All persons arriving at the United States Port of Entry must be inspected by officials of the U.S. Customs Officers. Shortly before your plane lands, the flight attendants will hand you a Customs declarations Form 6059B and an Arrival/Departure Record Form I-94. You must complete both of these forms for the immigrations and Customs officers at the Port of Entry. Make sure the name you use on these forms is identical to your name as it appears in your passport.

Arrival at the United States Port of Entry

All passengers are required to proceed through immigration processing and inspection by customs officials at the Port of Entry. You will line up in the lanes marked for non-citizens.

The immigration officer will ask to see your I-94, I-20, customs declaration forms, and your passport. You will be asked several questions and may be finger-printed before the immigration official stamps your documents allowing you permission to enter the United States.

Proceed to the Baggage Claim and collect your luggage. Next, proceed with your luggage to U.S. Customs and Border Protection inspection area. You will be asked for the completed U.S. Customs Declaration form. You may be questioned and your luggage may be examined.

Since Tougaloo College is your final destination, proceed to the Baggage Re-check to check your luggage for the continuation of your trip. Should you have any questions about rechecking your luggage or locating your connecting flight, please ask an airline personnel for assistance once you leave Customs.

Proceed to the gate for your connecting flight to Jackson, MS / Jackson Evers International Airport.

NOTE: If you miss your connecting flight, Please DO NOT PANIC! Go to your airline counter and ask them to reschedule your flight, call the International Programs at 601-977-6144 between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. (central time). After hours you may call Larry Ray 601-918-2418. If you have to spend a night in the city that you are stranded in, we will try to help you secure a hotel room at a discount rate (for "distressed travelers").

Transfer Policies for International Students

Students enrolled at undergraduate institutions in the U.S. or abroad may apply for international transfer admission to Tougaloo College.

In addition to all other required application documents (see "Application Instructions" above), transfer applicants must provide original transcripts (in English or with certified translation) from all post-secondary institutions attended.

Following admission, transfer students' transcripts will be evaluated for transferable credit. Transfer students are strongly encouraged to furnish the International Programs with syllabi and course descriptions in support of their requests for transfer credit. Please hand carry these items when you travel to Tougaloo College.

Transferred credits offer a number of advantages: Tougaloo College does not assess tuition for transferred academic credit; transferred credits move students forward in the course registration queue; and transfer credits may shorten time to degree.

Questions pertaining to transfer applications or transfer credit evaluations should be addressed to the Director of the Office of Records.

Applying for an F-1 Student Visa

Applying for an F-1 student visa to study at Tougaloo College is a four-step process which begins with your application.

Step 1
Complete the Tougaloo College application form and submitting it—along with all required documentation and fees—to the Admission Office. Once your application file is complete, an admission decision will be made.

Upon admission to study at Tougaloo College, the Admission Office will provide you with an admission letter and a FORM I-20. Your Tougaloo College admission letter and I-20 are important documents: they tell both you and the U.S. Consular Officer, who will review your visa application, that you have satisfied Tougaloo College’s admission requirements and have been formally admitted to a program of study at Tougaloo College.

Step 2
The second step in the visa application process is to pay the $100 SEVIS fee. We strongly recommend you pay the $100 SEVIS fee online using a credit card. Be sure to print at least 3 copies of the online receipt to show to the Consulate during your interview and keep a copy with you when you travel.

To pay online, have your passport, FORM I-20, and a credit card available. Make certain your computer is connected to a printer. Go to www.fmjfee.com and follow the “Proceed to I-901 Form and Payment” link in the center of the page. Another way to pay is through Western Union or by mail. More details about the fee, methods of paying, processing times, and other frequently asked questions can be found at www.ice.gov/sevis/i901.

