General Information
Texas A&M University-Victoria (A&M-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 (IP) 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 Texas A&M University-Victoria after the following steps for admission to the university are completed by the student.
Deadlines
International Students (out of the U.S.)
International students must submit applications for admission and all supporting admission documentation, regardless of Student degree objective, by the following dates to ensure time for processing:
Fall - June 15
Spring - November 15
Summer - March 1
U.S. International Students (Non-Immigrant visa holder students in the U.S.)
Fall - August 1
Spring - December 15
Summer - April 1
Late Applications
Late applications will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis depending on U.S. Embassy visa wait times and course availability for face-2-face/ ITV courses. Late applications will not be guaranteed admissions.
A completed international application for admission. See the international student information on the International Admissions web page.
Applicants must submit an official transcript from each secondary (high school) institution attended. If the applicant has completed any college or university-level coursework, a course-by-course credential evaluation from a NACES recognized evaluation agency is required.
Please note that all transcripts submitted to Texas A&M University-Victoria (A&M-Victoria) become the property of the university and will not be returned to the applicant.
If the issuing country provides only one original set of academic documents, applicants should instead submit attested or certified copies, along with official English translations if the originals are not in English. These documents must be submitted in accordance with the guidelines listed below.
Do not send original documents issued by your institution or government agency. A&M-Victoria is not responsible for the loss or damage of original documents submitted by applicants.
During the application review process, the university may request additional academic records, such as marksheets or other relevant documents. Applicants are required to provide any additional documents as requested to complete the evaluation of their application.
Students who are transferring credits, courses, degrees, or diplomas from a college or university in the United States must submit official transcripts when requesting the credential evaluation to reflect each institution attended. The credential evaluation is required for the review and processing of the international admissions application.
University/College level courses taken outside of the United States must be submitted through an approved credit evaluation agency by NACES.
Comprehensive Course-By-Course evaluation completed by a different organization not listed at www.naces.org are reviewed on a case-by-case basis. If a student has obtained a comprehensive evaluation from an outside agency that is an agency not listed in NACES, A&M-Victoria 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 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.
Issuance of official secondary (High School) transcripts
Official secondary transcripts should be issued directly to A&M-Victoria by the course/ degree awarding institution registrar, principal or responsible head of each institution attended. When this is not possible, documents certified by an embassy or consular official, EducationUSA center, Fulbright, 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/ transcripts
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 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.
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 required to a credit credential 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. Students who provide a course-by-course evaluation by any organization approved by NACES will not need to submit duplicate transcripts to A&M-Victoria. For more information pertaining to credential evaluation, please visit the International Transcripts Page. If the credential evaluation report determines that courses completed outside the United States are equivalent to U.S. coursework, some or all those courses may be eligible for transfer to the University of Houston-Victoria. Final transferability and classification of courses will be determined by the college academic advisors while assisting the admitted student with program requirements.
Transfer of Credits/ Courses completed at an institution outside of the U.S.
If a student is planning to transfer as an undergraduate or graduate student to A&M-Victoria with courses completed at an institution outside of the United States, International Programs or Academic Advisors will not be able to accurately map the degree plan with transfer credits until the NACES approved courses-by-course evaluation report is submitted. Completion of the credential evaluation report by NACES approved organization may not guarantee course/ degree transfer to A&M-Victoria. The NACES approved course-by-course evaluation indicates the U.S. Equivalency to the courses, degree, diploma according to the U.S. standards. It is up to each academic college to make the decision based on the course-by-course evaluation report.
Students who wish to transfer credits/ courses to their undergraduate/ bachelors or masters/ graduate degree will need to submit the official evaluation prior to admissions.
If the official evaluation is delayed or not able to provide at the time of admissions, students will need to consider deferring to the next available semester.
U.S. citizens, Permanent Residents or other non-immigrant or immigrant visa status students with courses, diplomas, degrees completed at an institution outside of the United States will be reviewed by the International Programs. International Credential evaluations are required for all college and university level coursework completed outside to the United States regardless of non-immigrant or immigrant status.
