International Students

Status Maintenance
Status maintenance is essential for international students. Whether a student maintains status or not determines the student’s continued presence at LDS Business College. In order to maintain status the student must:
• Be enrolled full time and have a current I-20 at all times.
• Engage in authorized employment only.
• Progress towards completing his or her program within the established timeframe.
• Apply for changes such as transfers in a timely manner.
• Notify the International Student Office of address changes within 10 days.
• Maintain a valid passport.

A violation to F-1 status results in the student falling out of status. If a student chooses
activities that violate status after having received instruction on what constitutes a
status-violating activity, the procedures and regulations established by law will be
enforced.

Status-violating activities include the following:
1. Staying in the country after the Form I-20 has expired.
2. Failure to maintain conditions of status, which include:
a. enrolling less than full time without the authorization of the appropriate International Student Office official;
b. registering for and attending a school other than LDS Business College without the proper authorization;
c. late applications for transfers, program extensions, or OPT; and
d. unauthorized employment.

Other types of violations, equally serious, are those related to the College’s Honor Code. In situations related to Honor Code violations and those of similar nature, the International Student Office will proceed according to the instructions received from
the appropriate departments and individuals.

Changing Majors, Program Extensions, and Transfers
The student computer record (PeopleSoft) will notify the appropriate International Student Office official when students change majors. Students should apply for the change of major at the Registration Office. After the change has been approved, the International Student Office will contact the student to confirm when the new I-20 is ready.

Program extension requests will be carefully examined. Extensions will be granted to those needing extra time to complete a study program due to a change in major or to illness.

Transfers will be processed when the student is academically eligible to transfer. Students must notify the International Student Office of their final decision to transfer to facilitate transferring the student’s electronic file—i.e., the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) file. The College will transfer the student effective the first day after the graduation date or the last day of that semester’s finals. Students must submit a SEVIS transfer form to complete the transfer process.

Student status and Forms 1-20 are issued in connection with a specific college and program. When a student transfers to another institution, the new educational institution will issue a new Form I-20 indicating the new educational institution, the new program, and the new expected program end date.

Financial Aid/Scholarships for International Students
Financial aid available through the College is limited. For questions about scholarships, please contact the Admissions Office. Students should not expect to finance their studies through employment or scholarships and certify on Part 8 of the enrollment
application that they have adequate financial resources to attend CES schools. Students with sponsors should contact the sponsor for help with finances. In special cases, such as those where the sponsor’s business files for bankruptcy or an extreme fluctuation in exchange rates, students can apply for a work permit under the severe economic hardship rule after one complete year of study.

Name and Address Changes
Students must enter name changes to the student’s personal computer record (PeopleSoft) within ten business days after the name change is official. The same rule applies to changes in addresses.

Travel
Students who wish to travel to their home country during their annual vacation will be able to do so. In order to re-enter the U.S., they will need to present and carry a current F-1 visa, a valid passport along with a properly endorsed I-20, and an I-94—the departure arrival record. Students who plan to travel to a third country—including Canada and Mexico—will have
to contact the third country’s Embassy or Consulate to determine if they will need a visa to enter the country.

Annual Vacations
Students can take an annual vacation after having been enrolled for two semesters with a full-time load. Students who do not complete a minimum of 12 credits each semester will not be eligible for vacation. Vacations should not be confused with between semester breaks. Those periods of time, such as Christmas and spring breaks, are separate from annual vacation. Vacations must be authorized by the International Student Office.

Employment
International students are authorized to work 19 hours per week on campus including The LDS Church Office Building. Students may work more hours while school is in recess during “annual vacation period” or holidays.

On-campus employment is conditional to the student’s continued compliance with the BCIS regulations established by the visa status the student has been issued. In other words, continued academic progress toward the completion of course of study is crucial.

In order to participate in the CPT program, a student must have been in his or her current major for one academic year (two semesters). In addition, the student must have approved the corresponding cooperative education course or be enrolled in the course for 20 the next semester. Students enrolled in the cooperative education class for the following semester may not at any time withdraw from the class and continue to work off campus. Withdrawal from the corresponding course will result in loss of CPT authorization. Students must also renew their CPT authorization each semester.

Optional Practical Training (OPT) is available as a continuance of the student’s learning experience. The temporary employment authorization will be granted for practical training directly related to the student’s major area of study. The temporary work authorization can be issued during annual vacations, during the regular term, or after the completion of the course of study. OPT must be completed within 12 months of the completion of course of study. Students are strongly advised to apply for this program during their last semester, three months before graduation. Students must apply and be approved for graduation prior to applying for OPT. Students cannot apply for OPT following graduation.

Unauthorized Employment
Reports of unauthorized employment will be investigated. Unauthorized employment is a serious status violation. After a report is confirmed the student’s I-20 will be annulled and the student will have to leave the country.

On-line Courses
International students may enroll in as many on-line courses as they desire, yet only one on-line course—three credits—will be considered towards the 12 credits required to maintain status. At the same time, only one course per semester will be considered towards the full-time course load.

Dependents
Dependents of F-1 visa holders are issued F-2 visas. They may engage in “studies to pursue a hobby or in occasional, causal, or recreational studies; i.e. a ceramics class, swimming lessons, etc.” Any course related to languages or technical/vocational skills is not considered an occasional, casual or recreational study. For this reason, F-2 students may not enroll in any classes at LDS Business College except religion classes. Dependents are not authorized to work at any time, under any circumstance.

F-2 visa holders can travel without the primary F-1 visa holder provided they present a current and endorsed Form I-20, a current passport, visa and I-94.

Underage dependents, i.e., elementary, middle school, and high school age dependents, can be enrolled in a full-time course of study at an approved educational institution.