F-1 post-secondary students have a number of requirements they must abide by to remain compliant.
- F-1 undergraduate students at a college or university must take at least 12 credit hours per term.
- F-1 students in postgraduate programs at a college, university, conservatory or seminary must take a full course of study as certified by the institution.
- F-1 students in other post-secondary liberal arts, fine arts or other non-vocational or English language learning training programs must meet 18 clock hours per week if the majority is classroom instruction or 22 clock hours per week if the majority of the program instruction does not take place in the classroom, such as laboratory work.
Online courses cannot count toward a full course of study for an English language training student.
If you are an F-1 student in a post-secondary program of study and are unsure if your class schedule meets the requirements for a full course of study, talk to your DSO. Your DSO can verify that your class schedule for this academic term meets the requirements to maintain your status. If meeting this full course load requirement is difficult for you, talk to your DSO immediately to discuss if you are eligible for a reduced course load. For more information, please read the “Reduced Course Load” and “Reduced Course Load for Language Limitations” sections below.
M-1 post-secondary students have a number of requirements they must abide by to remain compliant.
- M-1 students at a community college or junior college must take at least 12 credit hours per term.
- M-1 students at certain post-secondary vocational or business schools must take at least 12 hours of instruction per week.
- M-1 students in vocational or other non-academic curricular programs must take 18 clock hours per week if the majority is classroom instruction or 22 clock hours per week if the majority of the program instruction does not take place in the classroom, such as laboratory work or flight training.
If you are an M-1 student in a post-secondary program of study and are unsure if your schedule meets the requirements for a full course of study, talk to your DSO to verify your schedule meets the requirements to maintain your status. If meeting this full course load requirement is difficult for you because of medical reasons, talk to your DSO immediately to discuss if you are eligible for a reduced course load.
An online, or distance learning, course for the purpose of international student regulations means a course that is primarily offered through technology and does not require the student's physical attendance for classes, examinations or other purposes integral to completion of the class.
- Only one class or three credits during each term or semester may count toward a full course of study for an F-1 student if the class is taken online or through distance learning.
- No online or distance learning classes may count toward an M-1 or English language training student's full course of study requirement.
If you are unsure which courses count toward the requirements for a full course of study, talk to your DSO to verify your schedule meets the requirements to maintain your status
Under certain circumstances, F-1 and M-1 students may talk to their DSO about enrolling in a reduced course load and still maintain their student status.
If an F-1 student is having specified initial academic difficulties, a temporary illness or medical condition, or needs fewer courses than a full course load in their last term to complete the program of study, DSOs may authorize a reduced course load. However, an M-1 student may only receive a reduced course load for illness or a medical condition.
If you are a student in need of a reduced course, talk with your DSO as soon as possible. You cannot drop below a full course of study unless your DSO approves it and updates your student record in SEVIS.
If an F-1 student enrolled in a program has difficulties due to language limitations, they should speak with their DSOs about the options available to them.
If a student is having difficulties due to language limitations, they may take a reduced course load.
DSOs can also work with the student to determine if they should change their education level and enroll full time in an SEVP-certified English language training program or pathway program. In either of these circumstances, the DSO must update the student’s education level in SEVIS and print a new Form I-20 to reflect the change. Remember, DSOs must report any changes to student information within 21 days. For more information about these programs of study, please visit the English Language Training page.