International Student Enrollment

Effective January 1, 2003, there has been a change in Federal regulations affecting international students. Federal regulations previously required international students to maintain full-time status (9 semester hours for graduate students and 12 hours for undergraduates). While exceptions were made for certain situations, this will no longer be the case. The Department of Homland Security - Houston District office has advised the University that it is in the best interest of the student to be continuously enrolled until the degree is conferred.

In order to comply with these new directives, the following will be our policy:

If a student fails to graduate because of an Incomplete, he/she will be required to enroll and complete a minimum of 3 semester credit hours while working to complete the unfinished course;

If a student has completed all required course work but has not passed the comprehensive exams, he/she will be required to enroll and complete a minimum of 3 semester credit hours per semester until the examination has been passed;

Students receiving Graduate Studies scholarships must enroll for and complete 9 hours per semester. Upon recommendation of their department heads and approval of the Dean of Graduate Studies, graduating scholarship students may take fewer than 9 hours in their last semester . For scholarship students only one semester of reduced enrollment will
be allowed, and scholarships will not be approved and should not be requested for those seeking an additional semester.

Failure to maintain continuous enrollment will result in students being out-of-status with DHS, the consequences for which include immediate termination of employment.

College of Graduate Studies and Research
118 Wimberly P. O. Box 10078 Beaumont, Texas 77710 409 880-8356 Fax 409 880-8414
email: intladm@hal.lamar.edu