During Emergency Situations
During country emergencies, other situation(s) such as government shutdowns, university closings, natural disasters such as hurricanes, flooding or pandemic or epidemic International Programs may temporarily grant admissions by reviewing unofficial transcripts for courses, diplomas, and degrees completed at an institution outside of the United States. Once the student is enrolled in their first class at A&M-Victoria, students must submit the official course-by-course evaluation report to the University no later than the 60th class day. Failing to submit the evaluation will cancel enrollment and/or authorization will not be granted to move forward beyond the first semester at A&M-Victoria. Temporary evaluation process cannot guarantee course transfer if students are planning to transfer courses/ credits completed at an institution outside of the U.S. until the official NACES evaluation is submitted.
University reserves the right to not review the application without the credential evaluation report and request the student to submit official credential evaluation report. If no evaluation is received, the student will not be eligible to be admitted.
English Proficiency Requirement
All students attending the A&M-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 met per the list that may be found on our international website or apply for the English Proficiency Waiver or must meet the English Proficiency Requirement Exemptions. Students are given the option to opt out of the English Proficiency Requirement by facing a virtual interview with one of the staff members at the International Programs. Visit English Proficiency Requirement website to learn about how Student can fulfil the English Proficiency Requirement.
English proficiency is evaluated solely for admission to the Texas A&M University-Victoria (A&M-Victoria). Please note that programs within the College of Education may have additional English language requirements to meet Texas Education Agency (TEA) certification standards. Applicants are responsible for meeting any program-specific or certification-related requirements beyond A&M-Victoria’s general admissions criteria.
Official test scores must be less than 3 years old. Texas A&M University-Victoria Institution code: 6917
Test scores can be sent electronically to International Programs Office at international@tamuv.edu.
English Proficiency Test Score Waiver Policy
International students can request an English Proficiency Requirement (EPR) waiver by connecting with the International Programs at international@uhv.edu if the student is not able to meet the English Proficiency by testing by the admissions deadline.
Application Fee
A $25 application fee is required for undergraduate students.
Program Specific Deadlines
Undergraduate programs will have different priority deadlines. Please refer to each A&M-Victoria Academic Program for specific deadlines date.
International Freshmen Requirements:
International students who have never attended a university or college and have completed at least 12 years of elementary and secondary education (or the equivalent in your country), should apply as an International Freshman.
Note: International Students on F-1 and J-1 visa students are not required to submit SAT and ACT scores. International F-1 and J-1 students are required to meet TSI upon arrival at the University.
- Submit official secondary education transcript, go to Issuance of official transcripts for additional details.
- Meet the 2.0 GPA (equivalent to US 4.0 GPA Scale)
- Meet English Proficiency Requirement, go to English Proficiency Requirement section for more details.
International Transfer Requirements:
International students who have attended a university or college and completed more than 12 semester credit hours (or the equivalent in their country), whether inside or outside the U.S., should apply as an International Transfer Student.
Note: International F-1 and J-1 students are required to meet TSI upon arrival at the University.
- Outside of US: Submit official credential evaluation, go to International Credential Evaluations for more details.
- Inside of US: Submit official transcript from your previous US institution.
- Meet the 2.0 GPA (equivalent to US 4.0 GPA Scale)
- Meet English Proficiency Requirement, go to English Proficiency Requirement section for more details.
Application Fee
A $50 application fee is required for graduate students.
Program Specific Deadlines
Graduate programs may have different priority deadlines. Please refer to each A&M-Victoria Academic Program for specific deadlines date.
Our institution provides various graduate programs that have different admissions requirements. Please refer to each A&M-Victoria Academic Program for these requirements.
Graduate Requirements:
- Outside of US: Submit official credential evaluation, go to International Credential Evaluations for more details.
- Inside of US: Submit official transcript from your previous US institution.
- Applicants must hold a bachelor’s degree equivalent to a four-year U.S. degree. Some programs may accept a three-year bachelor’s degree-please refer to each A&M-Victoria academic program for specific requirements.
