Future International Students

Application Deadlines

For students applying from their home country, the application and documentation must be received by the Office of Admissions prior to the deadline noted. Applications not complete by the deadline will be considered for the next admission session. These deadlines allow for the evaluation of transcripts for admission and for transfer of credit, review of graduate applications by the respective departments, time to process, send and receive an I-20 and time for the student to obtain a visa.

*Only available to applicants applying for a Master’s program in Information Systems or Applied Computer Science.

For students transferring from a school within the U.S., the application and documentation must be received by the Office of Admissions prior to the deadline noted below. Applications not complete by the deadline will be considered for the next admission session.

*Only available to applicants applying for a Master’s program in Information Systems or Applied Computer Science.

Apply Online

If you are transferring to Northwest from another U.S. institution, please follow the admissions process. You will also need to submit the International Student Advisor Report as part of your admission application. If you have questions about this process, please contact our admissions office at intladm@nwmissouri.edu.

• View the I-901 SEVIS Fee Payment Tutorial
• Pay your I-901 fees and print the receipt
• Prepare for your visa appointment
• Schedule a visa appointment at the consulate or U.S. embassy convenient for you 

• Schedule your flights and reserve a seat on the Airport Shuttle
• Complete the Pre-Arrival Orientation through the IIC portal 

• Complete the housing application through your CatPAWS account
  • Freshmen, under the age of 21, are required to live on campus for the first year
• Complete the Health History Form  and take it to your Wellness Center appointment with you

Certificate of Eligibility

A student's Certificate of Eligibility will be the Form I-20 for students on an "F" visa. .

A Form I-20 is used to apply for a student visa in the F category. Please review your Form I-20 to ensure that the information is correct and complete using the guidelines below. If information needs to be changed or added, please contact the International Involvement Center office that issued your document.

United States Entry Procedures

F student visa holders may enter the U.S. up to 30 days prior to the program start date listed on their certificates of eligibility.

All students must arrive prior to the mandatory international orientation session. Please notify the International Involvement Center as soon as possible if you will not be able to enter the U.S. in time to attend orientation due to visa processing delays.

When you arrive in the U.S., officers from Customs and Border Protection will review your documents and ask you questions at the port of entry before they admit you into the country.

Have the following documents ready for the CBP officer to review:

• Passport & Visa. A passport is a biographical booklet issued by a national government to its citizens to allow for travel to other countries and return to their home countries. Make sure your passport is valid and will not expire soon. The CBP officer will review your passport and student visa. He/she will then stamp your passport to indicate the date and place that you arrived in the U.S.
• Certificate of Eligibility (Form I-20). The CBP officer may stamp and make a notation on this document. You must show CBP the Form I-20 for the school you plan to attend. If you applied to multiple schools in the U.S., you must show the I-20 that lists the school you actually plan to attend.

CBP has the authority to deny admission into the U.S. If you have difficulties crossing the U.S. border, please call the International Involvement Center and ask to speak with an international student adviser.

International Involvement Center
Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
660.562.1367

After business hours
816.629.8702

Note: You might have your fingerprints taken at the U.S. border.
Note: Entry procedures are different for citizens of Canada.

• Bring medications you use, including extra prescription lenses or contacts.
• Be sure to pack light because if you forget things you can purchase them when you arrive. 
• Plan to bring clothes for at least the fall and you will want to have at least a coat or light jacket to start with. You can buy other clothing items after you arrive.
• Be sure to include your name and new address on your bags.
• You may want to consider bringing recipe of native foods, small souvenirs from your country, a camera, cultural clothing your favorite music, and photos from home.
• It is recommended that you pack your valuable items and documents in a carry on flight and carry your immigration document on your person during your flight. Do NOT place your Form I-20 in your checked luggage.
• Do not pack weapons, electrical appliances, important items that might be lost or stolen, candles or incense, animals, illegal drugs, fresh food. Refer to the Transportation Security Administration to find out what is acceptable.

