Registering for spring online classes? Maybe you are not maintaining status by doing so…
You have many things to consider when choosing classes. Will the course you want fit into your degree requirement? Will you have time to go out with your friends and balance the work load for the class? Is the course going to help you maintain your status?
International students are required to maintain a full course of study each semester in order to maintain their visa status. A full course of study is defined as 12 hours per semester for undergraduates and 9 hours per semester for graduates. For Law students, a full course of study is 10 hours per semester.
Online courses generally count toward the fulltime enrollment total, but with limitation. Only 3 credit hours from an online course may be counted toward full time enrollment. That means if you’re an undergraduate student and taking only 12 credit hours for the term, only 3 of those credits can be in online courses.
Apply what you’ve learned:
Scenario 1: Seojun is an undergraduate student and registers for 15 credit hours for the spring semester. He is taking 9 credit hours online and 6 credit hours in traditional classroom based courses. Is Seojun maintaining status?
Answer 1: No, Seojun is not maintaining status because he has more than 3 credit hours of online enrollment that he is trying to count toward his 12 credit hour minimum to maintain his status.
Scenario 2: As a graduate student Adamma is registered for 9 hours in her program, 3 hours of which are online. Is Adamma maintaining status?
Answer 2: Yes, Adamma is maintaining status. She in enrolled full-time for her education level and a majority of her courses are being taken in a traditional classroom setting.
Now you better know the rules and can more confidently apply them to your spring registration. Yet, when you have questions or concerns about how something will possibly affect your status please remember the International Office is here to help. You can either email your question(s) to hotline@austin.utexas.edu or make an appointment to meet with an international advisor.
