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International Students

Stratford University welcomes applications from international students (all visa holders). The University accepts first time international students as well as transfers from other institutions. In addition to domestic student admissions requirements, international students may be required to complete additional requirements for English language skills, transcript translation, transcript evaluation, and a student visa to study in the U.S.

  • Submit an original copy of an official TOEFL or IELTS test result. This is required for all students whose native language is not English.
    • Students test out of an ESL program with an Oxford Online Placement Test score of 80.
    • Stratford University requires a minimum TOEFL (IBT) of 79 or (CBT) of 213, a minimum IELTS of 6.5, or a minimum PTE score of 53. Applicants who score lower than the minimum may be considered for conditional acceptance. Students who are already on a visa in the U.S. may be exempted from the language and graduate testing requirements. Citizens of the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand may be eligible for a waiver of proof of English language proficiency. Such applicants should provide a copy of the student visa and diplomas/transcripts for verification. Students who are already in the U.S. and will be joining Stratford University as a transfer student may be exempt from the language testing requirements. Change of status applicants are not required to submit proof of English proficiency. Note: If needed, applicants may be required to provide the original Affidavit of Support and bank statement prior to issuing I-20. Exception: If verified by Funds-V, originals are only required at the time of reporting with all other supporting documents.
    • A TOEFL waiver may be granted if the student can provide proof of satisfactory completion of an ESL or college level English course taken at a recognized postsecondary institution or graduation from a secondary or postsecondary educational institution or if the student concurrently registers in an ESL program.
    • All international students must provide an original or notarized bank statement/balance certificate issued within the last six months. If the document is not in the student’s name, they must also provide an Affidavit of Support (AOS) or letter from their sponsor. Sources of support must be dependable sources. The University is unable to assume financial responsibility for its students and there is no federal student aid available for international students. Therefore, it is the responsibility of the student to meet all expenses incurred while in the U.S.
    • All applicants are required to submit the copy of a valid passport. Applicants applying within the U.S. are also need to submit copy of visa and I-94.
    • Graduate students submitting international educational credentials must provide an original or certified copy of the documentation, along with an official evaluation from an evaluation agency that is a member of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services - NACES (www.naces.org) or the Association of International Credential Evaluators – AICE (www.aice-eval.org), or completed by the American Association of College Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO) own International Educational Services. Education credentials recorded in a language other than English must be accompanied by an official translation completed by one of the aforementioned agencies. The evaluation alone will not serve as a translation.
    • International students may be interviewed before an I-20 is issued to them. This interview may be conducted in person or through video conference.

Stratford University requires documentation before an admissions decision can be made. Students who are working toward completing their application process and simply lacking documents or have files with incomplete information are classified as “pending” students. No acceptance letters may be sent to pending students until their file is complete. Once the required documents are received, they are reviewed, and an admission decision is reached. Students who do not meet minimum admission standards are not accepted to the University. Students in this category are notified of their denial of acceptance. Applicants not meeting the admissions requirements may be issued conditional acceptance. This exception can only be made by the ISO. Applicants who receive conditional acceptance based on English requirements either need to test out upon their arrival; complete an ESL program; or satisfy the dean, director, or advisor, as appropriate, through an interview. All admissions application documents should be scanned as one multi-page PDF (the size of the PDF file should be within 5MB) and sent to the International Student Office (isouaadmissions@stratford.edu) for initial applicants and to campus ISO (isofc@stratford.edu) for transfer applicants. The student is required to produce their supporting documents to the ISO. Failure to produce original documents may result in termination of SEVP status. The final decision is made by the PDSO (primary designed school official). Admitted students receive notification of their acceptance from the International Student Office. Notification of admission generally takes one to three weeks from the date the application is received. Applications received from within the U.S. may be processed within 24 to 48 hours. These packages include the acceptance letter, I-20, orientation information, and other information of value. These documents are mailed via UPS. Students interested in having their acceptance package mailed by expedited means should contact the University with credit card information. The cost for expediting documents can be found in the catalog addendum. With admission notification, proper documentation, and payment of Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVP) fees, students can apply for their F-1 visa at the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate in their home country using the signed admission letter and an I-20 issued from Stratford University to support their visa request. Due to the implementation of SEVP, home country address, city of citizenship, and city of birth must be recorded before a student visa may be issued. The U.S. consulate issues an F-1 visa, which must be attached to the applicant’s passport.

Under the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) rules, a student affiliated with Stratford University must supply the University with up-to-date contact information including telephone number, address, e-mail address, and emergency contact information. If this information changes, it is the student’s responsibility to notify the University within ten days. Students who fail to maintain records could lose their status as a student.

F-1 students transferring from another institution in the U.S. also need to complete a transfer verification form and submit their documents to the International Student Office after they have received their acceptance documents. All courses reviewed for transfer must meet Stratford University’s policies before transfer credit can be awarded.

Accepted students are required to report to the University no more than 30 days prior and no less than one week prior to the beginning of the first term of attendance. During this time, they receive advising, orientation, and complete the course registration process. All international students must be enrolled full-time on-campus study each term.

International students must maintain a zero balance when transitioning between terms.