William Carey University is authorized by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to enroll non-immigrant alien students.
International students who wish to be admitted to William Carey University must meet the requirements listed below. They must also meet additional requirements listed in either the freshmen or transfer subsections of this sheet. Freshmen are considered those students who have attempted less than 12 hours of credit at an institution of higher learning (college or university), and transfers are students who have attempted 12 or more hours of credit at an institution of higher learning.
- Application: Application for admission can be downloaded from the Carey website. Applications may also be requested by mail through the Office of International Admissions on the Hattiesburg campus. A US $40 application fee, which allows for a student's application to be processed, should be mailed to the Office of International Admissions at 710 William Carey Parkway, Box13, Hattiesburg, MS 39401.
- Academic Records: The following information is required for consideration for undergraduate admissions:
- Freshmen Students (first-time college students):
Academic records indicating the level of secondary completion or course work completed at a foreign institution(s)must be provided. - Transfer Students:
Academic records indicating the level of secondary completion or course work completed at a foreign institution(s)must be provided.
Academic records indicating course progress from any institution(s) of higher education or official transcript(s) from U.S. institution(s) attended are required. An official transcript is defined as one mailed directly from one institution to another. All records must be in English before an I-20 from William Carey University is issued. - Transcripts from foreign institutions must be submitted to World Education Services (www.wes.org). The results from the evaluation must be mailed to William Carey University. This process takes between 30 to 60 days.
Students transferring from foreign institutions of higher education who do not submit a transcript evaluation will be considered first-time freshmen and must meet requirements stated for freshmen students. - Students transferring from any American college or university must coordinate the transfer of their I-20 status from their current institution to William Carey University. The requirements for obtaining such transfer are established by each individual institution.
- Language Proficiency: Students who are not from nations where English is considered the official or second language are required to take either the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS). A minimum score of 523 is required on the paper- based TOEFL; a minimum score of 193 on the computer-based TOEFL; or a minimum score of 70 on the internet-based TOEFL. Students who wish to take the IELTS must meet the minimum requirement score of 5.5.
All documentation must be submitted in English. Authenticated translations must accompany documents not in English. Faxed copies may be sent to (601) 318-6765, but original copies must be mailed before an I-20 can be issued. - Certification of Finances: Proof of financial support for the duration of the international student's stay in the United States is required. This document can be downloaded from the Carey website (www.wmcarey.edu).
- Proof of Immunizations: Proof of Immunization: William Carey University requires proof of two (2) measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccinations prior to arrival to the United States. Additionally, each students must have a chest x-ray and Interferon Gamma Release Assay (IGRA) performed in the United States and submit the results to the office of international admissions prior to starting class.
- Major Medical Insurance: Medical coverage while attending an institution of higher education in the United States is required. All international students are required to take a policy with the university. Students will be assessed for the policy coverage at the beginning of each trimester.
More information on the health insurance policy adopted by William Carey University is available online. - Additional Information: Currently the cost of attending William Carey University is US $20,770 per academic year. Students who receive scholarships are responsible for the balance of their cost of attendance once the scholarship amount is posted.
If the international student resides on campus, housing will be provided during scheduled breaks throughout the academic year, with the exception of Christmas break. Campus housing will close December 21 for Christmas break and reopen January 12. International students should make plans to return home or seek alternate housing for that time period. There are four one-week breaks during the academic year. Housing and meals will be provided during those breaks for an additional charge per week.
In order to receive an F-1 visa, international students are to schedule an appointment with the nearest U.S. consulate or embassy in their home country within 90 days of departure. They must take along their financial documents, letter of acceptance, and I-20 for presentation and review. The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) recommends the entering student be honest and have copies of all documents sent to William Carey University available for review by the U.S. custom official at the consulate, embassy, or U.S. port of entry. Custom officials may at any point of a student's travel to the United States deny him/her entry into the country.
Questions or concerns should be directed to the director of international admissions at (601) 318-6104, (800) 962-5991 (toll free), or bdillon@wmcarey.edu.
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