A public school at the secondary level (i.e., grades nine through 12) is eligible to apply for SEVP certification to enroll F-1 students. Public elementary and middle schools are not eligible to apply for SEVP certification and public schools cannot enroll F-1 students in kindergarten through grade eight. Federal regulations limit F-1 students to an aggregate of one year of study at a public secondary F-1 students attending a public high school must pay the full, unsubsidized per capita cost of their attendance at the school. 

To learn more about the responsibilities and commitment involved with SEVP certification, please visit the Certification Responsibilities page.

Public School Cost

Local, state and federal tax revenues fund public schools. Therefore, F-1 students attending an SEVP-certified public secondary school must compensate U.S. taxpayers by paying the full, unsubsidized per capita cost of their attendance. Prospective F-1 students must be able to present proof of this payment of the full, unsubsidized per capita cost and the I-901 SEVIS Fee at their visa interview and at the port of entry when applying for admission into the United States. 

Designated school officials should refer to their school district or the National Center for Education Statistics’ district search or school search tools to determine the sum of the full per capita cost.

Public School Enrollment for F-1 Students

F-1 students may attend an SEVP-certified public high school (grades nine through 12) with certain restrictions. F-1 students may study at a public high school for a maximum aggregate period of 12 months. This aggregate 12-month limit encompasses the time spent at all public high schools the student attends as an F-1 nonimmigrant in the United States. However, time spent enrolled in a public high school in a nonimmigrant status other than F-1 does not count against the 12-month limit.

F-1 students may not spend a year at one public high school in the United States and then transfer to another public high school, but students may transfer from a public to a private high school if they wish to continue pursuing a high school diploma or the equivalent in the United States. Upon completion of their high school studies, they may also transfer to an institution of higher education certified by SEVP to enroll nonimmigrant students.