Course Grades and Your F-1/J-1 Status
It is up to each student to ensure that they are enrolled full-time for their degree level and STAY full-time through the end of the semester. For immigration purposes, grades don't matter when it comes to full-time status (i.e. an A or F in a class will still allow those credit hours to count towards being enrolled full time).
However, if you Q-drop (Q) or withdraw (W) from a course, that course will not count toward full-time enrollment even if the student had been actively taking the course all semester.
Incompletes (I) and X grades will also still be counted towards a student's full-time enrollment for the semester(s) in which the student was enrolled in the course. They cannot be counted towards full-time enrollment for the semester(s) in which the student is completing the remaining course work but is not enrolled in the course.
Note: Students may Q-drop or otherwise drop classes without ISSS approval AS LONG AS they are still at or above full-time hours for their degree level!
Co-Enrollment and Other School Enrollment
F-1 Students
With approval from ISSS, you can co-enroll at Texas A&M and another SEVP-approved school in the U.S during any semester. The courses must count towards your Texas A&M degree; talk to your academic advisor if you’re unsure.- Submit a Co-Enrollment or Other School Enrollment request in the ISSS Portal (in the Academic Program Updates section)
- During spring/fall semesters or your final semester, you have to take at least half of your courses at TAMU.
- You may enroll at another school only (no TAMU enrollment) during the Summer or during minimesters.
ISSS will count the approved co-enrollment courses towards your full-time enrollment for that term.
J-1 students
You can co-enroll at Texas A&M and another SEVP-approved school in the U.S., but those courses will not count toward your full-time enrollment for that term.If you decide to co-enroll at another school, make sure you take enough credits at Texas A&M to be considered full-time. Prior approval from ISSS is not needed for the co-enrollment.
Distance and Online Courses
F-1 and J-1 students are allowed to enroll in distance/online courses. However, there is a restriction on how many distance/online courses can count for maintaining your status. Only one distance/online course (up to 3 credits) will count towards your immigration requirement each semester.
F-1 and J-1 students are permitted to enroll in more than 3 credits of distance/online courses per semester, but only 3 credits will count toward their full-time enrollment requirement for immigration purposes. This is different from the University’s requirement.
Example Scenario
- An F-1 graduate student wants to take 2, 3-credit online courses during Fall semester. They may do this as long as they also enroll in 6 credits that are not distance/online. This means they will have to enroll for a total of 12 credit hours (6 in person + 6 online).
- The 6 in person credits plus 3 of the distance/online credits will count toward the student's 9 credit hour minimum enrollment requirement.
- The additional 3 credits for which they are enrolled do not count toward their full-time enrollment for immigration purposes.
- As such, if this student later wants to drop one of the in-person courses, they will need to obtain an authorized exception to full-time enrollment because they will no longer be considered full-time for immigration purposes if they are enrolled in only 3 in person credits and 6 distance/online credits.
- Even though the Office of Registrar may define the student as enrolled full-time, they are not full-time for immigration purposes and may be in jeopardy of violating their F-1 immigration status.
You are not allowed to enroll in a fully online or distance education academic program. ISSS cannot issue an I-20 or DS-2019 for students admitted to a fully online or distance education program.
During your final semester
- If you will not enroll full-time, you must obtain an RCL from ISSS or be coded full-time by the Registrar. See the Dropping Below Full-Time section below for more information.
- At least one course must be face to face
During approved Curricular Practical Training (CPT)
- If you are approved to participate in curricular practical training (CPT), the course for which you are earning credit for the CPT cannot be considered an online/distance course.
- During approved CPT, you may enroll in distance/online courses in addition to the CPT credit(s).
- If you are flagged as full-time by the Office of the Registrar due to your enrollment in an internship course, you will be in compliance with F-1 full-time enrollment requirements based on this full-time flag. As such, you can enroll in multiple distance/online courses during the CPT as long as this is approved by your academic department as well.
- If you plan to enroll in sufficient credit hours during your CPT semester to be considered full-time enrolled by Texas A&M University, and therefore you not eligible to receive the full-time flag by the Office of the Registrar:
- You do not need to take any action as long as you are enrolled in sufficient in person courses to meet F-1 requirements.
- You should consult with ISSS if you do not plan to enroll in sufficient in person courses to meet F-1 requirements.
Dropping Below Full-Time
If you need to fall below the required number of credit hours during a required semester, you must apply for authorization to do so. If dropping a course will not put you below full-time hours, then you don’t need permission from ISSS to drop the course.
Students can be authorized to enroll less than full-time and maintain their F-1/J-1 status through a Reduced Course Load (RCL) request in the ISSS Portal under Academic Program Updates OR a full-time code from the Office of the Registrar - Records Administration & Archives in the following situations:
| Reasons to be below full-time | Minimum required credits | Who authorizes it? | How to Apply |
|---|---|---|---|
Academic Difficulties | F-1 = 6 credits J-1 = 1 credit | ISSS | RCL in ISSS Portal |
| Medical Condition or Illness | No minimum requirement | ISSS | RCL in ISSS Portal |
| Internship or Co-op | 1 credit | Registrar | Your academic department must notify the Registrar |
| Pre-graduation Academic Training (J-1 only) | 1 credit | ISSS | Will be authorized with your Academic Training |
| Study Abroad | 1 credit | Registrar | Your academic department must notify the Registrar |
| Final Semester/Graduating | 1 credit | ISSS OR Registrar (only need to apply to one office) | RCL in ISSS Portal OR Email Registrar: recordsadmin@tamu.edu |
Additional Information
- Exceptions to Full-Time Enrollment
- Medical Condition or Illness: RCL only allowed for a maximum of 12 months – you must reapply each semester. Requires a letter from a licensed medical doctor, psychiatrist, doctor of osteopathy, licensed clinical psychologist, or clinical psychologist.
- Academic Difficulty for F-1 students: Per federal regulations, you can only request an academic RCL once per degree level.
- Academic difficulty based on Initial Difficulties with the English Language, reading requirements, or unfamiliarity with US teaching methods can only be used within your first year in the U.S.
- Academic difficulty based on Improper Course Level Placement can be used at any point in your degree.
- You also must resume full-time enrollment in the next major semester (fall/spring) after your RCL semester.
- Final Semester:
- You must apply for graduation before submitting a request to ISSS or the Registrar.
- The last day to add/drop courses on the academic calendar is the last day to submit a final semester RCL to ISSS.
- F-1 only: When we process your RCL, we will shorten your I-20 program end date to the first day of commencement on the academic calendar.
- Internship or Co-op: You must have an approved internship that's equivalent to a full-time course load.
- You will still need to apply for work authorization for your internship or co-op. See the Employment page for more information.
- Less than full-time based on study abroad: You will need to notify ISSS about your study abroad by submitting a Travel Outside the U.S. request in the ISSS Portal under the General Student Services section.