Telephone: +1-740-368-3070. During the summer, regular office hours are 08:30 to 16:30 (New York Time), Monday, through Thursday. If this line is not answered, please leave a voice mail message. Your call will be returned as soon as possible.
Email: iocp@owu.edu. You can scan documents to this email address. Because of the large volume of email that we receive in August, we may not be able to answer you immediately.
WhatsApp Group: There is a WhatsApp group you are encouraged to join, "OWU 2028 International." By posting your general questions there, other incoming first years have the benefit of learning the same information simultaneously. You will also be able to begin connecting with the other new students. If you have not been added to the group, please email your WhatsApp contact info to Kristin Crosby at kkcrosby@owu.edu.
You have probably already received a good number of emails that provide information about the University. Read these materials carefully to become more familiar with Ohio Wesleyan.
Catalog: It is especially important to become familiar with the OWU Catalog. In particular, you should pay close attention to two sections in the front—one on academic regulations and procedures and another on degrees and graduation requirements.
Summer Mailings: Like all new students at Ohio Wesleyan, you will be receiving information from various offices. Please read this information carefully. The more you know about Ohio Wesleyan before you arrive, the easier it will be for you to adapt to your new environment.
Forms are available at the New Students page "New Student Information." Below is a summary of those materials. Please visit this website for more information.
Arrival Information: Once your travel plans are fixed, please complete the New Student Arrival Form which will be sent to you directly by email
Picture: Please send a picture of yourself to IOCP. The picture is used to make it easier for us to identify students at the airport when they arrive.
Final Academic Records: Please send any final academic documents as soon as they are available or make sure that a request has been made to your school. Examples of these final records: final high school transcript and external examination results (ISC, HSC, A-levels, SPM, International Baccalaureate, and so on). All academic documents must be official or attested copies. Plain copies, copies of attested copies, and scanned copies are not acceptable.
Housing Application and Contract: The Office of Residential Life attempts to place students according to their preferences and will inform you of your room assignment late in the summer (early August, usually). Since this notification occurs so late, you may not receive your assignment before you arrive and get your keys from IOCP. If you are eager to know your assignment before you are notified, you can call Residential Life (1-740-368-3175) between 8:30 a.m. and noon or between 13:00 and 16:30. The assignments may well be complete in late July. Fax or email notification of housing assignments is not possible.
Medical Forms: The Student Health Center sends information about required immunizations as well as a medical history form. Please return the materials to the IOCP as soon as possible. You are required to have your immunizations up‐to‐date in order to enroll in classes. In addition, Ohio Wesleyan requires a negative tuberculin skin test or chest X‐ray within the past year. Skin tests are available at the Student Health Center before classes begin. Any special medication or treatments or information (in English) about your medical history should be sent directly to the Student Health Center or brought in August. All health and medical information is confidential and will be available to medical personnel only.
Account Agreement and Statement of Financial Responsibility: There is an "Account Agreement and Statement of Financial Responsibility" that must be signed by the student and parents and then returned to the University Controller. They include two copies—mail one to OWU and keep the other for your files.
You will receive detailed information explaining how to register for courses. You must read these materials very carefully and spend some time considering a first-semester schedule.
A items for international students to note:
Computers: Computers are available for student use in the library and some academic buildings. Most all students bring their own laptops. For more information about computers on campus and the Office of Information Systems please visit the Information Services Help Desk website.
Laundry: Washers and dryers are free of charge and are found in each of the residence halls.
Cooking: Almost all of your meals will be taken in the dining halls, but you will occasionally have the opportunity to prepare meals—especially over the breaks or for special occasions—and most students want to prepare foods from their own countries. There are kitchens available in the residence halls.
Expectations for Parental Communication: Be sure that you and your parents have frank and open discussions about their expectations for the information that you will be sharing with them. For parents living a long way from their son and daughter, there is often an increased desire to be informed about their child's life in the U.S. Please note that federal law prohibits us from speaking with parents about their students' personal information.
Dental / Health Check-ups: Please make sure that you get a full health and dental check-up before you leave. Dental care in the USA is generally expensive, and dental insurance is expensive also and has limited coverage.
You must have a valid passport to obtain a visa to the United States, and you must keep your passport current throughout your stay in the United States. "Current" means "will not expire in fewer than six months." Passports may be renewed through embassies/consulates in the USA. IOCP will assist students with this process.
Before you visit a U.S. Consulate to apply for your visa, please read carefully the instructions on the Certificate of Eligibility (Form I-20) issued for your studies at Ohio Wesleyan University. You will also need to pay the SEVIS (Form I-901) and other visa fees. To be eligible for an F-1 visa, you will be required to demonstrate that you will be a bona fide student, that you have adequate financial support for your stay in the United States, and that you have nonimmigrant intent.