- Meet English Proficiency Requirement, go to English Proficiency Requirement section for more details.
- Graduate test scores may be required. Waiver options are available and determined by the academic college offering the program.
Note: Test scores can be submitted electronically. Please request ETS, GRE, GMAT and other testing organizations to submit the test scores electronically to A&M-Victoria for faster processing time. You may email international@tamuv.edu for additional information. You may view the appropriate college section of this catalog for more information.
Graduate Test Score Waiver Policy
The above GRE and GMAT test scores can be waived if students meet the requirements set forth by each academic department. Computer Science and Computer Information Systems students with a GPA of 3.0 or higher and Master of Business Administration Students GPA 2.5 or higher can request GRE test scores to be waived.
Graduate Application Process
Graduate international student admissions for F-1 and J-1 students must follow all the requirements mentioned above. Application documents will be maintained and reviewed by the International Programs. Once the application materials are all complete, International Programs submit the application to the respective academic colleges for review. Academic schools may take 7-10 business days to review each student application. Once the academic college approves admissions International Programs will complete admissions and issue acceptance letter and the appropriate immigration document.
I-20 Requirements
Once an international admission is determined we will then request the documents for the I-20 to be created. Students will gain access to a secure portal to upload all copies of documents to request the I-20 needed by the student.
Outside of the US (Initial I-20):
- Copy of Valid unexpired Passport
- Completed F-1 Student Agreement
- Completed Letter of Sponsorship
- Proof of Funding (more details in proof of funding section)
Inside of the US (transfer from another approved SEVIS institution):
- Copy of I-94
- Copy of F-1 Visa
- Copy of all previous I-20 from all prior institutions
- Copy of Valid unexpired Passport
- Completed F-1 Student Agreement
- Completed Letter of Sponsorship
- Proof of Funding (more details in proof of funding section)
Proof of Funding
International Programs 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 one year’s worth of funding listed at the cost of attendance at the www.uhv.edu/international website. The bank statement(s) must be less that 6 months from the issue date. Students who are sponsored by a U.S. citizen can submit an attested letter indicating sponsorship, along with the Affidavit of Support Form I-134. The Immigration Form I-134 is required by all U.S. citizens and Permanent Residents financially sponsoring a F or J student. If a sponsor is sponsoring multiple students in the United States, the sponsor must enter the total cost of attendance for all students and must have sufficient funding for all students.
Acceptance Notification
Students will be notified via email of the status of the application. Students must contact the International Programs Office if a different method of delivery of the acceptance letter and the immigration document is desired. Email international@tamuv.edu, if not request is made the I-20 will be sent via email to your student email.
Email
All acceptance letters and immigration documents will be emailed to the student’s institution email in students application portal. If student wish to receive a “wet signature” packet, International Programs will only mail “wet signature” documents via express mail.
Express mail
The University will express mail students their acceptance letter and immigration document at the request of the student. Student must create an account and pay for express mail service at https://study.eshipglobal.com
Mandatory International Student Orientation
As new entering F-1 visa holder student, the student must attend the mandatory orientation and enroll in 12 credits as an undergraduate student and 9 credits as a graduate student at A&M-Victoria.
All international students are required to attend the mandatory international student orientation. The date is listed on Student immigration document I-20/DS2019. Failing to attend mandatory orientation will result in cancellation of scholarships and cancellation of Student International student record. Students must notify the International Programs of any delays to prevent such cancellations.
Health Insurance
All F-1 and J-1international students and scholars are required to purchase mandatory health insurance through the Texas A&M University-Victoria (A&M-Victoria). Government and other organization sponsored students are able to submit their government issued insurance via waiver. For additional details email international@tamuv.edu.