If you need to request a deferral to next available intake:

1. Email intladm@nwmissouri.edu for undergraduate deferral or gradsch@nwmissouri.edu for graduate deferral
2. Submit the $50 deferral fee
3. Please allow 10-14 days for processing

• View tuition and fees
• View scholarships for graduate and undergraduate students
• Tuition, on-campus living expenses, and insurance premium are payable during the first week of classes.
• All semester tuition and fees are due before a student may enroll in the following semester.

Health insurance

Health care in the U.S. is a private system. To make sure you are able to cover any medical expenses and satisfy legal requirements, Northwest Missouri State University requires all international students to purchase LewerMark Student Medical Insurance, provided through the University.

Enrollment in LewerMark Student Medical Insurance is for the fall semester from August 15 through December 31; enrollment for the spring/summer semester is from January 1 through August 14. Dental and vision insurance are not included in the medical insurance. Students who want to purchase dental and/or vision insurance can do so at https://www.lewermark.com/dental-vision for an additional cost.

For more information about LewerMark Student Medical Insurance, to print your ID card or to find a doctor in the area, view the LewerMark International Student Health Insurance Plan Brochure 

For information about how LewerMark Student Insurance covers COVID-19, please go to https://www.lewermark.com/covid-19-qa/. 

Enrollment and Billing

International students will be automatically enrolled in the mandatory insurance plan when they register for any number of credit hours and will be charged for the coverage on their Northwest student account.

Waiver

Northwest has a "hard-waiver" policy that strictly limits waivers of the mandatory insurance enrollment for international students. Only the following exceptions are allowed.

• Students participating in the ISEP exchange program
• Short term non-degree programs,
• Government sponsored students (i.e. SACM or Fulbright)

To successfully request a waiver of the Northwest-sourced medical insurance, a student must meet one of the above requirements. If you do, submit a request for an insurance waiver, with supporting documentation to the International Involvement Center.

International Student travel days

Saturday, August 12th, 2023

Sunday, August 13th, 2023

• Shuttles will be offered from the Kansas City International Airport (MCI) to Northwest Missouri State University leaving the airport at 12 PM, 4 PM, 8 PM, and 12 AM both days. 
• Airport Shuttle Reservations can be made through the IIC Portal.
• SHUTTLE SIGN-UP DEADLINE: 5:00 PM on Wednesday, August 9, 2023 
• Students who do not make a reservation will wait until there is an available seat.
• Students who make a reservation, do not use the shuttle, and do not notify University officials will be charged $25.

Students arriving on other dates will be responsible for arranging their own transportation, at their own expense. The airport is 125 kilometers from the University. 

Local transportation providers: 

• Yates Limo Service at a rate of $150 cash payable at the time of pick up. This service can be arranged by calling +1.816.364.3407 or by emailing yateslimo@att.net. 
• Northwest Taxi is $100-$125, payable in cash at the time of service, depending on the number of passengers. This service can be arranged by calling +1.660.254.2958 or by emailing jasonwhitetaxi@outlook.com. 
• A list of shuttle providers can be found at https://flykc.com/getting-to-and-from. 

The International Involvement Center provides a mandatory orientation program to give new international students essential information for their time at Northwest. Students are required to check in with the International Involvement Center and attend the International Student Orientation. Students will be required to complete the check-in, orientation, and the health screening at the University Wellness Center before attending in-person classes.

International Student Orientation Schedules

International Student Orientation for Fall 2023 will take place from August 14 - 16, 2023. Schedules will be sent to all students in July. 

Mandatory International Student Health Screenings

All new international students will complete a health screening at the University Wellness Center. You are required to bring your immunization records or completed Physician Letter and your health history forms to the screening.

Freshmen Assessments for Course Placement

All freshmen are required to complete the math placement exam and writing challenge prior to enrollment. There is no fee or registration to take the assessments. These assessments help us determine your proficiency to ensure you are placed in the appropriate course level. These assessments are available to accepted freshmen through Northwest Online.