International Students

F-1 Student Visa Status

Generally, international students at CCV studying and earning a degree are F-1 student visa holders.

It is illegal to take for-credit courses toward a full course of study on either a B-1/B-2 tourist visa or an F-2 non-immigrant visa. F-2 non-immigrant visa holders may study at CCV up to 6 credits (part-time).

Degrees Offered at CCV

CCV awards associate degrees and certificates only. An associate degree is an undergraduate degree awarded upon completion of study of approximately 60 credits. This degree typically takes two years to complete. A certificate is not a degree; it is a program that prepares students for entry into a particular field. As an international student, you will be required to enroll and complete 12 credits every fall and spring at CCV. You are only allowed one class (or 3 credits) of online coursework per semester. You must select a program of study that offers little to no online coursework; this means you must select a program of study and a CCV location which can deliver traditional, in-person courses in a classroom setting.

Degrees & Locations Available for F1 students (2024-2025)

International Student Financial Aid & Employment in the U.S.

Currently CCV does not offer financial aid in the form of grants or scholarships to international students. On-campus employment is not available at CCV for international students and off-campus employment is illegal for unauthorized F-1 students. Please do not expect that employment will fund your expenses while you are studying in the U.S.

Approximate Cost of Attendance (2024-2025):

Tuition & Fees: $17,000 USD
Expenses: $18,000 USD
Books/Supplies/Transport/Computer Costs: $3,000 USD
TOTAL you should expect to spend each year: $38,000 USD
**Please note that every year the costs increase by approximately 2-3%. Please plan accordingly.**

Housing

CCV is not a residential campus. International students are expected to obtain their own housing through private inquiry. CCV must see evidence of acquired housing before the student arrives for classes.

Medical Insurance

The cost of healthcare in the United States is expensive. As a prospective F-1 student, CCV strongly encourages you to have health insurance in case you need care in the United States. It is recommended that your insurance has the minimum coverage and conditions:

The Minimum Coverage:

•  Medical benefits – at least $50,000 per accident or illness/per person
•  Repatriation of remains – at least $7,500
•  Medical evacuation of the exchange visitor to their home country – $10,000
•  A deductible not to exceed $500 per accident or illness

The Minimum Conditions:

• May require a waiting period for pre-existing conditions which is reasonable.
• May include provision for co-insurance in which you pay up to 25% of the covered benefits per accident or illness.
• May not exclude the perils of studying abroad in the United States.

The Minimum Grade of Insurance/Approved Companies are:

• underwritten by an insurance corporation having an A.M. Best rating of “A-” or above, an Insurance Solvency International, Ltd. (ISI) rating of “A-i” or above, a Standard & Poor’s Claims-paying Ability rating of “A-” or above, a Weiss Research, Inc. rating of B+ or above; or
• backed by the full faith and credit of the government of your home country; or
• part of a health benefits program offered on a group basis to employees or enrolled students by a designated sponsor; or
• offered through or underwritten by a federally qualified Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) or eligible Competitive Medical Plan (CMP) as determined by the Health Care Financing Administration of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

CCV recommends that you review the following links below to get started:

• iNext International Medical Insurance Plans – https://www.inext.com/plans/travel-to-usa/academic/
• Visitors Coverage – http://www.visitorscoverage.com/student-health-insurance/

How to Apply as an International Student – Required Documents

1. Submit our application and pay the application fee. There is a 200.00USD non-refundable application fee required to submit an F1 international application at CCV. If the applicant is accepted and enrolls at CCV, a 200.00USD credit will be applied to the first semester tuition bill for those who paid the admission fee during application submission.
2. Once your application has been submitted, a checklist will appear that will list out the required documents needed to complete the admissions and immigrations process. For a complete list of required documents, see below.
3.  Once all documents have been submitted, your application will be reviewed, and a determination will be made as to whether or not you will be admitted to CCV. If you are accepted to CCV, the I-20 process will begin.

Required Documents

• An application for Form I-20: The Form I-20 is CCV’s certification to the U.S. government that you are eligible to be an F-1 student according to the law. The Form I-20 verifies that you have been accepted to CCV and that you have the necessary funds to support yourself while in the United States. As an international student, you must have a properly issued Form I-20 to apply for an F-1 student visa at your closest U.S. embassy or consulate. This form will appear as a link on your applicant checklist once the application has been submitted.
• Evidence of financial support for your studies: Students studying on an F-1 visa are required to enroll full-time (12 credits per semester) and must demonstrate how they intend to pay for their studies while they are in the United States. Estimated yearly costs for tuition, fees, and living expenses are currently $30,000 USD plus $6,000 per spouse and $4,000 per child. Current federal immigration regulations require students to provide certification of finances, usually a bank statement showing actual account balances, deposits and withdrawals. We will also accept an affidavit and bank statements from a sponsor who would provide some or all of this support. Download Affidavit of Support Sample Letter here.
• Evidence of English proficiency: English reading and writing comprehension tests are required for all F1 student applicants, regardless of native language. CCV accepts the following exams: TOEFL, IELTS, Duolingo or Accuplacer.
  • TOEFL: CCV’s minimum scores are 80 (computer-based) and 550 (paper-based). TOEFL scores should be sent directly to CCV from the Educational Testing Service. You will need to enter CCV’s code, 3286, on your test application to have the results directly sent to CCV.
  • IELTS: Overall scores must be equivalent to a 6.0 with no sub scores below 5.0. Scores should be sent directly from IELTS to CCV.
  • Duolingo: Minimum overall score must be 110. Scores must be sent directly from Duolingo to CCV.
  • Accuplacer: If you are already residing in Vermont, you are able to take the Accuplacer Assessments at any CCV academic center. Minimum score for reading must be 249 and writing must be 249.
• Scans of immigration documents: Copies of the information page of your passport, your current U.S. visa (if you already have one), your current I-94A, stamp in your passport, or printout (if you already have one), and your most current I-20/DS-2019 or USCIS immigration forms (if you have them).
• Scans of official high school transcripts showing that you have obtained an equivalent of a U.S. high school degree.
• Coursework in the U.S./Canada: Official transcripts from any previous high school, college, or university coursework in the United States and/or Canada. Transcript must be sent directly from the school to CCV to be considered official.
• Coursework outside of the U.S./Canada: College coursework completed outside of the United States and Canada* must be evaluated by an external agency before it can be transferred to CCV. This evaluation can be completed by any member of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services. For a complete list, visit https://www.naces.org/members . All charge a fee based on the extent of the education to be evaluated. CCV does not endorse any particular service. When requesting your evaluation, it is important that you request a course-by-course evaluation so that your international classes can be transferred for specific CCV credit. This evaluation is optional for F1 student admission.

*Canadian transcripts must be submitted in English.

For any questions about the F1 international student process, please contact Karrie DeMers, International Admissions Designated School Official, at karrie.demers@ccv.edu or 802-654-0557.