Pre-Departure Information

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security requires that all F-1 visa applicants pay a nonrefundable US$350 SEVIS Fee at least three days before they apply for a visa. You can find more information about the SEVIS Fee by visiting: http://www.wichita.edu/SEVIS.

Most students will need to obtain an F-1 visa (student visa) at the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate before coming to Wichita. Depending on the country, obtaining a visa can range from being quite easy to very difficult. To apply for a F-1 student visa, you must submit the following to the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate:

1) Form DS-160 (completed online)
     FAQs About Completing the DS-160

2) Nonrefundable US$185 visa application fee.

3) Receipt* that you paid the US$350 nonrefundable SEVIS fee.
*Make sure to keep the receipt and bring it with you to the U.S.

4) A passport valid for at least 6 months (plus any old passports you may have)

5) A current Form I-20 from Wichita State University

6) A photo (Visit: http://travel.state.gov/content/visas/english/general/photos.html for details)

7) Evidence of sufficient funds to study in the U.S. including a bank statement

8) U.S. Visa requirements differ from country to country, find visa information for your country by visiting:  http://www.usembassy.gov/

Check out our Visa Interview Tips at https://www.wichita.edu/VisaTips

All first-year students, including undergraduate international students and Intensive English students (unless otherwise eligible for an exemption under provision two of this policy statement), must live in Shocker Hall, The Suites, or The Flats during their first two semesters at Wichita State University. First-year students who meet one or more of the following criteria are exempt from living on campus:

1) Twenty-one (21) years of age or older.

2) Transferring 24 or more credit hours.

3) Married and living with spouse.

4) Living with an approved relative (parent/legal guardian, grandparent, aunt or uncle)

We recommend that you make a housing reservation before coming to Wichita. We require new International Students to arrive at WSU before the residence halls officially open for the semester. If you are living in Shocker Hall, The Flats, or The Suites you must email housing.wsu@wichita.edu to let them know when you plan to move into your room so they can prepare it as an early arrival.

Apply for Housing

The Wichita airport is called Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport (airport code ICT). If you are coming from a country outside of the U.S., you will have at least one connecting flight before arriving in Wichita. We suggest you allow for at least a 3-hour layover in your first arrival city in the U.S. so that you have sufficient time for immigration processing, customs inspection, and a required security check before your connecting flight leaves for Wichita.

Please refer to these important dates when you book your air tickets:

* Note: The University will be closed for winter holiday the last two weeks of December 2024. Official dates have yet to be released.

We offer FREE airport transportation from the Wichita airport during recommended arrival days. If you would like to request free pick-up from the airport, fill out the form at: https://www.wichita.edu/arrival at least 48 hours before your scheduled arrival. We only provide rides from Wichita Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport and will not provide pickups from any other airport. You can choose to take a taxi or Uber/Lyft to the University, taxi fare is approximately US$30-$40.

If you arrive late and did not arrange airport pickup, you may have to stay in a hotel for one night at your own expense. There are many hotels near the airport that cost approximately US$90 - US$120 per night.

You will receive further email communication from our office regarding check-in procedures approximately one month before the start of classes or when we receive notification of your student visa approval. Check-in is required before you are able to enroll in your classes. Failure to properly follow check-in procedures will delay your enrollment.

You will need your passport and I-20 (if you are on an F-1 visa) to check-in. If you did not submit official paper transcripts when you applied for admission, please bring your official final transcripts with you to Wichita and submit these physical documents to the Office of International Education. They will be returned to you. For details on our transcript requirements, visit: http://wichita.edu/CountryRequirements.

All University offices are open Monday - Friday from 8:00am to 5:00pm, with the exception of holidays. Offices are closed on Saturdays and Sundays.

After arriving in Wichita, you may open a bank account. We have popular banks nearby - Commerce Bank has a branch in the Rhatigan Student Center at WSU, Meritrust Credit Union at Braeburn Square on campus, and Bank of America has a branch next to our campus. All these banks have an ATM located in the Rhatigan Student Center.

In order to open an account, you will need to show the bank your passport, your I-20, and proof of your address in Wichita (such as your housing contract or apartment rental contract). You will receive an ATM card after opening an account so you can get cash quickly and easily.

The cost listed on your I-20 is an estimate. Actual cost of tuition and fees will depend on your major and the number of classes you take. The amount you owe will be posted in your WSU student account. Actual housing expenditures depend on: 1) the residence hall or apartment in which you live, 2) whether or not you have a roommate, and 3) your meal plan. You should bring extra money for personal expenses (such as shopping, movies, etc).

Check out undergraduate tuition and fee estimates at http://www.wichita.edu/UGExpenses or Intensive English tuition and fees at http://www.wichita.edu/IEExpenses.

Students are not required to pay their tuition and fees before coming to Wichita. Tuition, fees, and housing payments are charged on a semester-by-semester basis. Deadline for payment is usually two weeks after school starts. There are several options to make payment to the university:

• Direct Deposit from U.S. Bank Account: After you open a bank account in the U.S., you can setup direct deposit from your U.S. bank account to your student account at WSU.
• Electronic Bank Transfer: Wichita State University uses a payment platform called Flywire to process international payments via wire transfers. Please visit our website for details of wire transfers.
• Check, Bank Draft, Money Order, or Traveler’s Checks: If you bring a check or bank draft with you to Wichita, it is very important that the check be made payable to “Wichita State University” (and not to you). Your check should include the address of the bank in the U.S. for collections. If the check is made payable to you, you may not be able to use the money for 1-2 weeks after the check is deposited to your bank in the U.S. If your check is for an amount that exceeds what you owe, any extra amount will be applied to your next semester’s tuition and will not be refunded to you.
  
  NOTE: For any student who does not have an existing bank account or has been restricted to pay by personal check, for your convenience you can take your cash and get a cashier’s check at the Campus Credit Union (located next to the University Police Department). Let them know that the cashier’s check is for payment of your tuition, fees, or housing so that you will not be charged a fee.
• Credit Card: If you use a credit card to pay for your tuition, fees, medical insurance, or housing, a nonrefundable 2.95% service fee will be added to domestic transactions and 4.25% for international transactions. Credit cards are accepted online only.
• Debit Card - VISA, MasterCard: Payment is made online only by going to the Student Account Suite. To avoid the 2.95% - 4.25% fee associated with credit card payments, we encourage you to pay using electronic check process by entering the bank routing and account number attached to the debit card. Debit card payments cannot be made to a cashier in the Accounts Receivable office.
• Installment Payment Plan: This allows you to pay for your tuition and fees in smaller installments each semester. With this plan, you can make a nonrefundable payment of US$130 (which includes a US$30 administrative fee) before the payment deadline in each semester. After the initial payment of US$130, the balance will be split into three equal installments due on the 15th of each month. You can arrange the Payment Plan by logging into your WSU student account.

Wichita State University requires international students to have medical insurance. You will be automatically charged for medical insurance unless you can provide proof of medical insurance coverage from another provider that meets U.S. Affordable Care Act benefit requirements.

A tuberculin (TB) blood test is required for all new students and is given by WSU’s Student Health Service.  Please bring your vaccination records with you to the U.S.  If you need any vaccinations when you arrive, your student health insurance will cover them and you can get them at Student Health.

We recommend that you take care of any existing medical or dental problems at home since student medical insurance does not cover routine dental work or eye examinations.

Medical Insurance: http://www.wichita.edu/medicalinsurance
Testing and Routine Medical Care: http://www.wichita.edu/TBtesting

Stay up-to-date with the fun things that are happening at the WSU International Education Office by following our Facebook page and Instagram!

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