International Student Admission

The University of Houston-Victoria is authorized by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to enroll international students who enter the United States with an F-1 and J-1 student visa. The following information pertains to admission for the F-1 and J-1 visa holder. The International Programs Office (IPO) is required by law to enter student information and update the student information each semester/term in the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) regarding student enrollment and related personal information. The International Programs Office will issue an I-20/DS2019 to students who are fully approved to a program of study at UHV after the following steps for admission to the university are completed by the student.

Deadlines

International students must submit applications for admission and all supporting admission documentation, regardless of your degree objective, by the following dates to ensure time for processing:

Fall - July 1
Spring - November 1
Summer - March 1

U.S. Transfer International Students:

Fall – August 1
Spring - December 1

Some programs of study, both undergraduate and graduate, may have priority deadlines. All other priority deadlines must be met in addition to the international student admission deadline.

What to Submit:

1. A completed international application for admission. See the international student information on the International Admissions web page. International Programs
    
2. An official transcript, mark sheets and degree/diploma certificate from EACH higher secondary school, college or university attended, All transcripts, marks, and certificates submitted to UHV become the property of the university and are not returned to students. If only one set of documents is issued by the student’s country of origin, students should send attested/certified copies of the documents, with translations if needed, in the appropriate manner indicated below. DO NOT send the original document issued to the student by the university or government agency. UHV is not responsible for damage to original documents submitted by applicants.
    
3. University/College level courses taken outside of the United States must be submitted through an approved credit evaluation agency by NACES.
   • If a student has previously obtained a comprehensive evaluation from an outside agency that is an agency not listed in NACES, UHV may accept an official copy of the evaluation and a copy of the original documents for admission purposes when the evaluation document indicates verification of attendance and degrees. The International Programs Office staff will review a copy of the evaluation and determine whether the student should request the agency to send the evaluation copy, as well as a copy of the documents evaluated, directly to the International Programs Office.
   • When possible, applicants should use the International Academic Records Request Form located on the Admissions web page to request records: International Academic Records Request Form
   • If original documents are not issued in English, two sets of official transcripts/certificates are required. One set must be in the original language and one English translation describing all academic studies attempted and completed must be on file before the final evaluation can proceed. Translations should be word-for-word, in the same format as the original document text. Transcripts should plainly indicate the dates of attendance, the subjects, and the marks (grades) earned. They should also reflect any degrees or diplomas awarded.
   • Official transcripts should be issued directly to UHV by the registrar, principal or responsible head of each institution attended. When this is not possible, documents certified by an embassy or consular official, or government agency in charge of educational verification as true copies may be accepted. Notarized documents by government agencies are not accepted as official.
   • Uncertified or unattested copies are not acceptable for unconditional admission to the university. The university will make a reasonable determination of those courses completed outside the United States. However, international students may be required to have a catalog match evaluation performed by an outside agency in order to determine course equivalencies. This may take longer to complete, and it is imperative that students submit international documents as early as possible to ensure adequate time for application approval.
4. International Credential Evaluations
   University and College curriculum varies by country, not only in language but also in practice. All courses, certificates, and degrees completed at an institution outside of the U.S. is subject to a credit evaluation. Students must submit all official international transcripts/degrees/diplomas to a credit evaluation agency approved by the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services and request a course-by-course evaluation report electronically sent directly to the International Programs Office. Students who provide a course-by-course evaluation by any organization approved by NACES will not need to submit duplicate transcripts to UHV. For more information pertaining to credential evaluation, please visit the International Transcripts Page. If the credential evaluation report indicates the courses completed outside of the U.S. to be U.S. equivalent, all courses or some courses may transfer to UHV.
   
   Students are responsible to pay the fees and complete the evaluation process. Upon registration and arrival to UHV, F-1 and J-1 International students will receive a credential evaluation cost credit up to $170 during their first semester at UHV.
    