International Programs Scholarship Information
All F-1 international students (F-1 status must be approved at the first class start date) will be granted automatic International Student Cultural Scholarship (ISCS) of $1500 (Fall $750/Spring $750) during the first semester as long as the student is enrolled in fulltime course load at A&M-Victoria (fulltime is defined as 12 credits as an undergraduate student and 9 credits as a graduate student). Upon completion of the 5-mandatory volunteer hours and maintaining of cumulative GPA of 2.5 for undergraduate students and 3.0 for graduate students the student will continue to receive the International Cultural Scholarship for the duration of 4.5 years as an undergraduate student and 2.5 years as a graduate student. The ISCS Scholarship cannot be combined with the International Merit Scholarship. Concurrent enrollment with a partner institution will not count towards in receiving scholarships awarded by the International Programs.
Transcript Requests by the Student
If students wish to request copies of transcripts student must submit Academic Records Request Form located on the Admissions web page to request records: International Academic Records Request Form.
International Programs Fradulent Document Policy
The submission of documents such as transcripts, diplomas, test scores, references, or applications, bank statements and funding documents, agreements that are forged, fraudulent, altered from the original, materially incomplete, obtained under false pretenses, or otherwise deceptive (collectively referred to as fraudulent documents) is prohibited by the Texas A&M University-Victoria (A&M-Victoria).
University reserves the right to withdraw offers of admissions, place a temporary or permanent ban on applying for future admissions, prohibit registration, rescind degrees, and suspend or expel students who present fraudulent documents. Such actions may also result in forfeiture of academic credit earned while enrolled under false pretenses. Dismissal of misconduct does not abrogate a student’s financial responsibility to the University, the federal government, or private loan providers. Students remain liable for all relevant tuition and fees and the payment of their debts.
It is illegal for any person to falsely represent themselves as having received a degree. Such a violation is punishable by a monetary penalty per offense. Forgery of a document is a criminal offense that can be prosecuted under criminal law. University reserves the right to file criminal charges against any individual who submits fraudulent documents in accordance with the laws of the state of Texas and/or appropriate U.S. Federal statute.
International Students and other Non-Immigrant Visa Holders
Please note the Federal Financial Aid in available only to U.S. citizens. However students can visit the Scholarships and Financial Aid Office to inquire on loans, grants and scholarships available to international students and others. International students and other non-immigrant visa holders are responsible for the entire Study Intern Abroad costs involved and must be paid in full prior to departure and must meet the payment deadlines.
Residency 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.
Student residence status for tuition purposes will be determined by the Office of Admissions Processing prior to Student enrollment. Students may contact the Office of Admissions Processing for help in determining the correct residence status for tuition purposes or for steps to complete in order to change residence status.
Students 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 Student have knowledge of an error in Student residency status for tuition purposes, it is Student responsibility to notify the Office of Admissions Processing 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.
Students who believe that they qualify based on the state statutes, may request the Core Residency Questionnaire from the Admissions Office Processing or print the form from the link and attach the supporting documents for proof of student claim to Texas residency.
Initial Residency Information
To ensure proper resident classification upon admission to the A&M-Victoria, students must make sure they answer all questions related to Texas resident status that appear on the Apply Texas electronic application for admission. It is the student’s responsibility to provide correct information to the Office of Admissions so that resident status may be correctly determined at the time of enrollment. A&M-Victoria may request that a person provides 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 Student believe Student resident status to be incorrect prior to or during Student enrollment at A&M-Victoria, Student may contact the Office of Admissions to determine the proper steps to take to address Student concerns.
If A&M-Victoria, 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 they are entitled to resident tuition for that semester, A&M-Victoria 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 Student Billing stating the reason the student was charged in error and requesting the refund.
If A&M-Victoria 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, A&M-Victoria shall charge nonresident tuition to the person beginning with the semester following the date that the error is discovered.
A&M-Victoria 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 A&M-Victoria, in a timely manner after the information becomes available or on request by A&M-Victoria, 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 A&M-Victoria 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 A&M-Victoria Admissions Office with supporting documentation as described in the residency rules on the THECB website.
Study and Intern Abroad
All A&M-Victoria students are eligible to apply for study and internship opportunities abroad. For more information about available programs and how to apply, visit the Study/Internships Abroad information page.
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