Admission Criteria — International Students

Applicants to SIUE who hold or require non-immigrant visas are reviewed for appropriate academic requirements, English language proficiency, and adequate financial resources.

A $30 application fee will be assessed to students applying for undergraduate admission.

English Verification

All students with non-resident visas and/or foreign academic credentials whose first language is not English must demonstrate adequate English proficiency before admission. English language proficiency must be verified in one of the following ways:

• Applicants may sit for either the International Testing Program or the Special Center Testing Program of the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). The official score must be sent directly to SIUE by the testing service. (SIUE’s institutional code is 1759, and the department code is 00). The minimum acceptable score for the paper-based test is 550. The minimum acceptable score for the computer-based score is 213.
  
• Applicants may submit a properly certified copy of their General Certificate of Education administered by a British Testing Agency showing a grade of A, B, or C in the subject of English Language.
   
• Applicants may submit academic records verifying graduation from a secondary or post-secondary academic institution with English as the exclusive language of instruction in an English-speaking country.
   
• Applicants may submit academic records certifying that they have completed courses equivalent to both English 101 (Composition I) and English 102 (Composition II) (minimum of 6 semester hours) with grades of “C” or better. These courses must have been earned at a regionally accredited college or university in the United States.
   
• Applicants may sit for the University-administered English competency test and meet internal indicators of college entry-level competence in English and reading. Please contact the Testing Office.
   

Academic Records

Applicants must make all appropriate arrangements for providing official academic records attesting to their secondary and post-secondary education. Applicants who have attempted at least 16 semester hours (or 24 quarter hours) of college-level transfer credit (either from the U.S. or abroad) are not required to provide secondary school records. Credentials not available in English must be submitted with an original, attested, and professionally prepared English language translation. University-level academic work will be considered for transfer of credit. Course descriptions are helpful to determine appropriate transfer credit.
 

U.S. and Canadian Credentials

All high school and college transcripts must be mailed directly to the Office of Admissions by the registrar or principal of each school attended. Applicants who have graduated from a U.S. high school within the past five years also must provide ACT or SAT scores, except when 16 semester hours of college-level credit have been attempted since high school graduation. ACT or SAT scores posted on official high school transcripts are recognized as official.
 

Credentials from other Countries

Secondary and post-secondary transcripts (including certification of graduation when appropriate) must be mailed directly to the Office of Admissions by the registrar or principal for each school attended. Each transcript must bear the official signature and the school’s official seal. Each photocopy of a grade sheet or certificate submitted must bear an original certification of the registrar or principal of the school and/or the examination board stated on the original document. The certification must verify, in English, that the copy is a complete and exact duplicate of the authentic original. Notarized copies of credentials are not considered official. Results of many British-style certificate examinations can be reported to us directly by the examination board. Please ask your examining authority for details. Results for which certificates have not been issued must be reported to us directly by the board.

Financial Verification

SIUE complies with the United States Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) regulations that govern the financial eligibility of international students. Under current regulations, international students must provide evidence of sufficient financial resources to support all their living and education expenses during their stay in the United States.

To receive financial approval for admission and a Form I-20 or IAP-66 (the forms necessary to get a student F or J visa), a student must submit a current notarized bank letter indicating in U.S. dollars that the applicant or sponsor has adequate funds immediately available. The student also must complete the Financial Form in the admission application. The University reserves the right to require tuition deposits, if deemed necessary.

Click here to apply online for international admission.

Click here to download a .pdf undergraduate international admission application.

Click here to apply for international graduate admission.

We are delighted that you are interested in studying at SIUE. If you can’t find what you’re looking for, send us an e-mail.