5. Test Score Requirements:
   • Undergraduate applicants who live outside the United States must submit SAT scores according to provisions of the Texas Success Initiative (TSI), sent directly from National Evaluation Systems, Inc. to UHV; or, the scores/TSI completion must appear on an official transcript being sent from a U.S. college or university formerly attended. A minimum SAT composite score of 860
   • Graduate Applicants must submit scores for the Graduate Record Exam (GRE), Graduate Management Admissions Test (GMAT), or Miller Analogies Test (MAT) scores, letters, and essays that are required by their desired degree program. See appropriate school section of this catalog for more information. The GRE aptitude (verbal and quantitative sections only) is required for most majors. GMAT is required for all MBA applicants and the minimum score is 450. MAT scores may be substituted for the GRE by counselor education applicants. The scores will be used with your grade point average to calculate a graduate admission index.
   • Test scored can be submitted electronically. Please request ETS, GRE, GMAT and other testing organizations to submit the test scores electronically to UHV for faster processing time.
   • TOEFL test scores must be sent to the institutional code: 6917
   • Test scores can be sent electronically to International Programs Office at international@uhv.edu
6. English Proficiency Requirement
   All students attending the University of Houston-Victoria must be proficient in the use of English. Students, regardless of immigration status, whose educational instruction has not been in the English language and/or whose first or native language is not English, must demonstrate English Proficiency Requirements listed or apply for the English Proficiency Waiver or must meet the English Proficiency Requirement Exemptions.
7. The UHV F-1- J-1 Student Agreement Form must be submitted to the International Programs Office along with a copy of the student’s most recent passport. This ensures the International Programs Office to issue the immigration document accurately as the with applicant or sponsor’s supporting bank documents verifying funds available in English with dollar amounts in U.S. dollars must be submitted before an I-20 may be issued to the applicant. The minimum amounts needed for study at UHV during the Academic Year is posted on the International Student information page of the university website: F1 Student Agreement Form the costs are subject to change due to Texas legislative action and UHV policy changes.
8. Proof of Funding
   International Programs Office is required by law to verify that each international student on F-1 and J-1 have sufficient funds to cover the duration of their stay in the U.S. All students must submit the Letter of Sponsorship along with a bank statement with the one years’ worth of funding listed as the International Student Expenses. The bank statement must be less that 6-months from the issue date.
9. Photocopies of all previous and current U.S. immigration documents should be submitted by students who are already in the United States. For students outside the U.S., submit photocopy of passport pages with legal name of student applicant and dependents, if they will travel to the U.S. to live with applicant. For students who will transfer to UHV from an institution in the United States, the admissions officer will facilitate the transfer through SEVIS after the student is approved for admission to UHV.
10. International students may be given conditional admissions. Graduate student application will be reviewed pending English Proficiency Requirement, Proof of Funding and Bank statements. Undergraduate student’s application will be reviewed pending English Proficiency, Proof of funding and Bank statements. In order to conditional admissions to convert to fully admissions students must meet all the requirements. Upon completion and approval of all requirements students acceptance letter, I-20/DS2019 will be issued.
11. Students will be notified via email of the status of the application. Upon acceptance students will be notified via email of I-20/DS2019 shipping method allowing the student 3 business days to create an express mail shipping label. If student opts out from express mail International Programs Office will mail the acceptance letter and I-20/DS2019 via regular mail. Regular mail may take up to 8-weeks to receive the document in your home country.
12. All international students are required to attend the mandatory international student orientation. The date is listed on your immigration document I-20/DS2019. Failing to attend mandatory orientation will result in cancellation of scholarships and cancellation of your International student record. Students must notify the International Programs Office of any delays to prevent such cancellations.
13. All admissions related documents can be emailed director to the International Programs Office at international@uhv.edu please note, check with the International Programs Office on submission of the official transcripts or International Transcripts Website.

Residence Status

Determining Texas Residency

Under state statutes pursuant to Title 3 Texas Education Code and the Rules and Regulations for Determining Residence Status made known by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) which interpret those statutes, an individual will be classified as a resident or nonresident. Residency rules are adopted and amended by legislative action.

Your residence status for tuition purposes will be determined by the Office of Admissions and Student Recruitment prior to your enrollment. Students may contact the Office of Admissions and Student Recruitment and Student Recruitment for help in determining correct residence status for tuition purposes or for steps to complete in order to change residence status.

You must be prepared to pay tuition and other required fees by specified due dates or become subject to the penalties applied by the Coordinating Board rules. If you have knowledge of an error in your residency status for tuition purposes, it is your responsibility to notify the Office of Admissions and Student Recruitment immediately. These rules are subject to change. For current Residency Information, view the Coordinating Board’s College for All Texans website. Enter “Residency Information” in the search box to find the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board Rules on Determining Residency.

An individual who has lived in the state under circumstances specified in these rules will be eligible for classification as a resident. An individual who does not meet resident criteria will be classified as a non-resident and must pay tuition and fees required of non-resident students. An individual classified as a non-resident may qualify to pay resident tuition rates and other charges while continuing to be classified as a non-resident under certain exceptions specified in these rules.

Initial Residency Information

To ensure proper resident classification upon admission to University of Houston-Victoria, students must make sure they answer all questions related to Texas resident status that appear on the ApplyTexas electronic application for admission. It is the student’s responsibility to provide correct information to the Office of Admissions and Student Recruitment so that resident status may be correctly determined at the time of enrollment. UHV may request that a person provide documentation to support or clarify the answers to residency questions previously submitted.

Errors in Residency Classification

Errors in residency classification may occur. However, the university will respond to questions upon notification by students. If you believe your resident status to be incorrect prior to or during your enrollment at UHV, you may contact the Office of Admissions and Student Recruitment to determine the proper steps to take to address your concerns.

If UHV, in spite of information to the contrary that is provided by the student by the census date of a given semester, fails to classify an otherwise eligible student as a resident when the are entitled to resident tuition for that semester, UHV will refund the difference in resident and nonresident tuition for each semester in which the student was erroneously classified and paid the nonresident tuition rate. An appeal form must be submitted to the Student Billing and Card Services stating the reason the student was charged in error and requesting the refund.

If UHV erroneously permits a person to pay resident tuition and the person is not entitled or permitted to pay resident tuition under the rules stated on the THECB website, UHV shall charge nonresident tuition to the person beginning with the semester following the date that the error is discovered.

UHV may notify the student before the first day of the following semester that he or she must pay the difference between resident and nonresident tuition for each previous semester in which the student should not have paid resident tuition if the person: 1) failed to provide to UHV, in a timely manner after the information becomes available or on request by UHV, any information that the person reasonably should know would be relevant to an accurate classification by the institution under this subchapter information; or 2) the person provided false information to the institution n that the person reasonable should know could lead to an error in classification by UHV under this rule.

Reclassification Based on Additional or Changed Information

If a person is initially classified as a nonresident based on information provided, the person may request reclassification by providing UHV Admissions and Student Recruitment office with supporting documentation as described in the residency rules on the THECB website.