International students who hold an F1 student visa has the option to accept an International Tuition Waiver upon entry to Gainesville State College. Listed below are requirements to receive the waiver. International Tuition Waiver students must:

·    Attend an international student orientation with the Coordinator for International Student Services

·   Maintain a full time course load of at least 12 hours

·   Maintain at least a 2.5 grade point average (GPA)

·   Volunteer 7 hours per week in an office on campus (1^st year students)

·   Participate in a club/organization on campus

·   Participate in leadership workshops (5 workshops per semester)

Policy 

Options have been created for International students’ involvement. This involvement includes; the opportunity to participate in clubs and organizations, paid work (up to 19 hours each week), volunteering to work in offices and or departments, and taking leadership roles.

First year students: International Students will work in an office on campus for seven hours per week. An office will be assigned and time will be monitored by the Waiver coordinator.

After the first year, students can choose to continue working in an office on campus or participate in a club on campus.

Each student must complete a Work Agreement or a Club/Organization Participation form each semester. Grades, volunteer hours and/or participation in a club/organization will be verified at the beginning of both Fall and Spring semesters. Students who fail to meet the waiver requirements will not receive the waiver in future semesters and will pay out-of-state tuition.

These requirements were put in place to ensure the success of International students, but also to help them get acclimated to life in the United States and Gainesville State College.

Alexander W. Astin said it best in his article entitled Student Involvement: A Developmental Theory for Higher Education. He states that student involvement refers to the quantity and quality of the physical and psychological energy that students invest in the college experience and that such involvement takes many forms, such as absorption in academic work, participation in extracurricular activities, and interaction with faculty and other institutional personnel (Astin, 1999).

Please see the documents page and submit all forms to Tashiana Cheeks by email at tcheeks@gsc.edu or to the Office for Diversity Initiatives and Intercultural Relations.