Many people mistakenly think that the visa must be valid for the entire period of stay in the United States. The fact is the visa needs to be valid only on the day that you enter the country. Once you have been lawfully admitted to the United States, the visa is irrelevant. What is then relevant is the I-94 stamp that you will be given upon entry. Some students have four- or five-year visas; some have one- or two-year visas. Occasionally a student will have a visa valid only for a few months, and once we had a student with a visa valid for only three days. So long as your visa is valid when you enter, its fine. If the visa expires while you are here, there is no problem. However, if you later leave the United States, for winter or summer break, for example, and then need to re-enter the United States, you will need to get your visa renewed at home if it has expired. You cannot renew an F-1 visa in the United States.
(Canadian Citizens do not need to get a student visa. They will get their international student status when entering the USA. Please see our Canadian Student Information Sheet.)
After entering the U.S., you will need to print your I-94 form and keep it with your I-20 and other documents. To retrieve you I-94 card, please visit www.cbp.gov/I94.
Please read carefully the expense sheet and the sheet on payment of fees.
Billing Statement: Students and their parents will receive a billing statement of the student account at the end of each month. Statements are sent electronically, and students can view their accounts online. In addition to tuition, room and board, which appear on the July and November statements, other charges may be billed to the student account upon the student's request. Health insurance is billed twice a year.
Monthly Payment Plan: The University offers a monthly payment plan.
Transfer of Funds: If you expect to receive funds from your home country for your studies at Ohio Wesleyan, you should ensure that satisfactory arrangements for the transfer of funds have been made before your departure.
Assurance of Support: You must reconfirm the financial commitments to your education. The University does not make new financial aid awards to enrolled students. If you were not offered financial aid, you will not be able to obtain assistance after you have enrolled. If you have received a financial aid award, you will be able to renew your award each year, but you will not be able to receive additional assistance. Those receiving scholarships must maintain specified grade point averages.
Employment: You will not be able to fund your education through employment, although you may be able to earn a little spending money if you are able to find a job on campus. Furthermore, students may not work off campus because of the strict regulations governing the employment of nonimmigrant international students. Therefore, it is essential that you have arranged for the funding of your education before the beginning of your studies here. Illegal employment will result in termination of your F-1 status and possible deportation.
On-Campus Employment: Students in F-1 status have permission to work on the campus of the school they are authorized to attend. Most international students at OWU do work on campus. However, there are limitations. Students can earn no more than their allotment per academic year, an amount generally earned by working about eight hours a week. There are two reasons for this allotment: First, the budget for student employment has its own limitations, and second, we believe that students are here to study, not to work, and we do not want work to interfere with academics. This allotment may change slightly from year to year; an increase in the near future is not expected. Those with U.S. citizenship or Legal Permanent Resident status in the U.S. are eligible to work off-campus and for "work study" positions, which are supported by the U.S. Federal Government.
Expenses: The expenses listed by the University for books, personal and vacation living expenses are the minimum. Many students find that they need more money. Personal expenses, especially at first, may be higher than expected. You will find it very helpful if you have available more funds than the minimum.
For more information about payment of fees, please contact the Student Accounts Office at owstuact@owu.edu.
For more information about scholarship and loans, please contact the Financial Aid Office at finaid@owu.edu.
To prepare you for your experience for higher education in the United States, many overseas counseling centers in the Education USA network, such as USIS, the Fulbright Commission, the Institute of International Education (IIE), and America-Mideast Educational and Training Ser- vices (AMIDEAST), hold pre-departure orientation programs. We hope that you will take full advantage of these opportunities to prepare yourself for a new environment. Details should be available at the American Embassy or Consulate website in your area.
Here are some links that will provide more information on necessary pre-departure preparation:
Health care costs in the USA are very significantly higher than the average for other OECD countries. International students and their parents are very often absolutely dumbfounded by how much even a simple medical procedure costs. Additionally, what is not covered by health insurance plans can also be perplexing and maddening. The processes for getting pre-authorization for payment for services, insuring that a referal goes through, filing a claim, etc. can by very confusing and frustrating. This is health care finance in the USA.
All international are automatically enrolled in OWU's Student Health Insurance plan. Coverage begins as soon as the student enters the USA, but no sooner than 1 August.
During NISO and later during the first semester, students are advised and trained about about this. The IOCP Office as well as the Dean of Students Office and, importantly, our insurance provider are available to assist international students.
For information about the OWU Student Health Center go here.
For information about OWU Counseling Service go here.