Current Students

Academics

Your academic success is important. Visit our Center for Academic Excellence to sign up for peer tutoring, writing tutoring, workshops, and webinars.  

Maintaining Your F-1 Status

• Pursue a full course of study.  At Rush, graduate students are considered full-time when registered for at least nine credit hours per term.   PhD, professional doctorate, and master’s students completing dissertations, externships or theses, respectively, may be considered full-time if they meet the following conditions each term: A) register for nine or more graduate-level credit hours; or B) register for a minimum of two credit hours of dissertation, externship or thesis coursework. Undergraduate students are considered full-time when registered for at least twelve credit hours per term.  International students should review the full course of study definition from the University Catalog.
• F-1 students in their final term needing less than a full course of study to complete their program do not need to enroll full-time. Student must be enrolled in at least one required class in this situation.
• Comply with federal regulations regarding online enrollment limits for F-1 students. International students are limited to one fully online class (three credits) towards the full course of study requirement, each term or semester. For immigration purposes, a class which is hybrid and has in-person required components for classes, examinations, or other purposes integral to completion of the class does not count as “online”.
• Students in their final semester are not permitted to have a schedule that is fully online. 
• International students who are enrolled in hybrid or hyflex courses must follow their College’s instructions on attendance.
• The Department of Homeland Security’s Study in the States website is an essential source of immigration information for international students, including course of study requirements.
• Apply for I-20 program extension, if necessary, prior to program end date. If you consulted with your College and your College has approved a new program end date, please submit an I-20 Request for Program Extension at least 30 days before your I-20 expires. The “program end date” on your I-20 should always match your actual program end date. 
• Maintain valid documents. Your passport and Form I-94 must always be valid. Your passport should always have at least 6 months of validity, especially in order to re-enter the U.S.
• Report a change of address within 10 days of the change. U.S. regulation mandates F-1 visa holders report a change of address within 10 days of a move. Please keep your U.S. address updated in your student portal and email international_students@rush.edu to notify us of a change in your U.S. address. 
• Receive authorization in advance of all employment. Please be sure to speak to International Student Services before accepting any employment. 

Be Connected

Join a student organization or affinity group, drop by Student Life and Engagement to visit, study or grab a snack, connect with Student Diversity and Multicultural Affairs and be sure to participate in Welcome Back Week. Off-campus you may want to volunteer, celebrate a Chicago summer through Summer Programming, neighborhood festivals, summer dance, concerts in the park or by enjoying a city market.  If building a boat, learning how to swim or signing up for a community garden plot would help you to unwind then we recommend checking out Chicago Park District.

Be Healthy

Being a student is hard work and we at Rush University want to ensure you feel supported every step of the way. We recommend connecting with the Center for Clinical Wellness for wellness and mental health services and more, and the University Fitness Center for living fit. RUSH Wellness Assistance Program is a comprehensive, system-wide resource for all Rush employees, students and their families, providing 24/7 confidential, free counseling by phone or a telehealth appointment as well as legal support, dependent care and financial planning. For any health benefit questions, please reach out to Rush University’s Student Insurance Program.