International Admissions Resources

The I-20 or DS-2019 are multi-purposeful documents issued by a U.S. government-approved educational institution certifying that a student has been admitted to a full-time program of study and has demonstrated sufficient financial resources to stay in the U.S for the duration of the program. The I-20 or DS-2019 is officially titled the “Certificate of Eligibility,” because it allows an individual to apply for an F-1 or J-1 student visa at a U.S. Embassy or consulate abroad. All nonimmigrant visitors are required to have a valid visa in their passport to be allowed entry into the U.S (with the exception of Canadians*). 

Below are some resources to help you with your Visa interview provided by Travel.State.Gov. 

• Visa Process 
• Interview Preparation
• Find a U.S. Embassy or Consulate
• Study and Exchange

Interview Tips

*All of these tips should be taken as suggestions only. There are no set guidelines or rules for how to pass the Visa Interview. Questions the Visa Officers ask vary and change person-to-person. 

• Be on time (Show up to your appointment early. Don't be late.)
• Be honest (Answer each question the Visa officer asks you truthfully.)
• Be specific (Provide explanations for your answers. Short one word or one sentence answers may not be enough of an answer for the Visa officer.)
• Have all your paperwork/checklist items with you
• Know why you want to study in the U.S. AND return home (Remember, the purpose of a student visa is for studying with the intent to return home.)
• Know how you will be funding your time in the U.S. (Are you on scholarship? Is your family providing you the money? Etc.)
• Know what you will be studying and why you are choosing Coastal specifically to learn that degree. (What about Coastal made you want to come study here? Etc.)

Coastal Carolina University considers you an international student if you are NOT a citizen of the United States of America, and need a visa to study in the United States. If you are a: dual U.S. citizen; U.S. Lawful Permanent Resident; non-immigrant with Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival (DACA) status; refugee/asylee; or, a U.S. citizen living abroad, you are considered a domestic applicant or student and NOT an international applicant or student.

CCU has "rolling admission", which means we accept applications and admit qualified students as long as there is space available in a program. However, in the best interest of applicants, we recommend applications are complete by the following dates: June 1st for fall applicants; November 1st for spring applicants; and, May 1st for summer applicants. Learn more about our dates and recommendations.

All applicants, including international freshman and transfer students, are automatically considered for merit-based scholarships. There is also a non-resident tuition waiver available for some citizens of sister-states or designated cooperative zones in which students are eligible to receive in-state tuition.

U.S. immigration law requires that all international students on F-1 or J-1 student visas maintain full-time enrollment, which is a minimum of 12 semester credits for undergraduates, and a minimum of 9 semester credits for graduates. Summer semester students should consult with the DSO officer for immigration at CCU via email at internationalservices@coastal.edu.

Yes, CCU offers conditional admission to undergraduate and graduate students who meet academic coursework requirements, but do not yet meet English Proficiency requirements. This conditional admissions affords applicants ONE YEAR to submit their English Proficiency documentation to the International Recruitment and Admissions office for consideration of full admission.

The list of all tests or circumstances satisfying English Proficiency for admission purposes can be found at English Language Proficiency Exemptions.

NO. Only international high school applicants who graduate from an official, native English-speaking country OR attend at least 2 years at a high school in the US are required to take the SAT or ACT. Submitting these official test scores also allow the applicants to be reviewed for merit based scholarships.

The institutional code for TOEFL and SAT is 5837. The institutional code for ACT is 3843. There is no institutional code for IELTS or Duolingo. Applicants should request that scores be sent to Coastal Carolina University at the time the test is taken.

YES. Coastal Carolina University will accept a General Educational Development (GED) test in place of a high school diploma for admissions purposes. The official test score must be sent directly to the Office of International Recruitment and Admissions.

An official transcript is one that has a school seal, contains all of the relevant academic information of an applicant, and is uploaded HERE or mailed DIRECTLY BY THE SCHOOL OR INSTITUTION to Coastal Carolina University. Photocopies of transcripts are NOT official. Transcripts sent by the student or any other person are NOT official. Learn more.

YES. You must provide both an original transcript AND an official English translation for any document not in English. Translations should be sent directly to Coastal Carolina University by the school or service providing the translation via regular mail OR submitted via email to: internationaladmissions@coastal.edu 

YES. International Transfer applicants who have attended post-secondary educational international institutions/colleges/universities outside the U.S, are required to have ALL previous institutions submit ALL original transcripts and request a professional course-by-course evaluation with GPA of all work completed through a certified credential service provider. Evaluations from Spantran can be requested HERE. Evlauations from Josef Silny & Associates, Inc., International Education Consultants (JS&A) can be requested HERE.

For more information please visit our Official Transcripts and Related Documents page.

These items are not required for an admission decision. The Confidential Financial Statement and relevant financial documents must be sent BEFORE an I-20 is issued. 

Financial documents and Confidential Financial Statement must be dated within six months from the date of I-20 issuance to be valid. The Confidential Financial Statement and instructions on what materials are required will be sent to the applicant once an admission decision is made. For questions about this process contact internationaladmissions@coastal.edu . 

You MUST submit a copy of the photo page of your passport to complete your application. An admission decision will NOT be made without this copy. Note: Your passport must be valid for at least the first 6 months you will be in the United States. You can then work with your Embassy or Consulate to get it renewed. 

After you are accepted to CCU and submit all necessary financial documentation, you will receive a Notification of Admission and a Certificate of Eligibility (I-20 Form). In order to obtain a student visa, present the Certificate of Eligibility (I-20 Form) to a United States embassy or consulate. The U.S. Department of State offers more information about obtaining a student visa.

If you are currently attending a college or university in the United States, you must obtain a new Form I-20 from Coastal Carolina University. Be sure to complete the Transfer Clearance Form from the Office of International Affairs. Your SEVIS record must be released from your former school to Coastal Carolina University. If you have specific questions about student visas, you can contact the internationaladmissions@coastal.edu.

If an applicant is accepted for their enrollment term, they may request to have their start date deferred or delayed for another semester. The deadline to defer an application for any term is the first day of classes for that term. Follow the instructions to complete the International Request for Deferred Admission to be returned to internationaladmissions@coastal.edu.

If a student requests to change their intended start term before an admission decision is made, a one-time change to another semester start date can be made by contacting internationaladmissions@coastal.edu by the same deadlines as above. If a second change is requested, the applicant will need to reapply for the desired semester, and pay another application fee.

Admitted international students will receive login information to the email address included on their initial application with next steps for enrollment. You can also contact the internationalservices@coastal.edu. Please visit our enrollment page to see a full list of the next steps for admitted students.