Step 3
Schedule a visa interview at the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate. The U.S. Embassy/Consulate will not issue an F-1 student visa more than 120 days before the program start date indicated at item #5 on page one of the I-20. You may be able to schedule an appointment before that 120 day period, but you will not get the visa approved until you are within 120 days of your start date. You also need to know that you may not enter the United States more than 45 days before the start date on the I-20, so make your travel arrangements with that 45 day period in mind.

To learn where U.S. Embassies and Consulates are located, please follow this link: usembassy.state.gov.

If you wish to know how long you may have to wait for an appointment at the Embassy/Consulate, check this website travel.state.gov/visa/tempvisitors_wait.php. Selecting the appropriate location from the drop-down list near the bottom of the page.

Step 4
The fourth step is the visa interview. While documentation requirements vary by Embassy/Consulate, at a minimum you must present the following items at your visa interview:

1. Your Form I-20
2. Your I-901 SEVIS fee receipt
3. A complete application Form DS-156, together with a Form DS-158
4. A passport valid for at least six months after your proposed date of entry into the United States
5. Two (2) 2x2 photographs
6. A MRV (Machine Readable Visa) fee receipt to show payment of the visa applications fee, a visa issuance fee if applicable, (please consult Visa Reciprocity Table) and separate SEVIS I-901 fee receipt. While all visa applicants must pay the MRV fee, including dependents, only the F-1 principal applicant must pay the SEVIS fee.

F-1 student visa interviews are generally very brief. Therefore, avoid the temptation to prepare a monologue or a script because the U.S. Consular Offices are not interested in something you memorized. Simply listen to the questions asked and respond directly and honestly. Be yourself and be confident.

Many F-1 student visas are denied because students insinuate that they will not return to their home country once they complete their education in the United States. Therefore, never suggest that you want to live in the U.S. permanently or that you want to work here for many years after you graduate. Speak of the ways in which you will use your U.S. degree when you return home. You might be denied a visa if you do not show proof that your financial support will be there for the entire period of study in the U.S. F-1 student are limited to part-time campus jobs, so you must show a strong funding source that will continue for as many years as you are a student. Due to security issues the approval process may take several weeks, so apply as early as possible and then travel in time to arrive at least one day in advance of the program start date listed on your FORM I-20.

For more detailed information on obtaining a U.S. Visa, please visit travel.state.gov/visa/visa_1750.html.

Financial Matters

We suggest you bring your money in traveler's checks, a bank check or money order drawn on U.S. dollars, or have the funds wired directly to the your university account. To wire money to your Tougaloo College account, please contact the International Programs for instructions.

When you enter the United States, you will be asked if you have more than USD $10,000 with you. Be sure to answer carefully and honestly. The penalty for a false claim is very expensive.

You may need money for travel and hotel accommodations if you miss flight connections, so be prepared with a credit card and some cash in U.S. currency.

Banking matters will be discussed in detail during orientation. You will have an opportunity to meet local bank representatives and open accounts at that time.

Orientation

The International Programs Orientation Program is a multi-day event designed to help new students prepare for campus living and the academic and co-curricular expectations at Tougaloo College. Placement tests in English and mathematics are administered during orientation. Orientation sessions include residence hall living, food service, curricular policies, student life, banking, and student services.

Refer to the documents in your admissions packet for specific dates, times, and places, or email the International Programs at lray@tougaloo.edu.

Course selection advisement and registration takes place during this period.

Attendance at orientation is mandatory for all new international students. You will not be permitted to enroll in university courses if you are not present for orientation.

On Campus Housing

Living on campus has many advantages and is proven to enhance students' success at Tougaloo College. Our residence halls (dormitories) are staffed by professional Hall Directors as well as student Community Assistants. Regular academic and co-curricular programming in the residence halls make them educational and fun places to live while studying at Tougaloo College.

For more information on Residential Living, please click on Residential Life page.

All first year students are encouraged to live in university residence halls. Although this is not a requirement, we strongly suggest that international students share rooms with native speakers of the English language so that they may quickly enhance and heighten their English language skills.

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