroll, maintain status, or complete their program. Schools are currently required to monitor records of the student's name, date and place of birth, country of citizenship, address, status, date of commencement of studies, degree program and field of study, practical training, termination date and reason, documents related to the student's admission, the number of credits completed per semester, and a copy of the I-20. All this information resides in the SEVIS database rather than solely as hard files at each school. Under current federal regulations, even minor status violations (e.g., failing to inform ICE of change of major, or failure to process a timely transfer) could result in loss of future employment authorization eligibility, the opportunity to return to the US after a visit abroad, or even possible deportation.
5. The student must check in with OGEP at the beginning of each semester to verify information in SEVIS and verify his or her program of studies timeline.

In order to keep students informed of these important changes, OGEP will conduct occasional information sessions as well as provide up-to-date information concerning the new regulations on the OGEP web page.

STUDY ABROAD

Kentucky State University offers many opportunities for qualified students to study and earn credits while visiting and living in a foreign country. KSU is affiliated with a number of study abroad providers and consortium organizations, which offer many different options, including full semester or year-long study, summer programs, and a short winter term (December–January). Students can study almost anything they would normally study at KSU. All programs are credit-bearing and normally count towards the student's program of studies.

Participation in a student exchange program is a form of study abroad. In these programs, which usually last for a full semester or year, KSU students trade places with an international student from one of KSU's partner universities. Taking part in an exchange program is intellectually and culturally enriching because students are immersed in local culture, take courses with local students, and study under professors not available to them at their home institution. KSU now has exchange agreements with a number of universities.

Very often, financial aid can be applied to studying abroad. OGEP will help students evaluate their financial need and, in cases where financial aid alone will not suffice, help them identify other sources of funding.

It is not mandatory, but students are highly encouraged to begin making plans in their first year or sophomore year for studying abroad as a junior or senior. Visit the Office of Global Education and Programs.

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